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May 2002 - Volume 14, No.2
News in brief - May 2002 2002 Australian Press Council Prize 2002 APC Prize The Australian Press Council has announced the terms of entry for its 2002 award. The Prize is awarded for the best essay submitted on a set topic. Principle 7 says that publications should not "place any gratuitous emphasis on, among other things, the race, religion, nationality, colour [or] country of origin ... of an individual or group. Nevertheless, where it is relevant and in the public interest, publications may report and express opinions in these areas." Is it possible to report, and properly comment on, the news with such a restriction? Is the public interest exception too wide? In 2002 the topic is: Following the remarks made by the judges for the 1998-99 Prize and a decision taken by the Council, entries are invited from Tertiary students (as at 30 June 2001) only. The word limit for essays is 2,500 words. Winners will be selected by a panel of three judges and the prizes of up to $2,000 will be awarded. The final date for receipt of submissions is 30 June 2001. At the request of the previous judges, the Council specifies that it would prefer entries that demonstrate some effort to research the topic and argue it seriously. It also requests that entries be typescript and double-spaced. No formal entry form is required. The Australian Press Council reserves the right not to award a prize/s. INQUIRIES: The Executive Secretary For the guidance of entrants, the Council has posted there some comments from the judges of the 1994 Prize and of the 1998 Prize, which were of the same format but with a different essay topic. A different approach can be seen in the judges' comments on the 2000 Prize. More details are available on this website's Prize page. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Planning Days Like many organisations with diverse interests and membership, the Press Council finds it useful on occasion to take stock of its policies and operational methods, and to discuss future directions. On 21 and 22 March this year, Council members and alternates met in Sydney to review the organisation's strengths and limitations, and to plan for its continuing development over the next three years. This follows the success of the first Planning Days exercise in 1999, which led to a wide-ranging review of the Council's processes and promotional activities The program for the 2002 Planning Days included addresses from stakeholder representatives. David Armstrong, editor-in-chief of The Australian, gave the Council the industry perspective on its strengths and weaknesses, as he perceived them, and Rhonda Breit, a Lecturer at Geelong's Deakin University, provided a consumer-oriented appraisal of press self-regulation. The Council met in small-group and plenary sessions, to discuss issues encompassing:
The meetings generated a large number of proposals for immediate action or for further consideration by the Council at its May and June meetings. A summary of the actions taken by the Council and of those it is considering will appear in the next edition of the News. (A detailed discussion of the outcomes of the 1999 Planning Days was published in the November 1999 News.) [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Cross-media submission The Council has made a detailed submission to the Senate Committee looking at the government's proposed changes to the cross-media ownership regime. A report on the submission is in this issue of the News on page one. The Council's Chairman and Executive Secretary will appear before the Committee to present oral evidence on 21 May 2002. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Case Studies seminars 2002 Following a proposal from Lange Powell, the Council's Vice Chairman, the Council offered its case studies seminars to each of the universities currently teaching journalism, either independently or within a communications studies course. Fifteen universities (in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT) took up the offer for 2002. The University of Tasmania indicated its interest in a seminar in 2003. The seminars, which include introductory material on the Council, its role, principles and procedures, allow students to simulate the adjudication process, under the direction of Council members or officers. Each session involves three of four cases, based on complaints adjudicated by the Council and this year dealing with issues of offensive images, privacy, gratuitous emphasis on race or ethnicity and leaked material. Eight universities are holding seminars in the first semester and the rest will be covered in the second. The Council will use this year's exercise as a test to see whether similar seminars should be offered to universities, schools and members of the public in future years. A case study, not dissimilar to those being used this year, is presented later in this issue, in the discussion of whether and, if so, to what extent, the Council should recognise the freedom of opinion writers to express their views. For details on case studies, see this website's Case Studies page. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Occasional address On 7 May 2002, Professor Ken McKinnon, the Chairman of the Press Council, delivered the Occasional Address to a Graduation ceremony at the University of Technology, Sydney. The graduands included those from the Communications School, from which many media companies recruit new employees. Professor McKinnon's address urged the graduate students to pursue issues dear to their heart with energy and passion and to bring the university's ideals - pursuit of integrity, truth and ethical concern - into their new occupations. He also alluded to some of the issues which the Council has been pursuing as it seeks to ensure the preservation of traditional freedoms of speech and of the press in Australia, particularly its concern with increasing government activities to restrict the free flow of information of public interest and concern. He referred in particular to the 'children overboard' incident and events at the Woomera detention centre as examples of recent government misinformation and media manipulation campaigns. