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November 1995 - Volume 7, No.4
News in brief - November 1995 Protection of confidential sources Protection of Confidential Sources The Australian Press Council welcomed an announcement by the NSW Attorney General, Jeff Shaw QC, that he will introduce a shield law to give some protection to journalists' confidential sources. The undertaking was given in a speech to the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance. The Council's Chairman, Prof David Flint, noted that the Council has long argued that a change in the law is necessary to ensure that Australians are better informed on all matters of legitimate public interest. The mere threat of disclosure can have a chilling effect on the free flow of information. The Council's position remains that disclosure should only be required in cases involving the trial of a serious crime, and then only where the court is satisfied that all other avenues to ascertain information crucial to the case have been exhausted. see also [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index Ballarat Public Meeting The Australian Press Council hosted a Public Forum in Ballarat, on Thursday 26 October, to discuss the media's coverage of sport. The forum, held in the Museum Room of the Ballarat Town Hall, was opened by the city's Chief Commissioner, Vern Robson, and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ballarat, Prof David James. The topic will be introduced by the Chairman of the Australian Press Council. It featured as speakers Tracey Holmes, the presenter of ABC Radio's Grandstand, and Geoff McClure, editor of Sports Weekly. The Council held its October meetings in Ballarat. Twice yearly the Council meets outside Sydney in a major metropolitan or provincial centre. This was the Council's first visit to Ballarat and, indeed, its first visit to a Victorian centre outside Melbourne. A report of the public forum is given in this issue. The meeting will be transcribed and published, with a booklet being available for sale from the Council in early 1996. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index Annual Report 19 In releasing its nineteenth Annual Report, the Australian Press Council noted that, for the fourth consecutive year, the number of complaints received has remained reasonably consistent. Between 1991-2 and 1994-5, the number of complaints received in each year has been between 400 and 430. In the year ended 30 June 1995, the number of complaints the Council received about newspapers and magazines was 416 (up from 406 in the previous year). The foreword to the report draws attention to the fact that the Council encourages the mediation of complaints so that a solution can be found as soon as possible after the material subject to a complaint has been published. On receipt of a complaint, where appropriate, the Council's office staff contacts the publication to see if a satisfactory settlement can be reached. Those mediated, or withdrawn by the complainant after he or she has received a written response from the publication involved, have risen from 36% in 1993-4 to over 39% in 1994-5. Only those matters where the complainant cannot be thus satisfied are referred to the Council for adjudication. The Annual Report, like its predecessors, republishes each of the adjudications and press releases made by the Council in the year under review, as well as reporting on the Council's activities in matters related to freedom of the press issues. It also contains data on the Council's complaints mechanism (including graphs) and publishes statistics, provided by the publishers, on Australia's largest print media companies. Copies of the report are available from the Press Council office. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index On the Council Following advertising for the positions in Tasmania and South Australia, the Press Council has appointed a new Public Member and a new Public Member Alternate. Caroline Gale, from Launceston in Tasmania, was appointed to the position of public member and Giuliano Ursini, an architect and builder from Adelaide, was appointed as the new alternate member, both for three year terms, commencing in June 1995. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index Some tertiary courses a. Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, is offering a distance education Graduate Certificate in Professional and Applied Ethics. The course consists of four subjects, is fee paying ($725/subject) and there are no residential requirements. Intakes for the course close on 1 December and 1 May each year and more detail can be obtained from Prof Seumas Miller (ph: 069-332610) or his assistant, Bob Ward (069-332781). b. The University of Melbourne Law School is again offering a Graduate Diploma in Media, Communications and Information Technology Law. The course has been expanded. Three core subjects (defamation law; the media and the state; and privacy publicity and the law) have to be complemented with one optional one (from film and television law; broadcasting and telecommunications law; or information technology law). Interstate students have an option of taking the course on an intensive week-long basis. For information, contact the Office of Research and Graduate Studies - ph: 03-93446190; fax: 03-93479129. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index National Media Forum Professor David Flint was the introductory speaker on "The legal and political ramifications of the globalisation of the media" at the Sir Zelman Cowen National Media Forum organised by David Syme and Co in late October. A copy of his speech is available from the Council. [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index Enemies of the State, or not "The relationship between public relation practitioners and journalists is strained because PR people need to sell a product, whilst editors are born resisting being sold to ... That's the central problem - you wanna sell it, we don't wanna buy it." It was the problem, outlined by guest speaker Louise Adler, arts editor of The Age, that was the focus of RMIT's PR Forum '95. The forum, titled 'Public Relations - media ally or enemy of the truth?' was a great success because it enabled professionals of both fields to discuss and debate the issue. A comical opening speech, given by Lawrence Money, editor of the Sunday Age 'Spy' column, set the scene for the four guest speakers to follow. These were Shane Scanlon, member of the PRIA Council of Victoria and senior consultant for Socom Public Relations; James McCausland, account manager, IPR; Ms Adler; and Jim Macnamara, chairman and CEO of MACRO Communications and author of The Public Relations Handbook. Shane Scanlon told the forum, "Only on occasions could PR be called an enemy of the truth, and certainly, in my view, no more often than the journalist." Mr Scanlon has done extensive work in local government in a broad range of roles and, as with all guest speakers, offered practical advice for being successful in the public relations field. As for media and its relationship with PR, Mr McCausland said, "News is more sensational than factual ... It's about ownership of the truth, but there are many versions of the truth." In concluding, McCausland said PR was not a conflict to journalists ethics, but a complement. "There is a tension between PR and media, but there is truth on both sides." Mr Macnamara, a former journalist, is one of the few people to have conducted research on the impact of public relations on the media. Although his research found that more than half of all journalists have a negative view of PR, 70% admitted to using PR material. "Media consumers are unknowingly reading press releases every day in both quality and popular media, obscured behind a veil of complicity between journalists and PR [professionals]," he said. The forum demonstrated the close links that RMIT has built with both the public relations and media industries. Professor Jack Clancy, head of the Department of Communication Studies said, "Courses offered by the department are designed to provide a professional education. To do this successfully, the department, among other objectives, ensures that the students get practical experience and that links are maintained with the wider world of professional practice." The annual forum was introduced last year, as an extension of RMIT's work in organising a PRIA conference in 1993. The aim is to raise awareness of public relations issues, and to encourage debate within the industry. Most importantly, however, it provides students with a vital opportunity to utilise the skills that they have learned during their studies. This year's forum was held in early October. For information on future seminars: Michelle Fineke, ph. (03) 9660-3127 [ return to top ] Return to APC News 1995 Index Documents with the |
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