Complaints Statistics 2004-2005

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have differed in their interpretation of what constitutes a "mediated" complaint as compared to one which has been "withdrawn after correspondence".)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 2004-2005 figures and their percentages; the previous year's figures and their percentages; and the figures over the sixteen 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
	2004/05		2003/04		Total 1988/04
Carried forward from previous period	68		55		36
Complaints	425		416		6158
Letters (some contain more than 1 complaint)	336		336		5348
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From complainants in
	2004/05	% 2004/05	2003/04	% 2003/04	1988/04	% 1988/04
New South Wales	102	30.3	117	34.8	1897	35.5
Victoria	72	21.4	88	26.2	1269	23.7
Queensland	63	18.8	48	14.3	908	17
Western Australia	43	12.8	37	11	409	7.6
South Australia	31	9.2	19	5.7	363	6.8
Tasmania	12	3.6	12	3.6	193	3.6
ACT	8	2.4	4	1.2	173	3.2
Northern Territory	0	-	8	2.4	107	2
Overseas	5	1.5	3	1	29	0.6
Total	336	100	336	100	5348	100
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Made by
	2004/05	% 2004/05	2003/04	% 2003/04	1988/04	% 1988/04
Individuals	215	64	238	70.8	3231	60.4
Associations/Organisations	19	5.6	15	4.5	468	8.8
Professionals	28	8.3	23	6.8	378	7.1
Local Councils/members	19	5.6	18	5.4	201	3.8
Election Candidates/Politicians	15	4.6	6	1.8	182	3.4
Companies/Businesses	9	2.7	9	2.7	173	3.2
Government Departments/Agencies	6	1.8	4	1.2	144	2.7
Solicitors (for clients)*	1	0.3	0	-	118	2.2
Religious groups	5	1.5	5	1.5	82	1.5
Ethnic community groups	6	1.8	1	0.3	80	1.4
Aboriginal support groups/legal services	4	1.2	7	2.1	70	1.3
Institutions/Public Bodies	4	1.2	4	1.2	69	1.3
Political parties	3	0.9	3	1	58	1.1
Unions	2	0.6	0	-	52	1
Publications	0	-	3	1	25	0.5
Anonymous	0	-	0	-	17	0.3
Total	336	100	336	100	5348	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
	2004/05	% 2004/05	2003/04	% 2003/04	1988/04	% 1988/04
Abuse of press freedom	4	0.9	2	0.5	59	1
Advertising	2	0.5	5	1.2	197	3.2
Bad Taste	3	0.7	4	1	89	1.4
Bias	26	6.1	26	6.3	327	5.3
Censorship; suppression of facts	12	2.8	11	2.6	216	3.5
Distortion	17	4	12	2.9	229	3.7
Ethical standards breached	20	4.7	18	4.3	390	6.4
False reporting	18	4.2	20	4.8	337	5.5
Freedom of the press threatened	1	0.2	1	0.2	28	0.5
Headline, false or misleading	17	4	17	4.1	226	3.7
Imbalance; inadequate cover (inc no reply)	50	11.8	39	12	551	8.9
Inaccuracy; misrepresentation	91	21.4	76	18.3	814	13.2
Invasion of privacy	25	5.9	24	5.8	329	5.3
Irresponsibility	11	3.8	15	3.6	232	3.8
Letters: non publication or editing	16	3	20	4.8	297	4.8
Offensive cartoons	5	1.2	11	2.6	99	1.6
Offensive coverage	21	4.9	30	7.2	467	7.6
Racism; religious disparagement	22	5.2	28	6.7	354	5.7
Sensationalism	9	2.1	4	1	98	1.6
Sexism	3	0.6	8	1.9	111	1.8
Unfair Treatment	50	11.8	45	10.8	629	10.2
Other (unclassifiable)	2	0.5	0	-	79	1.3
Total	425	100	416	100	6158	100
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Against (Type of publication)
	2004/05	% 2004/05	2003/04	% 2003/04	1988/04	% 1988/04
Metropolitan newspapers	210	49.4	208	50	2990	48.5
Regional daily newspapers	75	17.6	56	13.5	812	13.2
Country newspapers	25	5.9	40	9.6	633	10.3
Suburban newspapers	40	9.4	18	4.3	473	7.7
National newspapers	33	7.8	59	14.2	408	6.6
Magazines (general interest)	21	4.9	11	2.6	362	5.9
Ethnic community press	3	0.7	4	1
Special interest publications	5	1.2	10	2.4
Ethnic/special interest*					215	3.5
Rural publications (bi-weekly/monthly)	0	-	2	0.5	13	0.2
Non-specific; other	13	3.1	8	2	252	4.1
Total	425	100	416	100	6158	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:
	2004/05	% 2004/05	2003/04	% 2003/04	1988/04	% 1988/04
Refused as inappropriate	64	14.5	70	17.4	856	14
Referred to other organisations	18	4.1	6	1.5	324	5.3
Withdrawn for legal action	19	4.3	29	7.2	279	4.6
Not followed up	48	10.8	34	8.4	962	15.7
Withdrawn after correspondence	102	23.1	97	24.1	1240	20.2
Mediation	103	23.3	92	22.8	1174	19.2
By press release	0	-	0	-	9	0.1
By adjudication	88	19.9	75	18.6	1220	19.9
Other action	0	-	0	-	62	1.1
Total disposed of	442	100	403	100	6126	100
Carried forward to next period	51		68		68
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Adjudications
	2004/05	% 2004/05	2003/04	% 2003/04	1988/04	% 1988/04
Complaints upheld	9	18.7	8	20	225	25.8
Complaints upheld in part	10	20.9	8	20	125	14.3
Complaints upheld in whole or part	19	39.6	16	40	350	40.1
Complaints dismissed	26	54.2	23	57.5	502	57.6
Complaints neither upheld nor dismissed	3	6.2	1	2.5	20	2.3
Number of adjudications	48	100	40	100	872	100
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See also:

Return to
Complaints Overview

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