Profile

Deborah Kirkman talks with Jack Ensor, a retiring Press Council public member.

Deborah Kirkman: You are retiring as a public member after nine years with the Press Council. What prompted your application? Did you see an advertisement, or were you approached by someone to join?

Jack Ensor: Initially, my application arose from discussions amongst acquaintances, one of whom had a copy of the paper calling for applications. The question arose why not have a go? Bob Cronin, editor-in-chief of the West, was then a neighbour and I approached him for more information and advice.

DK: Did you know anyone else in the print media prior to becoming a member of the Press Council? What was your relationship with them, eg professional or personal, or both?

JE: Yes, I knew quite a few people employed by the print media including Dan O'Sullivan. In Western Australia, because of its isolation, you tend to meet a wide group of people. Through work, sport and socially I know a number of reporters. My relationship was both professional and personal.

DK: Did your experience as a football commentator on radio and television help you with understanding how the print media operates?

JE: Football commentating gave me a better insight to what program producers preferred. Working with the Education Department and the National Fitness Council and Club football gave me a little more insight into how the print media operates.

DK: Did you have any preconceptions on the role of a public member? Did they change?

JE: Preconceptions? I suppose I thought that the Press Council was essentially about complaints against the print media, and this was reinforced somewhat by the first two or three Council meetings that I attended. As a public member it did seem a little bit of them and us, particularly as it appeared that members sat in blocks representing divisions.

I think the role of the public member is governed largely by education in the Council process. To me, one Complaints Committee meeting was worth six Council meetings in understanding the role of Council. Listening to discussion and debate at post-meeting lunches was a great source of information and diverse opinion on Council matters for me. As regards a change of perception; emphasis in Council has shifted more towards matters associated with freedom of speech, so a public member requires a better understanding of its multi-facets. I think complaints discussion at Council has become less adversarial too.

DK: Do you have any additional advice for new public members?

JE: I found experienced public members were helpful with advice. Dorothy Ross was very helpful to me, so was the Executive. Try to get as much Council background as possible: annual reports, past adjudications, etc. And I think it is most important to study all correspondence prior to meetings. We all want to make a contribution, and you question yourself as to whether you are.

DK: The British Press Complaints Commission is comprised of Lady this, Lord that, etc. As an ex-schoolteacher, what do you think about the composition of the Australian Press Council's public membership? Do you think it representative of the broad spectrum?

JE: A voice for all? Generally its fairly representative taken over say a ten year period. Two areas of concern frequently expressed were that women and youth were not adequately represented. I think we now have more female public members than male, and Council representation overall would be younger. Given the restrictions in numbers, I think the mix is quite good.

DK: Public members must now retire after three three-year terms. What do you see as the pluses, and the minuses, of the new term limit?

JE: It takes a three-year term, I think, to understand what the Council is about, so the more productive years should follow. It seemed that more public members tended to complete longer terms over the last decade. New people, fresh ideas tend to stimulate thinking and meetings. So I think a nine year stint provides a fairly good balance, given that many members will not stay that long. Where a member has special Council expertise, Council might consider extending that member's term.

DK: Most public members' involvement is through the complaints facility of the Press Council. Has any particular complaint stood out during your tenure? What was it, and why did it make an impact on you?

JE: To single out one complaint is difficult. The Manning Clark case was a most interesting story and produced more reaction from media members than any other. "The class that failed" was of special interest to me because of my education background. I felt the paper may have failed on a council principle, but wrote a great story for the benefit of education. The Bulletin complaint on the first Telstra sale stood out because it was such an outstanding piece of investigative journalism. Others stand out: complaints about publications involving photographs, and some human interest complaints involving non-public people.

DK: Out of ten, how do you rate the complaints facility? How would you improve it?

JE: That's difficult because it can be subjective. The Council has updated its procedures over time, and I think they have it close to being right. We only have to look at the Complaints State to note that by far the greatest number of complaints are completed by the office. Sometimes there is a query as to whether a complaint should have been accepted, but not often. Time will always be an issue given the nature of the transactions and the parties involved. I don't think Council can do more than keep revising its procedure and keep up with technology. Maybe the procedure isn't perfect, and since you ask me I give it an eight plus.

DK: As a past football coach, do you see any similarities between a footy team and the Press Council members?

JE: Not so much the team, more like the administration of the club, particularly in the old days of committees which were elected by members at general meetings.

DK: What do you think about Case Study Seminars?

JE: Unfortunately, I have not been actively involved in Case Study Seminars. From an educational process for media students I think the concept is excellent and feedback supports this. I have wondered whether a modified forum could be incorporated by guest speakers at such organisations as Rotary.

DK: What do you think about public members acting as mediators between publications and complainants?

JE: An excellent innovation by Council. It creates greater involvement for public members and seems to be favoured by industry members. The use of public members as mediators offers a more personal touch to the parties involved. In the states far away from Sydney it should also be more economical solution to handling a complaint.

DK: Have you enjoyed your time on the Press Council? Do you have any fond memories of a particular person or event?

JE: Absolutely. My early years and some in my working life were in isolated areas, the most anticipated event if your life was the arrival of the papers. To be part of a body representing them was an honour and pleasure. The work was interesting and educational and I met a lot of great people. Yes, I have fond memories of a number of events. I will mention two, because they were not only excellent meetings but took place in locations where my antecedents chased gold - Ballarat and Bathurst. As regards Press Council people, I enjoyed the association with them all. In a social situation, I have been fortunate to share pleasant times with you, and Judy (Taylor), Kevin (McCreanor) and Peter (Costigan).

DK: And, Jack, the Press Council has been more than fortunate to have had you as a member. We will miss you.

Editor's note: Deborah Kirkman interviewed Jack Ensor in late April. Jack's last meeting as a Public Member will be on Thursday 19 June.

DEBORAH KIRKMAN

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