Reporting Guidelines
General Press Release No. 203 (September 1996)

Politicians restricting newspapers from reasonable access

The Australian Press Council believes that restrictions on the reasonable access of newspapers by those in political and public life are generally not acceptable and can be rarely, if ever, justified.

The Council has had drawn to its attention in recent times a number of examples where particular newspapers have been barred from reasonable access to politicians, even being banned from general press conferences. Sometimes the ban is quite public; at other times a newspaper alleges that a ban is in place.

The Council emphasises that freedom of the press to publish is not so much a freedom for journalists, editors and proprietors. It is the freedom of the people to be informed. This is the justification for upholding press freedom as an essential feature of a democratic society. While the Council makes no criticism of exclusive and selective interviews, it believes that a boycott of a particular newspaper can be a sanction against its readers, who could be deprived of information which they are entitled to receive, indeed, entitled to receive at the same time as other citizens.

Because the likely effect is to restrict or deprive the free flow of information on matters of public interest and importance, such bans give rise to concerns.

Accordingly, whenever the Council receives complaints about such restrictions on reasonable access, it will use its "good offices" to mediate a solution acceptable to both parties so that the readers of the newspaper continue to be informed. If such a solution is not reached, the matter may be referred to a hearing, after which the Council will come to its own considered opinion and make this public.

Also on bans by politicians: GPR 221

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