Complaints Statistics 1999-2000

Complaints Statistics 1999-2000

The Council, each year, publishes a statistical analysis of all the formal complaints it receives. (That means those complaints it receives in written form, not just matters which are raised informally in phone discussions.)

The Council has been consistently keeping such data since its formation and has maintained, largely, the same categories within each area of its statistics (although the definition of whether a complaint is about "false reporting" or "inaccuracy" can be a fine one and Executive Secretaries have differed in their interpretation of what constitutes a "mediated" complaint as compared to one which has been "withdrawn after correspondence".)

In each table, there are three set of figures: the 1999-2000 figures and their percentages; the previous year's figures and their percentages; and the figures over the years since 1988-9 and their percentages.

This file contains the following tables:

Complaints Received
State of Residence of complainants
Status of complainant
Subject of complaint
Type of publication
How complaints were disposed of
Adjudications

Complaint Statistics

Statistics 2006-2007
Statistics 2005-2006
Statistics 2004-2005
Statistics 2003-2004
Statistics 2002-2003
Statistics 2001-2002
Statistics 2000-2001
Statistics 1999-2000
Statistics 1998-1999
Statistics 1997-1998

Complaints Not
Adjudicated

Not Adj Overview
Not Adj 2006-2007
Not Adj 2005-2006
Not Adj 2004-2005
Not Adj 2003-2004
Not Adj 2002-2003
Not Adj 2001-2002
Not Adj 2000-2001
Not Adj 1999-2000
Not Adj 1998-1999



Complaints Received
	1999/2000		1998/9		Total 1988/99
Carried forward from previous period	68		51		36
Complaints	403		468		4169
Letters (some contain more than 1 complaint)	342		410		3754

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From complainants in
	99/00	% 99/00	1998/9	% 1998/9	1988/99	% 1988/99
New South Wales	113	33	151	36.8	1347	35.9
Victoria	75	21.9	104	25.4	897	23.9
Queensland	69	20.2	72	17.6	646	17.2
Western Australia	27	7.9	23	5.6	271	7.2
South Australia	24	7	32	7.8	245	6.5
ACT	6	1.8	12	2.8	140	3.7
Tasmania	23	6.7	8	2.0	120	3.2
Northern Territory	2	0.6	6	1.5	74	2.0
Overseas	3	0.9	2	0.5	14	0.4

Total	342	100	410	100	3754	100

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Made by
	99/00	% 99/00	1998/9	% 1998/9	1988/99	% 1988/99
Individuals	226	66.0	267	65.1	2143	57.1
Associations/Organisations	27	7.9	28	6.8	352	9.4
Professionals	14	4.1	25	6.1	279	7.4
Local Councils/members	17	4.9	12	3.0	133	3.5
Election Candidates/Politicians	13	3.8	16	3.4	139	3.7
Companies/Businesses	12	3.5	11	2.7	127	3.4
Solicitors (for clients)	4	1.2	8	2.0	113	3.0
Government Departments/Agencies	9	2.6	11	2.7	113	3.0
Ethnic community groups	2	0.6	5	1.2	65	1.7
Religious groups	2	0.6	8	2.0	62	1.6
Institutions/Public Bodies	6	1.8	3	0.7	53	1.4
Aboriginal support groups/legal services	3	0.9	5	1.2	49	1.3
Political parties	1	0.3	5	0.7	49	1.3
Unions	1	0.3	5	1.2	46	1.2
Publications	4	1.2	1	0.2	15	0.5
Anonymous	1	0.3	2	0.5	16	0.4

Total	342	100	410	100	3754	100

* Under new guidelines adopted by the Council in 1996, most complaints made by solicitors for clients are now dealt with as if they had been submitted by the client.

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About
	99/00	% 99/00	1998/9	% 1998/9	1988/99	% 1988/99
Abuse of press freedom	3	0.8	6.	1.3	42	1.0
Advertising	17	4.2	12	2.6	153	3.7
Bad Taste	4	1.0	4	0.9	59	1.4
Bias	25	6.2	42	9.0	209	5.0
Censorship; suppression of facts	15	3.7	24	5.1	158	3.8
Distortion	14	3.5	2	2.6	163	3.9
Ethical standards breached	33	8.2	28	6.0	265	6.4
False reporting	23	5.7	19	4.1	230	5.5
Freedom of the press threatened	3	0.8	2	0.4	23	0.5
Headline, false or misleading	10	2.5	17	3.6	157	3.8
Imbalance; inadequate cover (inc no reply)	46	11.4	33	7.1	326	7.8
Inaccuracy; misrepresentation	53	13.2	68	14.5	517	12.3
Invasion of privacy	21	5.2	14	3.0	213	5.1
Irresponsibility	13	3.2	15	3.2	173	4.1
Letters: non publication or editing	25	6.2	24	5.1	202	4.8
Offensive cartoons	3	0.8	16	3.4	72	1.7
Offensive coverage	31	7.7	43	9.2	309	7.4
Racism; religious disparagement	14	3.5	24	5.1	240	5.8
Sensationalism	5	1.2	9	1.9	73	1.8
Sexism	8	2.0	2	0.4	86	2.1
Unfair Treatment	31	7.7	45	9.6	439	10.4
Other (unclassifiable)	6	1.3	9	1.9	70	1.7

Total	434	100	399	100	3267	100

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Against (Type of publication)
	99/00	% 99/00	1998/9	% 1998/9	1988/99	% 1988/99
Metropolitan newspapers	181	44.0	238	50.9	2012	48.3
Regional daily newspapers	77	19.1	62	13.2	486	11.7
Country newspapers	44	10.9	40	8.5	430	10.3
Suburban newspapers	36	9.0	34	7.3	356	8.5
Magazines (general interest)	18	4.5	18	3.8	286	6.9
National newspapers	13	3.2	36	7.7	251	6.0
Ethnic community press	6	1.3	8	1.7)
Special interest publications	10	2.5	11	2.4)
Ethnic/special interest*					127	3.0
Rural publications (bi-weekly/monthly)	2	0.5	0	-	7	0.2
Non-specific; other	16	4.0	21	4.5	214	5.1

Total	403	100	468	100	4169	100

*Prior to 1995, ethnic community press and special interest publications were counted in the one category.

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Complaints were disposed of:
	99/00	% 99/00	1998/9	% 1998/9	1988/99	% 1988/99
Refused as inappropriate	89	20.7	78	17.3	492	11.9
Referred to other organisations	18	4.2	15	3.3	268	6.5
Withdrawn for legal action	28	6.5	31	6.9	149	3.6
Not followed up	47	11.0	78	17.3	753	18.2
Withdrawn after correspondence	100	23.3	114	25.3	766	18.5
Mediation	76	17.7	52	11.5	753	18.2
By press release	0	-	1	0.2	8	0.2
By adjudication	66	15.4	77	17.1	893	21.6
Other action	5	1.2	5	1.1	55	1.3

Total disposed of	429	100	451	100	4137	100

Carried forward to next period	42		68		68

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Adjudications
	99/00	% 99/00	1998/9	% 1998/9	1988/99	% 1988/99
Complaints upheld	10	21.3	6	10.4	175	26.2
Complaints upheld in part	8	17	9	15.5	95	14.3
Complaints upheld in whole or part	18	38.3	15	25.9	270	40.5
Complaints dismissed	28	59.6	43	74.1	382	57.3
Complaints neither upheld nor dismissed	1	2.1	0	-	15	2.2

Number of adjudications	47	100	58	100	667	100

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