Adjudication No. 1333  (adjudicated October 2006)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed complaints by Marian Fitzgerald, Penny Tyson and others against The Mercury, Hobart, over articles and photographs published on 27 February and a report published on 16 June.

The 27 February articles were published on pages one to four and reported on the reaction of residents of Smithton, a North West Coast community, to a horrific road crash on 25 February at Round Hill near Burnie which claimed the lives of three teenage girls who were members of a Circular Head basketball team, the mother of one and the team coach.

The paper carried photographs of the crashed vehicle draped in a tarpaulin, photographs of some of those who died, an interview with the father of one of the victims and comments from the local Mayor and from a Smithton Christian Fellowship member.

The complainants said the coverage, particularly of the vehicle which still contained the bodies, breached the Council's principle covering right to privacy.

In its response the newspaper said the extensive photographs and articles were published because the accident was a significant news event. It was also consistent with the newspaper's policy, re-inforced by a year-long Drive Safe campaign that published information on road crashes to educate the public about their impact and the dangers of the road.

The Council agrees that the coverage was of a matter of public record and, although of tragic proportions to a close-knit community, a matter of significant interest to the readers of the newspaper. For this reason the complaint against the 27 February publication is dismissed.

The 16 June article reported the findings of a coronial inquest into the Round Hill crash and published pictures of four of the victims.

The complainants said that the publication of the photographs so long after the event did not respect their families' private grief.

The newspaper said that the publication of the photographs with the 16 June report was appropriate in the context of meeting the test of public interest given the newspaper's and the Tasmanian community's focus on road safety.

The Council agrees and dismisses the complaint.

The Press Council, while noting the anguish expressed by communities in dealing with tragedy and the ensuing media interest, also has concerns for the media's obligation to report promptly on matters of public record, including tragedies such as this one.

see also
Adjudication 1334 - Fitzgerald et al / Examiner
Adjudication 1335 - Fitzgerald et al / Sunday Tasmanian
Adjudication 1336 - Fitzgerald et al / Advocate

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