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What's New The Council's website is updated regularly with the latest information. Each month the new adjudications are posted and each quarter the latest issue of the Council's newsletter. Other material is added as they arise - press releases, submissions and Council news. Go to new information on:
Constitution rewritten The Council's Constitution was revised in early 2007, to facilitate incorporation. The revised Constitution has been posted to the website. In August 2007, the Council was incorporated under the NSW Associations Incorporation Act. Procedures Revised The Council's Statement of Principles was revised in early 2006, by a change to principle 5. In March 2006 the Council revised its procedures to limit he time in which complaints can be lodged and the time taken to deal with matters. A number of other issues were clarified. There is as a result a revised complaints procedures. There is now the choice between the online Complaint Form and the printable Complaint Form and a guide (a series of FAQs) on how to complete the form has been posted.
The Council has revised its Information Booklet. The most recent edition of the An article by Deb Kirkman on the Council's mediation/conciliation procedures, first published by the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators, has also been posted.
Privacy Standards The code of privacy standards agreed to by print media members of the Press Council can be found on this site, together with a list of the organisations subscribing, to which has recently been added ninemsn and Catholic Communications (publishers of The Southern Cross). Recent Adjudications May 2008 March 2008 January 2008 December 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 June 2007 May 2007 Recent changes and additions to the reporting guidelines
Advertorials - replacing GPR 67 Other Press Releases
No.282 - Publisher's expulsion condemned (February 2008) Council public activities The Council has now published the 2007 Supplement to the 2006 State of the News Print Media in Australia report. The 2006 report is still available online or can be purchased for $6 (GST inclusive) from the Council office. The Council is currently organising with universities and publishers its Case Studies seminars for semester 1 -2008. Deborah Kirkman has written an article (pages 62-63) on Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Press Council complaints process, published on-line by the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators Austrlia. The next visit is a joint meeting with the New Zealand Press Council in Wellington, NZ, in March 2008. Previously the Council visited Perth in March 2007. There was a Public Meeting on Thursday 22 March, with a Public Address by the Chief Justice, the Hon. Wayne Martin, Access to Justice - The Media, the Courts and the Public Record, which has now been posted to the website. The Council's 2008 Planning Day is planned for late July 2008. The previous Planning Day was in 2005. This is a triennial event where the Council discusses long-term planning. For more on Planning Days. The Australian Press Council Annual Address The Address is to be given annually on a topic related to the freedom and responsibility of the press. The 2007 Address was delivered by David Kirk, CEO of Fairfax Publications. He addressed issues related to newspapers and convergence, especially ythe digital media and press freedom issues. The Address has been posted to this website. The 2006 Annual Address was presented by Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty on 23 March in Sydney, at a lunch. His topic was Between the lines: New powers and accountability for police and the media. The 2005 Address was delivered by columnist (and lawyer) Richard Ackland at a media lunch on Thursday 31 March 2005. Mr Ackland addressed his view of the interaction between the media and the law. Justice Ron Sackville, the Chairman of the Judicial Conference of Australia, responded to the Address and led the question/discussion period that followed. Titled < EF="activities/a_address/ackland.html">Much Ado About Nothing - the True State of the Judicature, the Address looked at judiciary and the way it was reacting to media criticism. It has been posted to the website. Justice Sackville's response The Judiciary and the Media: A Clash of Cultures has also been posted. The Australian Press Council News The News is a quarterly newsletter with articles, opinions and news relevant to the print media and the Press Council. Each edition also reprints all adjudications issued in the preceding quarter. The articles from the February 2008 News are now posted. Recent submissions To the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts: Inquiry into the Sexualisation of Children in the Contemporary Media Environment. To the NSW Ombudsman's Review of the NSW Freedom of Information Act 1989. To the Independent Review of the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (Qld). To the Northern Territory Department of Justice, Five-Year Review of the Information Act 2002. To the NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Law and Justice Inquiry into the Prohibition on the Publication of Names of Children Involved in Criminal Proceedings. To the Australian Law Reform Commission in response to its Discussion Paper 72, Review of Australian Privacy Law. To the