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Complaint Criteria pon receipt of forms, staff will determine if 1. The party bringing the complaint must have been named or 1J your complaint meets the clean alluded to in the story. If a corporation or group is the News Council criteria. y Y � g p officer, board member, Council staff accepts a Cone named party, a responsible person , famil member � can act as the complainant. plaint if it raises questions of Y p 2. Complaints must question journalistic practices relating to journalistic fairness that are fairness or accuracy of a published or broadcast news story or addressable at a hearing. It does editorial. The Council does not accept complaints about non- not mean the staff judges the p coverage, business decisions, circulation or advertising. (Com- complaint to be valid. plaints about political advertising are considered on a case-by- If the complaint does not meet p p g Y case basis). the News Council's criteria ' staff I The story ust have appeared no more than six months before will send a letter explaining the Y pp the news organization receives notice of the complaint from reasons for rejection and the roce- either the complainant or the News Council. A dure for appealing the decision. received after that may be accepted only if the news outlet agrees. The complaint will be allowed to proceed after the 6- Visi bility month deadline if the complainant has been actively trying to resolve the complaint with the news outlet during that period. 4. The News Council considers complaints against news outlets Not all complaints are address- television and radio stations, newspapers, magazines, wire able at a News Council hearing; in service and the Internet. It does nor consider complaints against some cases the Council can offer a publications or broadcasts that do not purport to be "news." public or private forum. 5. Third-party complaints ----those brought by individuals or A private forum is a meeting groups not named or clearly alluded to -will be considered by between a limited number of the Complaints Committee if they raise significant ethical issues complainants and one or more w of concern to the general public. news outlets about a spec c A third-party complaint will not be accepted if there is a complaint that is less likely to be of competent first party who could bring the complaint. interest to the general public.A The Complaints Committee reviews all third-party complaints private forum has a problem-solving and accepts complaints at its discretion. focus. Day One of the complaint timeline (next page) begins when Public forums are of interest to the Committee decides to accept the complaint. If the Commit- a large group of people, involve a tee rejects the complaint, you may appeal the decision to the number of media organizations, Executive Committee. and raise questions about com- b. The News Council does not accept complaints of current or past mon journalistic practices. The employees of news outlets about the employee-employer purpose of a public forum is a relationship, unless that relationship becomes the subject of public airing of the issues. flews coverage. Besides these, Council staff keeps 7. The News Council may assist in resolving complaints between track of trends in complaints and parties outside Minnesota if both parties consent. produces a quarterly newsletter to keep media executives abreast of the kinds of behaviors that are leading to complaints. Your complaint may appear in that newsletter, with identifying information removed.