Complaints Stats 2000-2001

Complaints Statistics 2000-2001

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have differed in their interpretation of what constitutes a "mediated" complaint as compared to one which has been "withdrawn after correspondence".)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 2000-2001 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
	2000/01		1999/00		Total 1988/00
Carried forward from previous period	42		68		36
Complaints	413		403		4572
Letters (some contain more than 1 complaint)	341		342		4096

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From complainants in
	2000/01	% 2000/01	1999-00	% 1999-00	1988/00	% 1988/00
New South Wales	110	32.3	113	33	1460	35.6
Victoria	76	22.3	75	21.9	972	23.7
Queensland	69	20.2	69	20.2	715	17.5
Western Australia	34	10	27	7.9	298	7.3
South Australia	17	5	24	7	269	6.5
ACT	8	2.3	6	1.8	146	3.6
Tasmania	16	4.7	23	6.7	143	3.5
Northern Territory	9	2.6	2	0.6	76	1.9
Overseas	2	0.5	3	0.9	17	0.4

Total	341	100	342	100	4096	100

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Made by
	2000/01	% 2000/01	1999-00	% 1999-00	1988/00	% 1988/00
Individuals	219	64.2	226	66	2369	57.8
Associations/Organisations	29	8.5	27	7.9	379	9.3
Professionals	32	9.3	14	4.1	293	7.2
Election Candidates/Politicians	17	5	13	3.8	152	3.7
Local Councils/members	9	2.6	17	4.9	150	3.6
Companies/Businesses	9	2.6	12	3.5	139	3.4
Government Departments/Agencies	5	1.5	9	2.6	122	3.1
Solicitors (for clients)*	1	0.3	4	1.2	117	2.9
Ethnic community groups	4	1.2	2	0.6	67	1.6
Religious groups	5	1.5	2	0.6	64	1.5
Institutions/Public Bodies	3	0.9	6	1.8	59	1.4
Aboriginal support groups/legal services	4	1.2	3	0.9	52	1.3
Political parties	2	0.6	1	0.3	50	1.2
Unions	2	0.8	1	0.3	47	1.1
Publications	0	-	4	1.2	19	0.5
Anonymous	0	-	1	0.3	17	0.4

Total	341	100	342	100	4096	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
	2000/01	% 2000/01	1999-00	% 1999-00	1988/00	% 1988/00
Abuse of press freedom	3	0.7	3.	0.8	45	1
Advertising	7	1.7	17	4.2	170	3.6
Bad Taste	8	1.9	4	1	63	1.4
Bias	29	7	25	6.2	234	5.1
Censorship; suppression of facts	12	3	15	3.7	173	3.8
Distortion	17	4.1	14	3.5	177	3.9
Ethical standards breached	32	7.7	33	8.2	298	6.5
False reporting	24	5.8	23	5.7	253	5.5
Freedom of the press threatened	0	-	3	0.8	26	0.6
Headline, false or misleading	8	1.9	10	2.5	167	3.7
Imbalance; inadequate cover (inc no reply)	43	10.4	46	11.4	372	8.1
Inaccuracy; misrepresentation	69	16.7	53	13.2	570	12.4
Invasion of privacy	26	6.3	21	5.2	234	5.1
Irresponsibility	10	2.4	13	3.2	186	4
Letters: non publication or editing	18	4.4	25	6.2	227	5
Offensive cartoons	4	1	3	0.8	75	1.6
Offensive coverage	38	9.2	31	7.7	340	7.4
Racism; religious disparagement	24	5.8	14	3.5	254	5.6
Sensationalism	7	1.7	5	1.2	78	1.7
Sexism	2	0.5	8	2	94	2.1
Unfair Treatment	31	7.5	31	7.7	470	10.2
Other (unclassifiable)	1	0.3	6	1.3	76	1.7

Total	413	100	403	100	4572	100

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Against (Type of publication)
	2000/01	% 2000/01	1999-00	% 1999-00	1988/00	% 1988/00
Metropolitan newspapers	210	50.8	181	45	2193	48
Regional daily newspapers	70	16.9	77	19.1	563	12.3
Country newspapers	41	9.9	44	10.9	474	10.4
Suburban newspapers	23	5.6	44	9	392	8.6
Magazines (general interest)	16	3.9	18	4.5	304	6.6
National newspapers	26	6.3	13	3.2	264	5.8
Ethnic community press	8	1.9	6	1.3)
Special interest publications	11	2.7	10	2.5)
Ethnic/special interest*					143	3.1
Rural publications (bi-weekly/monthly)	2	0.5	2	0.5	9	0.2
Non-specific; other	6	1.5	16	4	230	5

Total	413	100	403	100	4572	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:
	2000/01	% 2000/01	1999-00	% 1999-00	1988/00	% 1988/00
Refused as inappropriate	77	19.3	89	20.7	581	12.7
Referred to other organisations	12	3	18	4.2	286	6.3
Withdrawn for legal action	28	7	28	6.5	177	3.9
Not followed up	39	9.8	47	11	800	17.5
Withdrawn after correspondence	96	24.1	100	23.3	866	19
Mediation	81	20.3	76	17.7	829	18.2
By press release	1*	0.3	0	-	8	0.2
By adjudication	65	16.2	66	15.4	959	21
Other action	0	-	5	1.2	60	1.3

Total disposed of	399	100	429	100	4566	100

Carried forward to next period	56		42		42

*General Press Release No. 245

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Adjudications
	2000/01	% 2000/01	1999-00	% 1999-00	1988/00	% 1988/00
Complaints upheld	12	28.6	10	21.3	185	25.9
Complaints upheld in part	4	9.5	8	17	103	14.4
Complaints upheld in whole or part	16	38.1	18	38.3	288	40.3
Complaints dismissed	26	61.9	28	59.6	410	57.4
Complaints neither upheld nor dismissed	0	-	1	2.1	16	2.3

Number of adjudications	42	100	47	100	714	100

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