The Financial Times has appointed Christina Michalos QC as its new Editorial Complaints Commissioner, succeeding barrister Greg Callus.
Callus had held the role since the closure of the Press Complaints Commission in September 2014.
Christina Michalos QC is a leading barrister specialising in the fields of media, defamation, information and copyright law. She is the author of The Law of Photography & Digital Images (Sweet & Maxwell). In 2015, she was elected a bencher of Gray’s Inn and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2019.
The role of Editorial Complaints Commissioner ensures an independent means of overseeing reader complaints. The role is a regulatory one, completely independent of the editor.
Where any complaint under the FT Editorial Code is not resolved by FT senior editors, a complainant can appeal to the Commissioner who will review the matter and direct appropriate redress.
Michalos has been appointed by, and will report to, the FT’s Appointments and Oversight Committee. Its members are Baroness Wheatcroft (Chair), Professor Ian Hargreaves and FT CEO John Ridding.
The Oversight Committee and the Complaints Commissioner are part of FT governance structures that embed and ensure the highest standards in journalism.
The Complaints Commissioner’s work is reviewed by the Committee, whose role is to uphold the FT Editorial Code with a view to maintaining journalistic integrity, and overseeing the work of the Commissioner.
Baroness Patience Wheatcroft, Chair of the Appointments and Oversight Committee, said: “‘I am delighted that Christina Michalos QC has agreed to succeed in the role of the FT’s Editorial Complaints Commissioner.
“As the first incumbent, Greg has shown how effective the Commissioner can be as an independent arbiter holding the FT to the highest editorial standards.
“I am confident that Christina is the ideal person to build on his work. Her legal expertise encompasses every aspect of the fast-evolving media world and she is committed to safeguarding the vital role of high quality journalism in an increasingly digital age.”