Belgium

DE STANDAARD : A compromise is sought

Belgian law is broad and ensures easy access to the right of reply for the public.De Standaard therefore tries to find a compromise with the reader in order to avoid having to publish texts that are often over-long, badly written and that the newspaper cannot change. The mediator has the task of negotiating and rectifying any mistakes and interviewing the person concerned, in keeping with the journalistic process.In the end, the publication of a right of reply as such is rare.

France

EUROPE 1 : Via the Legal Department

Immediate right of reply is not given on air except in extreme cases. The current procedure goes through the Legal Department, the General Secretary and the department directly impacted.

FRANCE 24 : Case by case

LE MONDE : This is being debated

At the moment, when a text of right of reply is received, the original is sent to the newspaper’s lawyer and a copy to the journalist in question, as well as their head of department. After it has been discussed, a decision will be made about whether or not to publish it.

OUEST FRANCE : A formal commitment has been drawn up.

The commitment is clear: “All requests for the right of reply, whether or not expressed in terms foreseen by the law, must be dealt with politely and carefully. It is not only a question of the rights of a citizen versus the power of the press, but also a question of the newspaper’s relationship with its readers. Our image in the long term depends on the way this is handled. It must therefore always be discussed with our readers, but also internally, and before any decision is made. To avoid restrictions drawn up by the law, we try to offer a compromise satisfactory to the reader, without exposing our columns to undue attention: a correction – if there is a mistake, we correct it; a clarification – if there is information missing, we provide it; opinion – by readers’ letters or the forum; an editorial amendment added later – we commit to providing a reply as soon as possible”.Each request for right of reply is subject to two viewpoints: the legal department and the head of department or chief editor.Sometimes a request is rejected as it has no legal basis; if so, the editorial office will always provide a response indicating that this is the case. They will have the final word.

The number of requests for right of reply has halved in the last 20 years, as have other legal disputes. This is partly explained by the fact that all our journalists have had basic training in the Press and the Law.

Germany

BERLINER ZEITUNG : The law is adhered to

German law states that the right of reply is limited to an explanation of the facts and it excludes all opinions or judgments. It mainly covers defamation.

ZDF : According to the law

Apart from the legal texts, right of reply is covered by the ninth paragraph of theInter-Länder public treaty for ZDF of 31 August 1991.

Ireland

THE IRISH TIMES : No equivalent in Ireland

Poland

POLSKIE RADIO, KANAL 3 : According to the law

Polish law provides quite precise regulations regarding the right of reply but it is difficult to apply on radio when news is continually changing.

United Kingdom

BBC : Granted and commented on

The BBC receives about 100 requests for right of reply every year. The Editorial Policy unit plays an advisory role on the form and duration of the right of reply.The right of reply can be commented on