Reporting Guidelines

Reporting Elections
(March 2009)

The Australian Press Council has issued a guideline on election reporting. The Council issues guidelines from time to time. These are, in essence, amplifications on particular issues arising from the Council's Statement of Principles. The guidelines apply the Principles to the practice of reporting and are intended to guide the press on how it should report certain matters. These guidelines are not intended to be prescriptive instructions to the press but act as a series of advisories on the application of the Principles that the Council seeks the co-operation of editors in maintaining. A list of the extant guidelines (and links to them) can be found on this website.

Complaints to the Australian Press Council about material appearing in newspapers have obliged the Council to consider a number of issues relating to the rights and duties of the print media in reporting election campaigns. Some of the matters dealt with are applicable to other media.

Newspaper bias

In general, the experience of the Council is that all parties in election campaigns tend to complain about bias on the part of the media and frequently about the same newspaper! The Council has received, and dealt with, significant complaints alleging bias. But this is rare. As research commissioned by the Council in 2006-2007 showed, the print media are not generally partisan in their coverage of elections. This is specifically true in regard to news reports.

The Council has said that it upholds the right of a newspaper to have its own political position; to accept certain beliefs and policies and to reject others; and to favour the election of one party and to oppose the election of another. However, the Council has emphasised strongly that newspapers that profess to inform the community about its political and social affairs are under an obligation to present to the public a reasonably comprehensive and accurate account of public issues.

As a result, the Council believes that it essential that a clear distinction be drawn between reporting the facts and stating opinion. A paper's editorial viewpoints and its advocacy of them must be kept separate from its news columns.

Unfairness and lack of balance

This issue particularises the matters set out above. The claims that are made relate to particular news items that candidates feel unfairly presents their position. They are judged on the same basis as any other complaint about unfairness or imbalance.

It is common for a newspaper to run a feature on candidates and invite them to present their views on topics or outline their policies. It is important that this type of article treat the parties fairly. Generally equal space should be provided to them. If photographs are to be published all should be given the chance to provide a copy and the photographs should be of equivalent quality. A candidate should be sought out to provide comment if that opportunity is being provided to his or her rivals. However, the Council has accepted the argument that where there are a large number of candidates seeking election, a newspaper can be selective in whom it approaches and can limit itself to the candidates that it considers have a chance of success.

The timing of material is another very important issue, especially for non-daily papers. Newspapers need to be wary about publishing material critical of candidates at a time when there would be no opportunity, before the election, for the candidate to supply a balancing response.

Publication of letters

The selection of letters for publication is an editor's prerogative. But editors need to take particular care during election periods, when attempts to misuse the letters column can be more common. There are two matters that have come to the attention of the Council in relation to which editors should be on guard. One is the writing of letters under a false name. Normal newspaper practice should address this issue. The other is the practice apparently used by some political parties of having party members flood papers with letters dealing with a particular topic where the letter has been written by the party itself.

Without suggesting that the practice of editing letters is inappropriate, care should be taken in editing letters from candidates to avoid allegations that the changes misrepresent the candidate's position. It is much wiser to agree with the candidate the form the letter should take for publication. If agreement is not forthcoming, the paper can decline to publish the letter.

Newspaper policies during elections

Many newspapers have adopted particular positions during election periods, the most common of which, particularly among community newspapers, has been the non-publication of letters from candidates. The council believes that such policies are a matter for the newspaper itself to develop. However, when such policies are taken, it is incumbent on publications to advise their readers, with due prominence, of the existence of the policy and to stick by that policy throughout the election period.

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Index of guidelines

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