Media Release 23 May 2016
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| MEDIA RELEASE | 23 May 2016 |
| Reminder about APC Guideline on reporting elections |
| At the behest of the Australian Press Council, the Chair, Professor David Weisbrot, has written to the editors of the approximately 900 member mastheads, print and online, reminding them of the Council’s longstanding guideline on the responsible reporting of elections. A copy of the letter is set out in full below: |
| As the federal election period has now commenced, the Council has asked me to write to the editors of all member publications to draw to your attention the Council’s Advisory Guideline on Reporting Elections. The guideline was approved by the Council in March 2009 and revised in February 2012. In particular, may I draw to your attention the opening section of the guideline: |
| "The Council upholds the right of a newspaper to have its own political position; to accept certain beliefs and policies and to reject others; and to favour the election of one party and to oppose the election of another. However, the Council has emphasised strongly that newspapers that profess to inform the community about its political and social affairs are under an obligation to present to the public a reasonably comprehensive and accurate account of public issues. |
| "As a result, the Council believes that it is essential that a clear distinction be drawn between reporting the facts and stating opinion. A paper's editorial viewpoints and its advocacy of them must be kept separate from its news columns." |
| The full text of the guideline, which may be found at http://www.presscouncil.org.au/advisory-guidelines/reporting elections, also contains advice about: (a) avoiding unfairness and lack of balance in the context of election coverage; (b) policies on publication of letters; and (c) advising readers about the existence of any election-related policies, such as the non-publication of letters from candidates. |
| The Council is strongly committed to learning from the complaints experience and feeding back to our membership any information that may be valuable in understanding readers’ concerns, lifting our standards of practice, and identifying areas in which we could develop education and training programs. Not surprisingly, elections are polarising affairs, and sensitivities are greatly heightened. The Council typically experiences a spike in complaints around the time of federal, state and local elections, usually in relation to allegations of factual inaccuracy, unfairness and lack of balance. |
| A complaint does not necessarily indicate poor practice; for example, the most widely-complained about item during the 2013 federal election campaign involved a vigorous front-page editorial, which the Council determined did not breach its principles since it was clearly identifiable as editorial opinion rather than news coverage. In many Adjudications over time, the Council has strongly affirmed the right of newspapers to comment, albeit as fairly as possible, on election issues and candidates, including their chances of success. |
| However, editors should be alert to the matters that most commonly trigger complaints, such as allegations about: |
Yours sincerely Professor David Weisbrot AM Chair, Australian Press Council |
| For more information or to request an interview with Council Chair David Weisbrot, contact the Executive Director by email at john.pender@presscouncil.org.au or by telephone: 02 9261 1930. |
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| Australian Press Council Address: Level 6, 309 Kent St, Sydney, 2000 Phone: (02) 9261 1930 or 1800 025 712 Fax: (02) 9267 6826 Email: info@presscouncil.org.au Web: http://www.presscouncil.org.au |
