Adjudication No. 1398  (adjudicated August 2008)

The Press Council has dismissed a complaint from Benjamin Isaac against The Sydney Morning Herald concerning aspects of a series of articles about Mercy Ministries' work with women in crisis, its links with Hillsong church, and related matters.

In particular, Mr Isaac took issue with an article not concerned directly with Mercy Ministries, but which reported a letter of support for a development proposal in Rosebery by the Hillsong church. The letter of support came from Caroline Bateson in her role as manager of the South Sydney Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC). Ms Bateson was a former volunteer worker for Hillsong, and remains a member of its congregation.

The article included quotes from the club's chief executive confirming that Ms Bateson ceased working for Hillsong prior to becoming club manager, that the club has written similar supporting letters for other community-based organisations, and that other Hillsong members had been club volunteers, but no longer worked there. Sydney's Deputy Mayor was quoted saying that the letter breached the club's charter and that Ms Bateson had been an active recruiter for Hillsong before taking up her club management role. Ms Bateson had been contacted by the newspaper but refused to comment.

Mr Isaac complained that the article insinuated that Ms Bateson had infiltrated the club to act as a Hillsong agent. He also said that describing the proposed development as 'controversial' was a prejudicial remark, and that the phrase 'Hillsong link' in the report's headline was misleading as the word 'link' was usually associated with crime. Mr Isaac also complained that the article lacked balance and breached the Press Council's principle concerning gratuitous emphasis on people's religion. He wrote two letters to the newspaper, neither of which was published.

The newspaper responded that the articles on the Mercy Ministries had been meticulously researched, used both named and anonymous sources, included relevant associations to religious organisations, and were clearly in the public interest. Officials from Mercy Ministries had been quoted, as had several independent health professionals. The newspaper had published an opinion piece by Peter Irvine, a senior board member of Mercy Ministries, along with a significant number of letters on the matter. While the newspaper quoted several women who alleged poor treatment or abuse by Mercy Ministries, it also published the favourable remarks of a woman who had graduated from the Mercy program, although information about successful outcomes was not forthcoming from the organisation itself.

Concerning the story about Ms Bateson's letter of support for the Hillsong development, the newspaper outlined the numerous attempts its journalist had made to contact and meet with Ms Bateson, all of which had been rebuffed. Various relevant parties to the matter had been contacted for comment. The newspaper argued that, as well as the clear public interest in the development, it was extremely unusual for a PCYC actively to support a development proposal, especially one of the size and controversy involved.

There are no breaches of the Press Council principles of the kind suggested by Mr Isaacs either in the stories on the Mercy Ministries or the report of the letter of support for the proposed Hillsong development in Rosebery by PCYC manager Ms Bateson.

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