News Media and Complainant Attitudes toward the Minnesota Press Council

Abstract

Newspapers and complainants both approve of press council. Extent of approval by newspapers is related to degree of familiarity with it and belief it is eflective. No!" American Socirry of Newpaprr Edirorr Ihrlhtin. January 1973. p. 17. Thc vote for establishing an ASHF gruvancc committee was R9 for. 306 against and 10 undecided A non-ASWE pievanoe committec was npposcd 34441. and if mch a mmrmtlee were to bc established. the ASNE mcmhcrs. by a ?57-106 vote. mid thcy would not ruppon it. 'John E. Polich. -Newspaper Suppon of Press Councils.' JolaNALlsM QUARTFRLY. 51 : 199-206 (Spring 1974). Polich also found that 53% disapproved of local press councils-and 29% was strong disapproval But even though only 14% a p proved d local councils. (18% said thcy dclinitely or probahly would coopcrate with a local council I f one were formcd in thcir mmmunity.

The legitimacy and moral authority of the National News Council (USA)

“…In a survey by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (Shepard, 1997), 85 percent of the public respondents indicated they would support the use of news councils to investigate complaints against the news media. Schafer (1979) examined media and complainant attitudes toward the Minnesota News Council (MNC) and found relatively high approval among both. Complainants were more approving than journalists, and among journalists, those working for daily newspapers were most supportive, followed by those at weekly papers and then those in radio and television.…”