WeeklySA_AdminREGULATION: New online platform gives the public unprecedented insight into how complaints against South African news organisations are handled, reinforcing transparency and trust in the country’s media self-regulation system…
By WSAM Reporter
The Press Council of South Africa has launched its first-ever public Complaints Management Dashboard, a move aimed at increasing transparency and public confidence in the country’s media accountability system.
The online dashboard provides, for the first time, an accessible overview of how complaints against member publications are received, processed and resolved.
It covers the period from January to June 2026 and is expected to be updated regularly to create an ongoing public record of the Council’s regulatory work.
According to the Council, the dashboard enables members of the public, journalists, editors, publishers and civil society organisations to monitor key aspects of the complaints process.
These include the number of complaints received each month, how cases are resolved or dismissed, matters still awaiting finalisation, the sections of the Press Code most frequently breached, and the progress of cases through adjudication and appeals.
The Press Council said the initiative reflects its commitment to greater openness and accountability, arguing that public confidence in media regulation depends on people being able to see how the system functions in practice.
The Council is responsible for promoting ethical journalism by holding member publications accountable to the Press Code of Ethics and Conduct. It says media freedom and media accountability are complementary principles that are essential to a healthy democracy, where the rights of both the press and the public must be protected.
The launch comes at a time when misinformation and disinformation continue to challenge public trust in news and information.
The Council believes that transparent oversight of ethical journalism is increasingly important in helping citizens distinguish credible reporting from false or misleading content.
Press Council Executive Director Dr Phathiswa Magopeni said every complaint received represented a member of the public placing trust in the Council to address concerns responsibly.
“This Dashboard demonstrates our commitment to accountability. Every figure shown represents a complaint from a member of the public who trusted this Council to handle their concern responsibly. We have a duty to them and to the integrity of a free media in our democracy to conduct our work transparently,” she said.
The Council has encouraged the public, researchers and media practitioners to use the dashboard to better understand the complaints process and to lodge complaints where they believe member publications have breached the Press Code.
The dashboard is available on the Press Council’s website together with guidance on how members of the public can submit complaints.
