Flag Media Ltd views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve the quality of our journalism and the contents of our publications, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.

We aim to provide a fair complaints procedure that is clear, convenient and easy to use. Complaints are dealt with promptly and fairly, with decisions based on sufficient investigation of the circumstances and, where appropriate, a suitable remedy.
 

Who can complain?

Complaints may be made by anyone who is personally and directly affected by an alleged breach of the Impress Standards Code, by a representative group affected by an alleged breach where there is a public interest in the complaint, or by a third party seeking to ensure the accuracy of published information.

A complaint should normally be made by email or in writing, although we will accept complaints by other reasonable means where it is not convenient or practical for someone to complain in writing.

Complaints should be clearly identified as complaints. General enquiries and requests for corrections will not normally be dealt with under this complaints policy unless the person making the request makes clear that they wish to make a formal complaint.
 

Making a complaint

Complaints should be sent by email to:

paul.kelbie@flagmedia.co.uk

You may also complain by another reasonable means if this is more convenient or practical for you.

Information we need

Please provide a contact email address and, where possible, your name and telephone number.

If your complaint concerns a news article, please provide:

• the name and date of the publication and the page reference of the article concerned, together with its URL;

• a URL or link to any visual or audio material relevant to the complaint;

• a written account explaining what you are complaining about, including any specific words or phrases in the article that are relevant to your complaint and any clauses of the Impress Standards Code that you believe have been breached; and

• the outcome or remedy you are seeking.

If your complaint concerns the conduct or behaviour of an employee or contributor, please provide:

• the name of the individual concerned, if known, or any other information that may identify them;

• a written account of the behaviour or conduct, including relevant dates, times, correspondence or other evidence, and any clauses of the Impress Standards Code that you believe have been breached; and

• the outcome or remedy you are seeking.

What happens to your complaint?

We will make reasonable efforts to contact you if further information is needed in order to respond to your complaint.

Your complaint will be recorded and passed to the person responsible for legal standards and compliance.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint by email or in writing within 7 calendar days. Our acknowledgement will tell you who is dealing with the complaint and when you can expect a response. Any conflicts of interest will also be declared at this stage.

We will investigate complaints fairly and will take reasonable steps to manage any conflicts of interest.

You will receive a final decision within 21 calendar days of receipt of your complaint.

Our final response will explain the steps taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions reached and any action taken as a result.

If you are not satisfied

If you feel that your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved by Flag Media, or you have justifiable reasons why the matter is so urgent that you cannot wait for our response, you may ask Impress to review the complaint in accordance with its Regulatory Scheme.

Impress

Web: impressorg.com/complaints
Email: complaints@impressorg.com
Telephone: 020 3325 4288

Further information about the Impress Standards Code can be found at impressorg.com/standards/.