WAPC Conference

The Council's Vice Chairman, Lange Powell, represented it at the recent meeting of the World Association of Press Conferences, held in New Delhi in early April. This is an edited version of his report to the Press Council.

The conference was attended by approximately 45 delegates from press councils and similar bodies from 17 countries. A similar number attended from Indian newspapers, industry organisations, academic institutions, and of course from the Press Council of India.

Participants' professional backgrounds included journalism, broadcasting, publishing, the law, politics and teaching, and these had a strong influence on the 'flavour' of the conference. Generally, the commercial realities of the press in the different countries represented were not raised as a major factor in conference debate (although they were more in evidence during the hospitality sessions associated with the event).

The main conference sessions were devoted to the following topics:

• general papers on the state of the press in India, and on issues of broad international interest (eg freedom of speech, journalistic practice);
  
  
• reports on the current state of the press, and of press councils (or the absence thereof), in 11 of the countries represented;
  
  
• the right to privacy - ethical, constitutional, and legal dimensions; and
  
  
• issues surrounding a proposal now before the WAPC to develop a mechanism to deal with complaints from one country about newspaper reports in another (the so-called 'transnational complaints facility').

Through its President, Mr Justice Sawant (Chairman of the Indian Press Council), and its Executive Council Chairman, Prof. David Flint, the WAPC issued a communique at the end of the conference reflecting the last two of these topics in particular, and reaffirming the role of the WAPC in upholding the values of a free press.

Impact of the Conference

The conference appeared to achieve a significant profile in Indian press and political circles. It was opened by a former President of India (himself a former editor), and was addressed by two Ministers of the newly-elected coalition government. English language and Hindi press coverage of the conference was extensive, although part of it reported topics such as the Indian PC's seeking more 'teeth', and Ministerial comments on foreign media ownership that were not considered in detail at the conference itself.

WAPC Executive Council Meeting

This meeting was convened in conjunction with the conference. The Association accepted membership applications from press councils in four more countries (bringing the number of countries represented up to 15), and dealt with a number of administrative and constitutional matters.

The Secretary General, R Gunasingam, initiated discussion about funding a WAPC secretariat to establish the proposed transnational complaints facility, and a library, documentation and training centre. The meeting determined that planning for these activities needed to be further advanced before any substantial discussion about funding could proceed.

The Australian Press Council proposal to host a WAPC Oceania regional conference in Brisbane in June 1999 was accepted. Topics for the conference are to be discussed at the next WAPC meeting in Istanbul in September.

WAPC - some observations

Having observed the participation and broader political and community interest generated by the Delhi conference, I endorse the view of the former Council Chair, Prof David Flint, that the WAPC can exercise a useful influence in promoting concepts of free and responsible media in various national and international forums. APC members may recall that David was invited as a keynote speaker to several seminars in the Oceania region, and we can expect our Council to be invited occasionally to lend practical and/or moral support to emerging press councils.

I believe we should respond positively to such invitations. The financial and time costs should be modest, and an active APC contribution to freedom of the press or media self-regulation initiatives in the region will enhance its standing as a good neighbour in its field of interest. It is also conceivable that at some point in the future, the APC may welcome the support of an international body such as the WAPC if press self-regulation in Australia is placed under the same kind of pressure as the British Press Council was through the Calcutt Report.

The 'information exchange' function of the WAPC, exercised through regular international conferences, is certainly interesting for those participating, but I suspect may have a limited impact on the APC's operations in Australia.

LANGE POWELL

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