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Brisbane visit The Council's May meetings will be held in Brisbane on 23 and 24 May 2002. During the visit the Council will be holding a reception to meet with local politicians, editors, academics and community members interested in the print media. Dr Dale Spender, the Chair of the Copyright Agency Limited, will address those present. While in Brisbane, the Council will hold Case Studies sessions at the University of Southern Queensland and at the Queensland University of Technology. For more details see GPR 251 [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Espionage Bill Earlier this year, the Press Council joined media organisations in expressing a concern with provisions in the Criminal Code Amendment (Espionage and Related Offences) Bill 2002, which appeared to widen the ambit of official secrets legislation in a Bill purported to deal with espionage crimes that were a threat to the national security and defence of Australia. After discussions with the Attorney-General's Department on the substance of the amendments, which largely replicated provisions in the Crimes Act but, in updating them, appeared to widen their remit, and make more draconian their use, the Council made further representations to the Attorney. In the end, the Attorney introduced the Bill without the sections related to general official secrets provisions and undertook to consult with the media, inter alia, before reintroduction of those amendments. The Council awaits the Attorney's advice on those consultations. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index On the Council Industry member of the Council, Lloyd Whish-Wilson, who represents the regional daily newspapers on the Council, has a new job. Formerly the chief executive of the Examiner in Launceston, Lloyd has now been made the General Manager, Regional, Canberra and Southern, for Rural Press. His brief will include The Canberra Times as well as all of the company's holdings in the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Freedom of Information The Council's Freedom of the Press Committee has been looking for some time at the operation of FoI legislation in Australia and its utility for journalists. Some of the committee's concerns were noted in last month's News. To assist the Council in formulating proposals, it is working with an honours student at the University of Technology, Sydney, to develop some detailed research on the use of FoI laws by journalists and its practice by the various administrations charged with its implementation. The research should be completed by June and the Council will use it to develop a policy framework for submissions to various governments. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Parliamentary snappers - new rules rescinded In the February News it was reported that the Speaker of the House of Representatives had introduced new restrictions on press photography within the House of Representatives. On the day that the News was published, the Speaker revoked the new rules, as reported in the press in mid-February. It should be noted that, under the old rules, which remain in force:
[ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Newspaper exhibition An exhibition detailing the development of daily newspapers during the twentieth century is being staged in Melbourne in May. Sponsored by Roy Morgan Research, the exhibition will feature original newspapers, some from the early nineteenth century. Different aspects of newspaper publication will be featured including format changes, writing styles, advertising techniques, introduction of color, cartoon styles and comparisons of different editors' handling of the same story. The capture of Ned Kelly and the sinking of the Titanic are two of the stories that will be used for such comparisons. The newspapers are being provided by Paper World which has two warehouses of historic newspapers. They sell copies to the public for use as gifts for special occasions. The exhibition is at a new gallery and function centre, Morgans at 401, on Collins Street, near the corner of Queen Street, and will be open to the public from 20 to 25 May. Admission is free. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Two new books Press Council public member, Professor H P Lee, the Sir John Latham Professor of Law at Monash University, has, with his colleague Professor Enid Campbell, written The Australian Judiciary which looks at the history, training, problems and future of the judiciary as a part of the overall political and social framework. The book examines several issues of relevance today, including the role of judges outside the courts, the accountability of judges and the current dangers to judicial institutions. The book is published by Cambridge University Press. The second edition of The Hidden Gender of the Law, by Regina Graycar and Jenny Morgan has recently been published by Federation Press. The book was launched Justice Sally Brown of the Family Court in early May and is available from the publisher (www.federationpress.com.au). The second edition includes proposals for a reconstruction of the law to make it more responsive to women's lives. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 2002 Index Mediated complaints The Council office tries to solve matters by direct contact with the publication concerned. This often leads to a settlement of the matter satisfactory to both parties. On rare occasions, a Public Member of the Council will convene a face-to-face mediation, by agreement with the parties. Below are some examples of the matters recently settled in these ways.
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