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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 July-October 2009, to reduce the size of the Council from 22 to 15 members. The revised Constitution has been posted to the website. In August 2007, the Council was incorporated under the NSW Associations Incorporation Act. Principles and procedures revised The Council's Statement of Principles was revised in late 2008 and re-issued in February 2009. The guidelines on complaints procedures were revised and updated in February 2009. The revised versions have been posted to the website and will now be the ones used. The Council has revised its Information Booklet. The most recent edition of the The Press Council will now accept as members publications with no paper edition. Online news sites that want to subscribe to the Council Principles and/or Privacy Standards can do so. Those who want to subscribe to the Principles can apply for membership, pay an annual fee and display on their site a link to the Press Council, which proclaims that they abide by the Principles and complaints procedure of the Council. propertyreview.com.au has subscribed on ths basis and ninemsn has publicly subscribed solely to the Privacy Standards at this stage. 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 newly subscribing online sites, ninemsn.com.au and propertreview.com.au, and Catholic Communications (publishers of The Southern Cross). Recent Adjudications December 2009 October 2009 September 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 Recent changes and additions to the reporting guidelines
Guide 288 - Asylum Seekers - terminology - revised (October 2009) Other Press Releases
Guide 288 - Asylum Seekers - terminology - revised (October 2009) Council public activities The Council has published and posted the 2008 State of the News Print Media of Australia. Previously it has published the 2007 Supplement to the 2006 State of the News Print Media in Australia report. The 2006 and 2008 reports are available online or can be purchased for $6 (GST inclusive) from the Council office. It convenes public forums on issues of interest to the press, open to the public and featuring prominent experts in the field (and publishes transcripts of the forums as Conference Papers). The most recent public forum featured two high profile journalists, Chris Masters and Sean Dorney, speaking on how journalists get the story despite government obstruction, spin and threats to sources. Co-sponsored by Bond University, the forum on investigative journalism was held at Bond University on May 7. There were two addresses:
The Council is currently organising with universities and publishers its Case Studies seminars for 2009. 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 Council's 2008 Planning Day was held in 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 2009 Annual Address is scheduled for the second half of the year and advice on the Speaker will be given here when available. 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 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 now three-times-a-year 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 NOvember 2009 News are now posted. Recent submissions To the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration on its Inquiry into the Freedom of Information Amendment (Reform) Bill 2009 and Information Commissioner Bill 2009. To the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on the Freedom of Information (Fees and Charges) Amendment Regulations 2009. To the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety Inquiry into the Freedom of Information Act 1989. To the Senate Community Affairs References Committee on its Inquiry into Suicide in Australia. To the NSW Attorney-General on the draft Court Information Bill 2009. To the Tasmanian Department of Justice on the review of the Freedom of Information Act 1991. To the Attorney-General's Department on its Discussion Paper, National Security Legislation. To the federal Attorney-General's Department on the proposal for a national register of suppression and non-publication orders. To the NSW Law Reform Commission on its inquiry: Privacy and Access to Personal Information. To the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on its inquiry into the Anti-Terrorism Laws Reform Bill 2009. To the Australian Law Reform Commission in response to Discussion Paper 74, Review of Secrecy Laws. To the Parliament of Victoria Electoral Matters Committee on its inquiry into provisions on misleading or deceptive electoral content in the Electoral Act 2002. To the Victorian Law Reform Commission in response to Consultation Paper No. 7, 2009: Surveillance in Public Places. To the Victorian Department of Justice commenting on the Police Regulation (Agency Photographs Fees) Regulations 2009 - Regulatory Impact Statement. To the National Human Rights Consultation on the protection and promotion of human rights. To the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet in response to the draft Open Government Information Bill 2009 and related legislation. To the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in response to the draft Freedom of Information Amendment (Reform) Bill and the draft Information Commissioner Bill 2009. To the Senate Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee on its inquiry into the reporting of sports news and the emergence of digital media. New Free Speech material The 2007-2008 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 most recent public forum featured two high profile journalists, Chris Masters and Sean Dorney, speaking on how journalists get the story despite government obstruction, spin and threats to sources. Co-sponsored by Bond University, the forum on investigative journalism was held at Bond University on May 7. There were two addresses: Chris Masters spoke about Investigating investigative journalism. The former Four Corners' reporter, whose reports exposed corruption in Queensland and NSW, examined key components of his craft: research, narrative, sources and spin. He also looked at the obstacles placed in front of investigative journalists in Australia, especially the pervasive use of "spin" and threats to journalists' sources.Additionally, Bob Howarth, former Managing Director of PNG's Post-Courier and former Editorial Technology Manager at Queensland Newspapers, now teaching journalism research methods part-time at Bond, and Professor Mark Pearson, Head of Journalism at Bond University, commented on the papers, and in particular on the impact of "spin" in contemporary Queensland. The forum also included a question and discussion time. 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 2008-2009 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 33 The 2008-2009 Annual Report has been printed. Printed versions of it and previous annual reports are available on request from the Council. Some material from the 2008-2009 report is on the site: 2008-2009 Report on free speech issues Case Studies recently added to website Case Study five - A Matter of Opinion (April 2001) The Links page has recently been checked and updated. Documents with the |
New Chair appointed The Council has appointed Professor Julian Disney, a Professor in the Law Faculty of the University of New South Wales and Director of the Social Justice Project, as its new Chair. Professor Disney took office on December 1, 2009. Membership vacancies The Council from time to time calls for nominations from interested members of the public to fill a public member vacancy. Such vacancies are advised here. 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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