Adjudication No. 1358  (adjudicated June 2007)

The Australian Press Council has upheld in part a complaint against Queensland Country Life.

The complaint by the Australian Beef Association (ABA) followed a series of news reports, letters and an editorial in the weekly rural newspaper, all based on ABA press releases and comments.

The press releases included strongly worded criticism of the Cattle Council of Australia and its policies. Queensland Country Life, which in its editorial strongly supported the Cattle Council of Australia and was critical of ABA actions, fully reported the press releases with comment from the Federal Agriculture Minister and the Cattle Council. It also published letters critical of the ABA, and in support of it.

The ABA's complaint to the Press Council claims bias and breach of a number of Press Council principles. The newspaper has every right to take a strong stance in its editorials against the ABA, which is not the beef industry's mainstream body. Robust debate and at times strong language is to be expected in an industry that features outspoken personalities and opposing views. But the Press Council can find no evidence of bias in the newspaper's coverage of the issue.

However the newspaper crosses the fairness line by introducing strong comment into the two lead paragraphs of its news report on one ABA statement. The 18 January report on an ABA press release starts: "[The ABA] appears hell-bent on swinging a wrecking ball through the Australian red meat industry." While the remainder of the report goes on to present the views of all parties, it is unbalanced by the introduction of such strong comments into the opening paragraphs. To this extent, the complaint is upheld.

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