News in brief - February 1999

Freedom of Information

The Australian Press Council has expressed its concern at the suggestion from the Premier of Victoria that the Freedom of Information Act may be repealed in that state.

The Council said that the Freedom of Information Act is one of the most significant pieces of legislation protecting the public interest.

Freedom of Information legislation provides the only means by which citizens can gain access to government information affecting them personally or as citizens of the State.

It is only through use of the Freedom of Information Act that persons can discover what information relating to them is held by the government. The Act also provides the only means available to a person to correct errors in that information.

The press too makes significant use of the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to a range of government documents. Without the ability to obtain this information, the press would not be able to keep the public informed about the actions of the government.

Government information should be made more freely available in society, particularly in matters relating to the way government conducts itself. The public has a right to know how it is being governed. It should be able to gain access to the information that it wants and not be limited to what government hands out. Without guaranteed access to information this is not possible.

Freedom of Information allows citizens to dictate the agenda. One unfortunate case should not be allowed to deflect attention from the essential public interest served by a Freedom of Information Act.

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On the Council

The Press Council has lost, through retirement, two of its industry alternate members. Lenore Nicklin, who joined the Council on 27 February 1997, has decided to retire from her position as a journalist on The Bulletin. Lenore was the alternate to David McNicoll of Australian Consolidated Press.

Likewise, Gary Evans has stepped down from his position as Editorial Manager of Queensland Newspapers. Gareth joined the Council on 30 October 1997, and was the alternate to Warren Beeby of News Limited.

No replacements have as yet been nominated. We wish Lenore and Gary well for the future.

See also: Membership of the Press Council

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Canberra Forum

The Australian Press Council held a public forum in Canberra (at the National Press Club) in November on the press's coverage of national politics.

The issues discussed by the forum included whether there is a "pack mentality" among the Canberra Press Gallery; whether the media agenda is set by some "politically correct elite"; and whether the bush is treated fairly by a city-biased media.

The forum was led by three main speakers: Ian Sinclair, the former Leader of the National Party who was, for 35 years, the member for New England in the House of Representatives; Peter Andren, a former television news journalist and news director who now represents the seat of Calare in the House of Representatives; and Jack Waterford, the editor of the Canberra Times.

A report on the forum is printed on the front page of this issue of the News. A transcript of the forum has been prepared and will be available for sale through the Council's office at the end of February.

During the forum, Professor Dennis Pearce presented the 1997-98 Australian Press Council Essay Prizes to the winners: Julian Donnan, the tertiary students' section winner, who has just completed degrees in Arts (Asian Studies) and Law at the Australian National University; and Eunice Liu, the secondary schools' section winner, who has recently completed Year 10 at Ravenswood School for Girls. (Details on the winners and Ms Liu's essay are published elsewhere.)

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Council Planning Day

All members of the Council, including alternate members, will be coming together on 27 March for its inaugural Planning Day. The day will provide Council members with the opportunity of looking in depth at some of the important developments in the print media and how those developments may affect the role of the Council. It is also a chance for all members to deal with the sort of policy matters which can be given too little attention at the Council's monthly meetings, with their emphasis on adjudication of complaints.

Members will take the opportunity of discussing topics such as technological change and its impact on the press, the growing use of advertorials and advertising features, the image of the Council, the complaints handling mechanism and the Council's internal structures and procedures. It is hoped that the Planning Day will be an annual event.

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Mediated Complaints

The Council encourages the informal resolution of complaints, including the use of direct mediation between the parties. Among the complaints successfully mediated of recent times are:

• A metropolitan newspaper published a feature article which "personally and professionally maligned" a complainant. The parties agreed on a letter to the editor for publication. The complainant was satisfied with the prominent publication of this letter.
  
  
• A bylined journalist, in a profile piece on a colourful identity, made two errors about the complainant. The complainant requested a correction of the errors. After negotiations, the correction was published with sufficient prominence that the complainant withdrew his complaint.
  
  
• A regional daily published a quote from the mother of a 15 year old runaway that her son was confused about his sexuality. The newspaper was unaware that the mother was unwell and her views on the matter unreliable. A conciliatory response by the editor was sent to the complainant (the boy's father), and a letter from the boy, together with an editor's note published. Although this letter made clear that the boy's sexual preference was not the cause of his actions, the complainant remained unhappy. Various attempts at reconciliation proved fruitless. The Council then conducted a face-to-face mediation between the parties, at which the matter was successfully resolved to the satisfaction of all.
  
