There’s a new press regulator in Canada, the National Newsmedia Council.
“The Press Councils of British Columbia, Atlantic Canada and Ontario are merging their organizations to form the new National Newsmedia Council,” a statement from the chair of the new organization, Francis Lankin, says.
But, not all councils will participate: the Quebec Press Council and Alberta Press Council aren’t part of the National Newsmedia Council and will continue to maintain their operations.
The National Newsmedia Council became effective this month. “A major turning point was reached earlier this year when Postmedia and their newly acquired Sun papers indicated that they would resume membership once a National Council was established,” Lankin’s statement reads in part. It goes on, “Together with the majority of the daily and community newspapers across the country who have expressed support for the National Council concept, we have achieved a financially stable, cost efficient and effective operational model and we are ready to launch.”
In a statement on the Ontario Press Council website announcing its demise, the council said “The Ontario Press Council will no longer deal with complaints against news organizations which were members of the the OPC. The press council in Ontario and the other two provincial press councils are now members of the National Newsmedia Council.”
The Toronto Star‘s public editor Kathy English wrote about the new council in her Sept. 11 column, advising readers “you can expect the Star to be a strong supporter of the NNC.”
Previously, Star readers could complain to the Ontario Press Council if they had a problem with the newspaper’s response to their complaints, and they can now go to the National Newsmedia Council, she wrote.
“Similar to the regional councils that the NNC replaces, the council will include both industry and public members from across the three regions to provide independent review and adjudication of readers’ concerns and complaints about print and digital content.” according to English.