Bermuda's first self-regulating media council officially opens for business today with its creators promising a “new era of heightened responsibility and accountability”.Twenty news outlets have signed up in support of the Media Council of Bermuda and agreed to adopt its code of practice.Council chairman Christian Luthi said yesterday: “It is hoped that through the adoption of the code of practice the media has set a standard for itself that will continue to improve the quality of journalism in Bermuda and provide an objective mechanism for the resolution of disputes.”He said the code's core principles were to protect the rights of individuals and the public's right to know and to strike a balance between the freedom of the press and the private rights of citizens.“While the public has a right to see that matters in the public interest are brought to their attention by a free press, just as importantly the public has a right to see that proper standards of reporting are adhered to.”The news was welcomed by the International Press Institute, which last year criticised plans by former Premier Ewart Brown to form a state-controlled council.IPI acting director Alison Bethel McKenzie said: “IPI congratulates the media community in Bermuda on the launch of the voluntary media council.“It has been a long but inclusive and open process and we are confident that the council will indeed be ‘free, straightforward and swift' in its resolution of complaints and in its defence of freedom of expression. We look forward to working with the media council and to providing any support which may be necessary.”A group of editors and news managers got together to create the council after Dr Brown tabled his controversial Media Council Act bill in the House of Assembly in May.The proposed legislation was dropped after the Media Working Group compiled the code of practice, based on one used in the UK, and pledged to have a council up-and-running by mid-September.Group chairman Tony McWilliam, editor of the Bermuda Sun, said yesterday setting up the independent body was more time-consuming than expected.“There have been no specific obstacles, just extraordinary demands on our time in order to get everything done,” he said. “Everyone on the Media Working Group is a volunteer with a full-time job.“The members of the council were chosen in October but we then had various administrative and structural tasks to complete. The Christmas holidays also added to the delay.“The original deadline was ambitious but the most important thing was that we got it right it took longer than we anticipated but despite the delay we're still pleased with the launch date.”A press release issued by the working group said the launch of the council “ushers in a new era of heightened responsibility and accountability for the media while protecting freedom of expression from government oversight”.It said the council's main function was to give the public a free remedy if they had a legitimate complaint against a media outlet. Retroactive complaints will not be dealt with.The council's deputy chairman is C Wendell Emery and its members are Tom Vesey, Charles Webbe, Qian Dickinson, Kelly Francis, Rebecca Davies and Amanda Outerbridge.The news organisations involved are: Bermuda.com; Bermudabiographies.com; Bermuda Broadcasting Company; Bermuda Media; The Bermudian Publishing Company; Bermuda Sports Network; Bermuda Sun; Bermuda Wired; Bermynet; Bernews; Black ‘n' Coke; Breezeblog; DeFontes Broadcasting Company; Inter-Island Communications; Islandstats.com; LookTV; LTT Broadcasting Company; The Royal Gazette; VATV; and The Worker's Voice.* Useful website: www.mediacouncilofbermuda.org.