
Recent figures indicate that the PCC only adjudicates on less than 1% of complaints it receives, and of that 1% approximately only 1 in every 250 complaints is currently upheld. While no doubt there are many vexatious complaints, that statistic seems worryingly low. It is impossible to thoroughly analyse these figures because we have no access to details of the processes or methodology used by the commission. Its annual report is such a scant document that even the financial contributions of the major newspapers are clothed in secrecy.
To ensure public confidence, an industry's regulatory body must be transparent, accountable and sufficiently resourced. If the medical profession was jolted into regulatory reform by the Harold Shipman case, perhaps it is time the PCC was knocked into shape following the blatantly inaccurate reporting of the Madeleine McCann case – something that only served to further reduce public confidence in the media (Courtesy: The Guardian)