The Council's Public Activities

In addition, to its activities of dealing with complaints, the Council is mandated by its Constitution to make representations on free speech issues. It also oversights the print media's Privacy Standards under the federal Privacy Act.

In furtherance of its objects, the Press Council is involved in a number of activities which bring its closer to the public, enable it to validate its processes and stimulate discussion of relevant issues. Among the ways it does this are:

• maintains a full-time office in Sydney;
   
• makes regular visits to locations outside Sydney - the most recent being to Perth on 22 and 23 March 2007 and to Wellington, NZ, for joint meetings with the New Zealand Press Council in March 2008;
   
• convenes public forums on issues of interest to the press, open to the public and featuring prominent experts in the field (and publishes transcripts of the forums as Conference Papers).
  
  The Council's most recent public forum was jointly sponsored with the Centre for Media and Communications Law at Melbourne University. The Courts and the Media conference was held in Melbourne on Friday 27 July 2007. A report appeared in the August 2007 News.
  
  The previous Council forum was on Thursday 22 March, in Perth, with a Public Address by the WA Chief Justice, the Hon. Wayne Martin, Access to Justice - The Media, the Courts and the Public Record.
   
• encourages research into matters related to the Council's objectives (the freedom and the responsibility of the press) by coordinating publication of research material, such as the 2006 State of the News Print Media in Australia report (available on the web or in hard copy for $6 from the Press Council office), and its 2007 Supplement to the State of the News Print Media in Australia 2006 (published on-line [from 18 October 2007] and in pdf format), or by endowing a grant open to researchers at tertiary institutions (awarded in 2005 to Professor Mark Pearson of Bond University);
   
• organises an annual Press Council Address on a topic related to the freedom and responsibility of the press.
  
  The 2007 Address was delivered by Fairfax Publications CEO David Kirk at a media lunch on Thursday 10 May 2007. Mr Kirk's speech addressed some of the contemporary issues for the press, especially those arising from convergence, the digital media and press freedom.
  
  The 2006 Annual Address was presented by Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty on 23 March in Sydney, at a lunch. His topic was Between the lines: New powers and accountability for police and the media.
  
  The 2005 Address was delivered by columnist (and lawyer) Richard Ackland at a media lunch on Thursday 31 March 2005, with Justice Ron Sackville responding.
  
   
• holds case studies seminars at which journalists, students and members of the public can simulate the complaints adjudication process;
   
• continuously reviews its own procedures, externally through the use of surveys, statistical reviews and questionnaires, and internally through the Planning Day;
   
• presents an annual Prize open to tertiary students;
   
• sponsors an occasional APC Fellowship to bring out an overseas expert to speak to and meet with the Australian media and public (the 1999 APC Fellow was David Robie); and
   
• prints a large number of publications. In addition to its Occasional Papers (small booklets produced from time to time), the Council produces several regular publications:
  
  
  • a quarterly Australian Press Council News, with articles of interest to the press and reports on the Council's activities;
     
  • an Annual Report, recording its activities, its adjudications on complaints and its press releases on other issues, as well as noting statistics on the output of the major publishing groups;
     
  • the Press Council Conference Papers, verbatim transcripts of its seminars and public forums; and
     
  • The State of the News Print Media in Australia 2006 ($6 [GST inclusive] in printed format and its 2007 Supplement (published on-line [from 18 October 2007] and in pdf format.

Copies of the APC News and of Annual Reports are available to anyone who wants to place his or her name on the mailing list. Alternatively, Press Council publications are now sent by email to those who ask for delivery in that form. If you want the News sent direct to you (in pdf format), please send an email to info@presscouncil.org.au with subject line News by email and you will be placed on the direct email list.

The Conference Papers are available at a nominal price, to defray the cost of printing. Back issues of most publications are available.

A complete list of publications is available.