The media has today signed and adopted a Code of Practice and renewed its pledge to have a self-regulating watchdog up and running by mid-September.

A joint statement on the code was issued this afternoon by Senator Thaao Dill, from Inter-Island Communications; Chris Lodge, from DeFontes Broadcasting Company; Tracey Neale, from Bermuda Broadcasting Company; Tony McWilliam, from the Bermuda Sun; and Bill Zuill, from The Royal Gazette.

The five media managers said they had presented Premier Ewart Brown with a draft plan covering the functions, aims and membership structure of the Bermuda Media Council.

“The main role of the council will be to serve members of the public who have complaints about the media, while protecting freedom of expression,” said the statement.

“The code will be posted on our websites and printed in the Bermuda Sun and The Royal Gazette. Our action today follows a pledge made on May 27 to move forward on our commitment to establishing a self-regulating media council.

“Our plan is very much a work in progress and we — that is, the media working group — will meet regularly to flesh it out and ensure that the council is up and running by our self-imposed deadline of September 14, 2010.”

The voluntary council is being set up after Dr. Brown tabled a bill in the House of Assembly to create a statutory body with the power to ban publication of material.

International press freedom groups and local lawyers and journalists criticised the draft legislation and the Premier agreed not to push it through Parliament if the media fulfilled its promise to set up its own council.

The new code replaces the code of practice The Royal Gazette has had in place for more than two years.

See tomorrow’s edition of The Royal Gazette for the full story.