Complaints Statistics 2006-2007

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have differed in their interpretation of what constitutes a "mediated" complaint as compared to one which has been "withdrawn after correspondence".)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 2006-2007 figures and their percentages; the previous year's figures and their percentages; and the figures over the eighteen years since 1988-1989 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
	2006/07		2005/06		Total 1988/06
Carried forward from previous period	51		68		36
Complaints	421		420		7003
Letters (some contain more than 1 complaint)	316		328		6012
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From complainants in
	2006/07	% 2006/07	2005/06	% 2005/06	1988/06	% 1988/06
New South Wales	102	32.3	95	29	2094	34.8
Victoria	62	19.6	76	23.2	1417	23.6
Queensland	57	18	58	17.7	1029	17.1
Western Australia	35	11.1	32	9.8	484	8.1
South Australia	20	6.3	28	8.4	422	7
Tasmania	18	5.7	19	5.8	224	3.7
ACT	12	3.8	11	3.4	192	3.2
Northern Territory	4	1.3	4	1.2	111	1.8
Overseas	6	1.9	5	1.5	39	0.7
Total	316	100	328	100	6012	100
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Made by
	2006/07	% 2006/07	2005/06	% 2005/06	1988/06	% 1988/06
Individuals	173	54.7	216	65.9	3662	60.9
Professionals	28	8.9	14	4.3	420	7
Associations/Organisations	16	5.1	21	6.4	508	8.5
Companies/Businesses	16	5.1	9	2.8	191	3.2
Institutions/Public Bodies	3	0.9	5	1.5	78	1.3
Government Departments/Agencies	15	4.7	9	2.8	159	2.6
Local Councils/members	18	5.7	15	4.6	235	3.9
Religious groups	5	1.6	4	1.2	91	1.5
Aboriginal support groups/legal services	7	2.2	8	2.4	82	1.4
Ethnic community groups	2	0.6	7	2.1	93	1.5
Other lobby groups#	11	3.5	0	-	0	-
Election Candidates/Politicians	10	3.2	8	2.4	205	3.4
Political parties	5	1.6	6	1.8	67	1.1
Unions	3	0.9	2	0.6	56	0.9
Solicitors (for clients)*	0	-	0	-	119	2
Publications	4	1.3	4	1.2	29	0.5
Anonymous	0	-	0	-	17	0.3
Total	316	100	328	100	6012	100
#This new category was introduced in 2006-7 to distinguish those individuals who represent a community-based campaign group, including anti-vaccination and anti-fluoride campaigners. * 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
	2006/07	% 2006/07	2005/06	% 2005/06	1988/06	% 1988/06
Abuse of press freedom	7	1.7	4	1	67	1
Advertising	3	0.7	8	1.9	207	3
Bad Taste	7	1.7	4	1	96	1.4
Bias	13	3.1	21	5	374	5.3
Censorship; suppression of facts	5	1.2	14	3.3	242	3.5
Distortion	12	2.9	9	2.1	255	3.6
Ethical standards breached	28	6.6	25	6	435	6.2
False reporting	13	3.1	15	3.6	370	5.3
Freedom of the press threatened	0	-	0	-	29	0.4
Headline, false or misleading	16	3.8	11	2.6	254	3.6
Imbalance; inadequate cover (inc no reply)	50	11.9	42	10	643	9.2
Inaccuracy; misrepresentation	72	17.1	69	16.4	974	13.9
Invasion of privacy	26	6.2	23	5.5	377	5.4
Irresponsibility	17	4	19	4.5	262	3.7
Letters: non publication or editing	13	3.1	18	4.3	331	4.7
Offensive cartoons	5	1.2	9	2.1	113	1.6
Offensive coverage	30	7.1	35	8.3	523	7.5
Racism; religious disparagement	22	5.2	36	8.6	412	5.9
Sensationalism	11	2.6	11	2.6	118	1.7
Sexism	10	2.4	2	0.5	116	1.6
Unfair Treatment	61	14.4	45	10.7	724	10.3
Other (unclassifiable)	0	-	0	-	81	1.2
Total	421	100	420	100	7003	100
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Against (Type of publication)
	2006/07	% 2006/07	2005/06	% 2005/06	1988/06	% 1988/06
Metropolitan newspapers	210	50	171	40.7	3371	48.2
Regional daily newspapers	67	15.9	87	20.7	974	13.9
Country newspapers	41	9.7	51	12.2	709	10.1
Suburban newspapers	28	6.6	29	6.9	542	7.7
National newspapers	35	8.3	39	9.3	480	6.9
Magazines (general interest)	11	2.6	22	5.2	405	5.8
Ethnic community press	3	0.7	5	1.2
Special interest publications	10	2.4	6	1.4
Ethnic/special interest*					234	3.3
Rural publications (bi-weekly/monthly)	3	0.7	1	0.3	14	0.2
Non-specific; other	13	3.1	9	2.1	274	3.9
Total	421	100	420	100	7003	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:
	2006/07	% 2006/07	2005/06	% 2005/06	1988/06	% 1988/06
Refused as inappropriate	82	18.7	62	14.7	982	14
Referred to other organisations	16	3.6	13	3.1	355	5.1
Withdrawn for legal action	23	5.2	29	6.9	327	4.7
Not followed up	53	12.1	35	8.3	1045	14.9
Withdrawn after correspondence	97	22.1	120	28.4	1462	20.9
Mediation	94	21.4	987	23.2	1378	19.7
By press release	0	-	0	-	9	0.1
By adjudication	74	16.9	61	14.5	1369	19.6
Other action	0	-	4	0.9	66	1
Total disposed of	439	100	422	100	6990	100
Carried forward to next period	31		49		49
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Adjudications
	2006/07	% 2006/07	2005/06	% 2005/06	1988/06	% 1988/06
Complaints upheld	11	27.5	8	26.7	242	25.5
Complaints upheld in part	8	20	9	30	144	15.1
Complaints upheld in whole or part	19	47.5	17	56.7	3386	40.6
Complaints dismissed	21	52.5	13	43.3	541	57
Complaints neither upheld nor dismissed	0	-	0	-	23	2.4
Number of adjudications	40	100	30	100	950	100
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See also:

Return to
Complaints Overview

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