General Press Release No. 247 (September 2001)

Asia-Pacific Press Seminar

The Australian Press Council is bringing to Sydney editors and publishers from our near north and from many Pacific islands to discuss the development of press freedom and responsibility in the Asia-Pacific region. Guests include the President of the East Timor Journalists Association and the Chairman of the recently-formed Indonesian Press Council.

The seminar is to be held in Sydney on the Monday 1 October and the morning of Tuesday 2 October. This will enable those editors and others planning to attend the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) editors' conference and subsequent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Brisbane to attend the Sydney seminar on their way to those events.

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid), is providing significant financial assistance to support representation at the seminar from a range of countries across the region.

As a result the seminar will feature representatives from the following Pacific nations: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Tonga, Western Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; as well as representatives from East Timor, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Additionally, there will be observers from Mauritius, the UK Press Complaints Commission, the Commonwealth Press Union, the Centre for Democratic Institutions (at the ANU), AusAid and the Asian Media Council of Australia.

Objectives

Among the objectives of the seminar are the stimulation of an exchange of experience, information and views about means to preserve and enhance freedom and responsibility of the press in countries of the region and the encouragement of the development of links and relationships between individuals and organisations in the industry with an interest in press freedom and professional standards in newspapers.

One method by which this can be achieved is press self-regulation through Press Councils. There are already independent Press Councils in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Indonesia and each will be represented by its Chair. The intent of the seminar is to use the experience already gained by the existing Press Councils in the region to explore how best such organisations can function in various cultural contexts, and to explore future possibilities.

Program

The aim is to allow time for wide-ranging discussion, while encouraging both an exchange of information and the development of a support network for those who want to proceed in the direction of Press Councils, either in their own country or, perhaps, on a regional basis.

Most of Monday morning should be taken up by a presentation from each country describing the state of media development, the extent to which the press is free, any mechanisms for addressing criticism of the press and key issues in that country.

Monday afternoon will explore how the extant Councils are organised, how effectively they function and the prospects for others elsewhere. For example, Atmakusumah Astraatmadja from the Indonesian Press Council (which is less than a year old) will describe how it was established and the Fiji Media Council's Daryl Tarte will explore the difficulties it has faced in an unstable democracy.

Tuesday morning will be devoted to case studies of matters that have come before the Press Councils. Australia, New Zealand and Fiji will each present a case study on matters they have dealt with. In Australia, we have used case study seminars to effect with diverse audiences to bring out the principles and practices involved in the Council's complaints processes and to explore the effectiveness and the limits of the Press Council's role.

Tuesday's final session will bring together many of the themes explored earlier and develop a plan of action for further regional co-operation.

Guests

The forum has many guests from the region, including:

Atmakusumah Astraadmadja, Chairman of the Indonesian Press Council.

Erick Brelu-Brelu Jr, "La Mauricien", Mauritius.

David Chipp, UK Press Complaints Commission.

Ofani Eremae, Chief Sub-editor, Solomon Star, Solomon Islands.

Virgilio Guterres, President of the Timor Lorosa'e Journalists Association, the journalists' association of East Timor.

Yehiura Hriehwazi, Editor in Chief, the National Newspaper, PNG.

Sir John Jeffries, Chairman, New Zealand Press Council.

Shirley Joy, President, Pres Klab Blong Vanuatu.

Samisoni Kakaivalu, Fiji Times.

Taina Kami-Enoka, former Secretary,Tonga News Association.

Savea Sano Malifa, Editor/Publisher, Samoa Observer .

Peter Niesi, Political Editor, Post Courier, PNG.

Oseah Philemon, Editor, Post Courier, PNG.

Lance Polu, Editor, Le Samoa.

Nina Ratalule, Corodinator, PINA Pacific Freedom Network, Pacific Area Newspapers Association.

Mark Robinson, Executive Director, Commonwelath Press Union.

Ieremia Tabai, Director, New Air Radio and New Star Television, Kiribati.

Arthur Taripo, editorial consultant for the Cook Islands Herald.

Daryl Tarte, Chairman, Media Council, Fiji.

Nanette Woonton, Editor, Cook Islands Herald.

The Australian Press Council was founded in 1976, so this forum celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. The Council acts as the self-regulatory body for the print media, enabling the public to have an avenue for complaint about the ethical conduct of the press. The Council solves many complaints amicably, through mediation, and issues formal adjudications on matters referred to it. Consisting of representatives of the publishers, journalists and members of the public, the Press Council also takes an active interest in issues affecting the traditional freedoms of expression and in developments affecting the press is the Asia-Pacific region.

Among its delegates will be its Chairman, Professor Ken McKinnon, Vice-Chairman, Lange Powell, News Limited Group Editorial Manager Warren Beeby and former editors, John Morgan and Dan O'Sullivan.

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