Complaints Statistics 2003-2004

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have differed in their interpretation of what constitutes a "mediated" complaint as compared to one which has been "withdrawn after correspondence".)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 2003-2004 figures and their percentages; the previous year's figures and their percentages; and the figures over the fifteen 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
	2003/04		2002/03		Total 1988/03
Carried forward from previous period	55		48		36
Complaints	416		367		5742
Letters (some contain more than 1 complaint)	336		277		5012
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From complainants in
	2003/04	% 2003/04	2002/03	% 2002/03	1988/03	% 1988/03
New South Wales	117	34.8	111	40	1780	35.5
Victoria	88	26.2	56	20.2	1181	23.6
Queensland	48	14.3	32	11.6	860	17.2
Western Australia	37	11	21	7.6	372	7.4
South Australia	19	5.7	24	8.7	344	6.9
Tasmania	12	3.6	14	5.1`	181	3.6
ACT	4	1.2	5	1.8	169	3.4
Northern Territory	8	2.4	9	3.2	99	2
Overseas	1	1	5	1.8	26	0.5
Total	336	100	277	100	5012	100
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Made by
	2003/04	% 2003/04	2002/03	% 2002/03	1988/03	% 1988/03
Individuals	238	70.8	187	67.5	2993	59.7
Associations/Organisations	15	4.5	22	7.9	452	9
Professionals	23	6.8	16	5.8	355	7.1
Local Councils/members	18	5.4	13	4.7	182	3.6
Election Candidates/Politicians	6	1.8	3	1.1	176	3.5
Companies/Businesses	9	2.7	10	3.6	164	3.3
Government Departments/Agencies	4	1.2	5	1.8	140	2.8
Solicitors (for clients)*	0	-	0	-	118	2.4
Ethnic community groups	1	0.3	4	1.4	79	1.6
Religious groups	5	1.5	4	1.4	77	1.5
Institutions/Public Bodies	4	1.2	1	0.4	65	1.3
Aboriginal support groups/legal services	7	2.1	7	2.5	63	1.2
Political parties	3	1	3	1.1	55	1.1
Unions	0	-	1	0.4	53	1
Publications	3	1	1	0.4	22	0.4
Anonymous	0	-	0	-	17	0.3
Total	336	100	277	100	5012	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
	2003/04	% 2003/04	2002/03	% 2002/03	1988/03	% 1988/03
Abuse of press freedom	2	0.5	6.	1.6	57	1
Advertising	5	1.2	6	1.6	192	3.3
Bad Taste	4	1	5	1.4	85	1.5
Bias	24	6.3	24	6.6	301	5.2
Censorship; suppression of facts	11	2.6	11	3	205	3.6
Distortion	12	2.9	15	4.1	217	3.8
Ethical standards breached	18	4.3	20	5.4	372	6.5
False reporting	20	4.8	22	6	317	5.5
Freedom of the press threatened	1	0.2	0	-	27	0.5
Headline, false or misleading	17	4.1	17	4.6	209	3.6
Imbalance; inadequate cover (inc no reply)	39	12	50	13.6	512	8.9
Inaccuracy; misrepresentation	76	18.3	58	15.8	738	12.9
Invasion of privacy	24	5.8	22	6	305	5.3
Irresponsibility	15	3.6	9	2.5	217	3.8
Letters: non publication or editing	20	4.8	11	3	277	4.8
Offensive cartoons	11	2.6	3	0.8	88	1.5
Offensive coverage	30	7.2	22	6	437	7.6
Racism; religious disparagement	28	6.7	16	4.4	326	5.7
Sensationalism	4	1	3	0.8	94	1.6
Sexism	8	1.9	2	0.5	103	1.8
Unfair Treatment	45	10.8	44	12	584	10.2
Other (unclassifiable)	0	-	1	0.3	79	1.4
Total	416	100	367	100	5742	100
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Against (Type of publication)
	2003/04	% 2003/04	2002/03	% 2002/03	1988/03	% 1988/03
Metropolitan newspapers	208	50	176	48	2782	48.5
Regional daily newspapers	56	13.5	72	19.6	756	13.2
Country newspapers	40	9.6	39	10.6	593	10.3
Suburban newspapers	18	4.3	19	5.2	455	7.9
Magazines (general interest)	11	2.6	13	3.5	351	6.1
National newspapers	59	14.2	26	7	330	6.1
Ethnic community press	4	1	12	3.3
Special interest publications	10	2.4	7	2
Ethnic/special interest*					201	3.5
Rural publications (bi-weekly/monthly)	2	0.5	0	-	11	0.2
Non-specific; other	8	2	3	0.8	244	4.2
Total	416	100	367	100	5742	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:
	2003/04	% 2003/04	2002/03	% 2002/03	1988/03	% 1988/03
Refused as inappropriate	70	17.4	54	15	786	13.7
Referred to other organisations	6	1.5	8	2.2	318	5.6
Withdrawn for legal action	29	7.2	29	8.1	250	4.4
Not followed up	34	8.4	49	13.6	928	16.2
Withdrawn after correspondence	97	24.1	85	23.6	1144	20
Mediation	92	22.8	84	23.3	1082	19
By press release	0	-	0	-	9	0.2
By adjudication	75	18.6	51	14.2	1145	20
Other action	0	-	2	0.5	62	1.1
Total disposed of	403	100	360	100	5723	100
Carried forward to next period	68		55		55
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Adjudications
	2003/04	% 2003/04	2002/03	% 2002/03	1988/03	% 1988/03
Complaints upheld	8	20	8	25	217	26.1
Complaints upheld in part	8	20	5	15.6	117	14.1
Complaints upheld in whole or part	16	40	13	40.6	334	40.2
Complaints dismissed	23	57.5	16	50	479	57.6
Complaints neither upheld nor dismissed	1	2.5	3	9.4	19	2.2
Number of adjudications	40	100	32	100	832	100
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See also:

Return to
Complaints Overview

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