Complaints Statistics 2001-2002

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have differed in their interpretation of what constitutes a "mediated" complaint as compared to one which has been "withdrawn after correspondence".)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 2001-2002 figures and their percentages; the previous year's figures and their percentages; and the figures over the thirteen 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

Complaints Received
	2001/2		2000/1		Total 1988/01
Carried forward from previous period	56		42		36
Complaints	390		413		4985
Letters (some contain more than 1 complaint)	298		341		4437
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From complainants in
	2001/2	percentage 2001/2	2000/1	percentage 2000/1	1988/01	percentage 1988/01
New South Wales	99	33.2	110	32.3	1570	35.4
Victoria	77	25.8	76	22.3	1048	23.6
Queensland	44	14.8	69	20.2	984	17.7
Western Australia	19	6.8	34	10	332	7.5
South Australia	34	11.4	17	5	286	6.4
Tasmania	8	2.7	16	4.7	159	3.6
ACT	10	3.4	8	2.3	154	3.5
Northern Territory	5	1.7	9	2.6	85	1.9
Overseas	2	0.7	2	0.6	19	0.4
Total	298	100	341	100	4437	100
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Made by
	2001/2	percentage 2001/2	2000/1	percentage 2000/1	1988/01	percentage 1988/01
Individuals	218	73.2	219	64.2	2588	58.3
Associations/Organisations	22	7.4	29	8.5	408	9.2
Professionals	14	4.7	32	9.3	325	7.3
Election Candidates/Politicians	4	1.3	17	5	169	3.8
Local Councils/members	10	3.4	9	2.6	159	3.6
Companies/Businesses	6	2	9	2.6	148	3.4
Government Departments/Agencies	8	2.7	5	1.5	127	2.9
Solicitors (for clients)*	0	-	1	0.3	118	2.7
Ethnic community groups	4	1.3	4	1.2	71	1.6
Religious groups	4	1.3	5	1.5	69	1.5
Institutions/Public Bodies	2	0.7	3	0.9	62	1.4
Aboriginal support groups/legal services	3	1	4	1.2	56	1.3
Political parties	0	-	2	0.6	52	1.2
Unions	3	1	2	0.6	49	1.1
Publications	0	-	0	-	19	0.4
Anonymous	0	-	0	-	17	0.4
Total	298	100	341	100	4437	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
	2001/2	percentage 2001/2	2000/1	percentage 2000/1	1988/01	percentage 1988/01
Abuse of press freedom	3	0.8	3	0.7	48	1
Advertising	9	2.3	7	1.7	177	3.6
Bad Taste	9	2.3	8	1.9	71	1.4
Bias	14	3.6	29	7	263	5.3
Censorship; suppression of facts	9	2.3	12	3	185	3.7
Distortion	8	2.1	17	4.1	194	3.9
Ethical standards breached	22	5.7	32	7.7	330	6.6
False reporting	18	4.6	24	5.8	277	5.5
Freedom of the press threatened	1	0.3	0	-	26	0.5
Headline, false or misleading	17	4.1	8	1.9	175	3.5
Imbalance; inadequate cover (inc no reply)	47	12.1	43	10.4	415	8.3
Inaccuracy; misrepresentation	51	13.1	69	16.7	639	12.8
Invasion of privacy	23	5.9	26	6.3	260	5.2
Irresponsibility	12	2.4	10	2.4	196	3.9
Letters: non publication or editing	21	3.1	18	4.4	245	4.9
Offensive cartoons	6	1.5	4	1	79	1.6
Offensive coverage	37	9.5	38	9.2	378	7.6
Racism; religious disparagement	32	8.2	24	5.8	278	5.6
Sensationalism	6	1.7	7	1.7	85	1.7
Sexism	5	0.5	2	0.5	96	1.9
Unfair Treatment	39	7.5	31	7.5	501	10
Other (unclassifiable)	1	0.3	1	0.3	77	1.5
Total	390	100	413	100	4985	100
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Against (Type of publication)
	2001/2	percentage 2001/2	2000/1	percentage 2000/1	1988/01	percentage 1988/01
Metropolitan newspapers	203	51.9	210	50.8	2403	48.2
Regional daily newspapers	51	13.1	70	16.9	633	12.7
Country newspapers	39	10	41	9.9	515	10.3
Suburban newspapers	21	5.4	23	5.6	415	8.3
Magazines (general interest)	18	4.6	16	3.9	320	6.5
National newspapers	33	8.5	26	6.3	290	5.8
Ethnic community press	10	2.6	8	1.9)
Special interest publications	10	2.6	11	2.7)
Ethnic/special interest*					162	3.3
Rural publications (bi-weekly/monthly)	0	-	2	0.5	11	0.2
Non-specific; other	5	1.5	6	1.3	236	4.7
Total	390	100	413	100	4985	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:
	2001/2	percentage 2001/2	2000/1	percentage 2000/1	1988/01	percentage 1988/01
Refused as inappropriate	74	18.6	77	19.3	658	13.3
Referred to other organisations	12	3	12	3	298	6
Withdrawn for legal action	16	4	28	7	205	4.1
Not followed up	40	10.1	39	9.8	839	16.9
Withdrawn after correspondence	96	24.1	96	24.1	963	19.4
Mediation	88	22.1	81	20.3	910	18.3
By press release	0	-	1*	0.3	9	0.2
By adjudication	70	17.6	65	16.2	1024	20.6
Other action	2	0.5	0	-	60	1.2
Total disposed of	398	100	399	100	4965	100
Carried forward to next period	48		56		56
*General Press Release No. 245
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Adjudications
	2001/2	percentage 2001/2	2000/1	percentage 2000/1	1988/01	percentage 1988/01
Complaints upheld	12	27.3	12	28.6	197	26.1
Complaints upheld in part	5	11.3	4	9.5	107	14.1
Complaints upheld in whole or part	17	38.6	16	38.1	304	40.2
Complaints dismissed	27	61.4	26	61.9	436	57.7
Complaints neither upheld nor dismissed	0	-	0	-	16	2.1
Number of adjudications	44	100	42	100	756	100
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See also:

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Complaints Overview

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