  
• A regional daily inadvertently republished the previous day's death and funeral notices, and omitted the current notices. The paper contacted the advertisers to make alternative arrangements and published the correct pages the next day, with an apology. It also published two letters on the issue.
  
  
• A suburban paper published a letter criticising the complainant. The complainant wanted an opportunity to respond. After the intervention of the Council, the complainant's letter was published, to his satisfaction.
  
  
• A report in a regional daily of a court appearance of a man with the same name caused concern to the complainant. After consultation with him, the paper agreed that the age and address of the accused would be more prominently featured to avoid confusion.

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Asian Media Council of Australia

An industry body representing the ethnic community publishers and broadcasters in the various east Asian languages has been formed. The AMCA has been in contact with the Council to seek its co-operation in areas of mutual interest.

The AMCA represents the first large-scale attempt to provide an industry body to represent all or part of the large ethnic community media in Australia.

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Red Cross

The secretariat received the following advice from Paula Irani, Manager, International Humanitarian Law Department, Australian Red Cross, Victoria

It is a crime, under the Geneva Conventions Act (Commonwealth) 1957, to use the Red Cross emblem without the written authority of the Minister for Defence. The Act provides for the imposition of heavy fines and the forfeiture of the offending goods. The Australian Red Cross itself is authorised by the Minister to use the Red Cross emblem for its peacetime activities. But use of the emblem by other persons or bodies - without specific permission - is a criminal offence.

The most common forms of misuse of the emblem occur in the health, medical, pharmaceutical and retail worlds and usually relate to first aid products or services. The Australian Standard Association has introduced Australian Standard AS 1319 (Safety Signs for the Working Environment) which has adopted a white cross on a green background as the symbol to indicate first aid and for use on all first aid kits.

Please ensure that you do not misuse the Red Cross emblem.

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1999 National Youth Media Awards

A major new Commonwealth Government initiative, the National Youth Media Awards, has been launched by Dr David Kemp.

"The Awards are intended to counter negative stereotypes of young people," said Dr Kemp. "The media has a powerful role in influencing public opinion and it also impacts on the way young people see themselves. We hope these Awards will encourage more media coverage of the positive contributions young people make to Australia."

Recent research conducted by the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs was released at the launch. It showed that media frequently offered negative information about young people, with only 18% of those surveyed recalling positive media coverage of young people in the past year.

Over a three month period, from April to June 1998, 3,502 items about young people and youth issues were analysed with less than a quarter positive.

The research revealed that young people and their parents feel that the media portrays young people as alcoholics/drug abusers, criminals, lazy, complaining, demanding, dissatisfied, aggressive, always in revolt and bludgers.

In defining 'the media', the research revealed that both young people and parents commonly quote television as the most influential of all media, yet television carries a smaller percentage of stories about young people (8%) than do newspapers (67%) and radio (22%).

The "top six" media topics about young people which the research showed Australians recalled over the past year were:

• drugs;
• violence and fighting with weapons;
• alcohol/underage drinking;
• crime;
• unemployment; and
• thefts and mugging.

"Most young Australians successfully meet the challenges of growing up. They are educated, law abiding and contribute to the community," said Dr Kemp.

The National Youth Media Awards are open to print, radio and television journalists and producers, as well as photographers. They include a Young Journalist of the Year Award for the most outstanding example of print, radio and television journalism about individual successes and extraordinary achievements of remarkable young people who have overcome adversity to realise personal goals.

Also included in the National Youth Media Awards is a category called the Popular Choice Award. All Australians are invited to nominate news stories, feature articles, interviews, photographs or radio or television programs which they think best represent the positive achievements and contributions of young Australians to the community.

All entries must have appeared in the Australian media between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 1999. All entries close on 5 April 1999. Winners will be presented with certificates and significant prizes donated by sponsors at a national presentation ceremony at Parliament House, Canberra, in May 1999.

Media inquiries: Samantha Herron or Peta Lane 02 6277 7460.

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