大象传媒

These are designed to improve the clarity and efficiency of the process, making it "faster, simpler and easier to understand", following Trust Chairman Lord Patten's review of 大象传媒 governance processes in July 2011.

The proposals up for public consultation include:

• Making the complaints process simpler and fairer by explaining better how it will work at each stage;
• Ensuring that complaints are more comprehensively recorded by encouraging complainants to use the central address, phone number and website link for all editorial and general complaints;
• Focusing resource on responsive handling of substantive complaints that raise real issues about the 大象传媒's output;
• Reducing the time spent corresponding about trivial, hypothetical or vexatious complaints, while retaining the right of all complainants to appeal to the 大象传媒 Trust;
• Bringing the time limit for complaints about website content into line with the 30-day rule that applies to broadcasts, again with a right of appeal to the Trust for those that are out of time;
• Speeding up the handling of similar complaints about a single issue by treating them all together; and
• Setting a more detailed procedure for complaints about complaints handling and about the actions of the Trust.

In addition, the Trust is today confirming the 大象传媒 plans to:聽

• Create a corrections and clarifications page on the 大象传媒 website;
• Appoint a 'Chief Complaints Editor' within the 大象传媒 to coordinate complaints handling activity across the 大象传媒 Executive, 'fast-tracking' specific complaints if necessary; and
• Establish a guide informing people where to complain (both within the 大象传媒 and externally).

Lord Patten, Chairman of the 大象传媒 Trust said: "The 大象传媒 is the world's greatest broadcaster, but it isn't perfect and it does sometimes get things wrong. When it does, it needs to make amends quickly and apologise if appropriate. The proposed changes are designed to make the process faster, simpler and easier to understand for audiences and give genuine complaints the priority they deserve. We want to know if people think they will achieve that."

Richard Ayre, Chairman of the Trust's Complaints and Appeals Board, added: "The proposed changes are designed to improve the 大象传媒's handling of complaints, making it more timely and more responsive than it has been and allowing us to focus our resources effectively. Over the next six weeks we want to hear what people think about these changes so we can publish our final plans in the summer."

ENDS.

Notes to editors

The review of the 大象传媒's complaints process was announced as part of Lord Patten's review of the 大象传媒's governance processes in July 2011. The 大象传媒 Executive and the 大象传媒 Trust have been working together on the review to identify potential ways to streamline the process at all three stages within the confines of the current 大象传媒 Royal Charter. A series of proposed changes was approved by the Trust in February, and these have today been published, along with draft supporting procedures which will show how the process will work in practice. The public consultation will run for six weeks and will close on 19 April 2012.

The complaints process

All complaints about the 大象传媒 must first be dealt with by the 大象传媒 Executive (stage 1). Complainants who are still unhappy at the end of stage 1 may be able to complain to senior 大象传媒 management to have their complaint looked at in more detail at a second stage (stage 2). The 大象传媒 has set up a special unit called the Editorial Complaints Unit (ECU) to investigate editorial complaints at stage 2. It is not in a programme making division of the 大象传媒 and is independent of programme makers.

The 大象传媒 Trust is the final arbiter in the 大象传媒 for complaints. The Trust is the sovereign body of the 大象传媒. It takes appropriate complaints on appeal. For editorial and general complaints this is known as stage 3. Complaints about the Trust go straight to the Trust to reply to and do not go through 大象传媒 management.

Findings by the Trust and upheld findings by the ECU are normally published (but not, for example, if it will breach a complainant's privacy or commercial confidence). An on-air correction or apology may be required by the Trust or ECU in serious cases. The Trust will apologise to the complainant if the complaint is upheld, as will the ECU.

A similar process applies for non-editorial complaints (including fair trading and TV licensing), which must first be considered by the Executive, followed by a right of appeal to the Trust.

Complaints numbers

240,000 editorial complaints enter the 大象传媒 every year. Of those 94% are currently being answered within the ten working day target. In 2010/11 only 0.11% (257) progressed to Stage 2 and only 0.05% (110) went on to appeal to the Trust.

You can find the consultation on the proposed changes to the complaints process below: