General Press Release No. 286 (July 2009)

Press Council reduces size

The Australian Press Council has decided to reduce the size of the Council from 22 to 15. The decision was made at the Council's July meeting in Sydney on July 30. Where there had previously been seven public members on a 22-person Council, there will now be 6 representatives of the public on the smaller Council.

The change strengthens proportionally the public membership of the Council.

The reduction to 15 will result in a Council comprising five industry members, a representative of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, six public members, two independent journalist members (one of whom is a former editor) and an independent Chair.

A major impetus for the reform is the current economic downturn. The publishers who fund the Council sought budget cuts similar to those applied to their own budgets.

To reform and make its operations more efficient, the Council, which consists of representatives of the publishers, of journalists and of members of the public, and has members from every state in Australia, decided to reduce the size of the Council.

The Council's Chairman, Professor Ken McKinnon, said that the new Council would come into effect in October, at the end of his nine years as Council Chair.

"Regrettably, the Council has had to make savings in its budget and the range of its operations but these will not unduly effect the work of the Council. The Council will place a greater emphasis on the speedy and effective resolution of complaints from readers about material in newspapers and magazines (and on their websites), a move the publishers have undertaken to support strongly."

Professor McKinnon concluded: "The Council's independent role in advising governments and advocating policies that will maximise the free flow of information to the public will continue to be an important aspect of the Council's on-going activities."

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