NSW Law Reform Commission in response to Consultation Paper 1, Invasion of Privacy. To the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Terrorist Material) Bill 2007. To the Commonwealth Attorney-General on proposed amendments to the Classification Code to prohibit publication of material advocating terrorism. To the state and territory Attorneys-General on possible changes to the Defamation Act on the posting of comments on newspaper weblogs. To the federal Minister of Communications on possible changes to the Broadcasting Services Act on the posting of comments on newspaper weblogs. To the Australian Law Reform Commission in response to its Issues Paper 31, Review of Privacy. To the Queensland Law Reform Commission, in response to its discussion paper, Confidentiality in the Guardianship System: Public Justice, Private Lives. To the Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee on its inquiry into the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Bill 2006 and related bills. To the Australian Law Reform Commission on its review of the Privacy Act 1988. To the NSW Attorney-General and the Victorian County Court on their respective inquiries into access to court records. To the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security commenting on the recommendations of the Sheller Inquiry into anti-terrorism legislation. New Free Speech material The 2006-2007 Annual Report on free speech issues Freedom of information: The amicus curiae brief to the High Court in McKinnon's case and the Council's response to the Court's decision. A 2004 speech calling for reform of Australian freedom of information policy and practice. developments arising from the Council 2002 report on FoI, the federal Attorney-General's 'review' of FoI, and comments on them from journalists at The Australian. The article, Australian Press Law and Practice, has been revised and updated, as at October 2007. A May 2007 letter to Attorneys-General calling for more effective shield laws. A May 2007 op/ed article, published by the Herald Sun launching the Council's 'Come Clean' campaign. The Council's Chairman held a press conference in Townsville on World Press Freedom Day, particularly addressing some concerns with freedom of information in Queensland. A press release his remarks has been posted. The Council in October 2005 updated its basic position on privacy, particularly how it would deal with proposed legal or judicial restrictions on freedom of speech based on privacy considerations. A 2005 speech from the Chairman of the Council on the rise in Australia of the possibility of a legislated or judically developed tort of privacy. Charter for a free press: The Council has developed a Charter which will form the basis of its activities in defence of free speech and press freedom. Council free speech positions: recently updated to reflect a new policies on surveillance devices and privacy, among other matters. Further correspondence arising from the Council's study of the administration of freedom of information legislation is posted with the August 2003 APC News. In July 2003, the then federal Attorney-General, Daryl Williams, responded in detail to the Council's study. His response, together with comments by the FoI editor of The Australian, Michael McKinnon, and a recent press release on the increasing costs of FoI (and the fact that such costs discourage many applicants from proceeding) from the then Shadow AG, Robert McClelland, are included. News Images - a series of links to websites dealing with ethical issues in the use of news images. Latest Conference papers The Council conducted a public meeting in Ballarat in early May 2005 on the press and privacy. Speeches were delivered by Age editor Andrew Jaspan and Victorian Privacy Commissioner Paul Chadwick. Copies of Mr Chadwick's speech are available from the Council office. APC Prize announcements There has been no essay competition since 2005 but, instead, the Prize has been used to sponsor awards to journalism students at tertiary institutions. Fourteen departments or faculties applied and were each be endowed with an award in 2005. The 2007-2008 Prize will be awarded along similar lines, with sixteen universities participating. Go to the Prize homepage, for more information about the APC Prize. Annual Report 31 The 2006-2007 Annual Report has been printed. It and previous annual reports are available on request from the Council. Some material from the 2006-2007 report is on the site: 2006-2007 Report on free speech issues Case Studies recently added to website The Links page has recently been checked and updated. Documents with the |
Membership vacancies The Council from time to time advertises vacancies among its public membership and calls for nominations. Inquiries to info@presscouncil.org.au. News Print Media report
New address On 1 September 2003, the Council moved to Suite 10.02, 117 York Street, Sydney 2000 Address inquiries and complaints to: |
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About the Council [ its history and benefits of self-regulation | Members] | |
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Booklet
The Council's most recent public forum was jointly sponsored with the Centre for Media and Communications Law at Melbourne University. 
The Courts and the Media conference was held in Melbourne on Friday 27 July 2007. A report appeared in the August 2007 News.