Press Council of South Africa launches inaugural complaints management dashboard
MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A new public-facing monitoring instrument represents a significant advance in transparency and accountability within South Africa’s media co-regulatory system.
Johannesburg, 24 July 2026: The Press Council of South Africa (“the Council”) announces the launch of its inaugural Complaints Management Dashboard, a public-facing monitoring tool that, for the first time in the Council’s history, provides members of the public, journalists, editors, publishers and civil society organisations with direct, ongoing visibility into how complaints against the media are received, processed and resolved.
Covering the period from January to June 2026, the Dashboard sets out, in a single accessible format, the volume of complaints lodged each month under review; the manner of their disposal, whether by resolution, decline, withdrawal or deferral; those matters that remain pending; the provisions of the Press Code most frequently found to have been breached; and the pathway by which complaints proceed through adjudication and, where applicable, appeal. The Council intends to publish the Dashboard regularly, thereby constituting a living public record of its regulatory functions.
The Council’s mandate
The mandate of the Press Council of South Africa is to promote media integrity by holding publishers accountable to the public through the Press Code of Ethics and Conduct. It is a system of editorial oversight and governance founded on the principle that media freedom and media accountability are not competing interests but mutually reinforcing conditions for a functioning democracy. The exercise of free expression carries material consequences for the individuals and communities affected by media coverage, and the Council’s mediation and adjudication weigh those consequences fairly, independently and free from any influence.
The publication of this Dashboard is a deliberate and considered step towards greater openness about the practical operation of this system. The Council’s approach retains public confidence only insofar as the public can observe it in operation, including the volume and nature of complaints received, the timeliness and manner of their resolution, and the ethical standards most frequently in question. Accountability cannot be demonstrated without such visibility.
Information Integrity and Public Trust in an Era of Information Disorders
The Council’s role has taken on heightened importance in an age marked by the rapid proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, and other forms of information disorder. As the boundaries between verified journalism and unverified content grow increasingly difficult for the public to discern, a credible, independent body dedicated to upholding standards of accuracy, fairness, and ethical conduct in the press is indispensable to maintaining a healthy information ecosystem. The Council’s work in adjudicating complaints, articulating and enforcing the Press Code, and now reporting transparently on its own functions serves not merely the interests of the publications it regulates, but the broader public interest in a media environment the citizenry can trust. Public confidence in credible journalism cannot be presumed but must be earned and continually reinforced through demonstrable, independent oversight, of which this Dashboard forms a part.
The Council’s Executive Director, Dr Phathiswa Magopeni, says, “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.”
An Invitation to Public Engagement
The Council encourages members of the public, media practitioners, researchers and civil society organisations to engage fully with the Dashboard, familiarise themselves with the complaints process, observe how complaints are handled in aggregate, and lodge a complaint
with confidence if they believe a member publication has breached the Press Code. An informed citizenry is the surest safeguard of both media freedom and media accountability, each of which depends on the public’s awareness of this system, confidence in its effective functioning, and willingness to use it when needed.
The Dashboard, along with step-by-step guidance on lodging complaints, is now accessible at
https://presscouncilsa.org.za/complaints/#generalinformation
ABOUT THE PRESS COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA
The Press Council of South Africa is the independent co-regulatory body for the South African media, promoting and safeguarding media freedom while ensuring adherence to the Press Code of ethics and conduct. Through the Public Advocate and the Press Ombud, the Council provides an accessible, independent, and free-of-charge mechanism for resolving complaints from members of the public about the conduct of member publications.
ENDS
ISSUED BY: Press Council of South Africa
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Email: media@presscouncilsa.org.za | Website: www.presscouncilsa.org.za
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