APN's Code of Conduct which covers all employees says in summary "All directors and employees are required to abide by laws and regulations, to respect confidentiality and the proper handling of information and to act with the highest standards of honesty, integrity, objectivity and ethics in all dealings with each other, the group, customers, suppliers and the community." Well worth a thorough read.
APN's web site does not include an avenue to lodge complaints but if readers and local shareholders felt aggrieved, they could write to the APN Board of Directors; and/or the chief executive, Brendan Hopkins at: APN News and Media Limited, Level 4, 100 William Street Sydney, NSW, 2011; and/or APN Regional Publications chief executive, Mark Jamieson at Level 3, 33 Park Road, Milton, Qld, 4064.
The second code involved the Advertising Code of Practice, which the Chronicle supports as a member of the Australian Publishers' Bureau, paragraphs three and four. Under the code, the Chronicle agrees it will only publish advertisements which: "3. Are truthful and not misleading or deceptive. 4. Are clearly distinguishable as advertisements."
Nowhere in the APN owned Chronicle, Observer or Maryborough Herald's published advertising for the Thursday March 13 lift out, Meet the Candidates feature, were readers alerted to the fact that the lift out was an advertising feature and not all candidates were covered. Again, the front page lead in Thursday's paper was "Who will get your vote? Meet the Candidates, Free guide inside today", failed to mention the guide was paid advertising. Readers had to get to the liftout itself before discovering it was an advertising feature. Apart from the lift out, all were possible breaches.
If you were unhappy with this situation you can lodge a complaint with the Australian Publishers' Bureau and/or the Advertising Standards Bureau. and complete the on-line form; or fax your complaint to (02) 6262 9833; or email, administration@adstandards.com.au. All complaints must be in writing and include your postal address.
The third code is that of the Australian Journalists' Code of Ethics in which respect for truth and the public's right to know are overriding journalistic principles. The first code states: "They shall report and interpret the news with scrupulous honesty by striving to disclose all essential facts and by not suppressing relevant, available facts or by distorting by wrong and improper emphasis."
If you believe the standard of the Chronicle's coverage of the election breached the code you can lodge a complaint by addressing it to the AJA Judiciary Committee at Level 4, 16 Peel Street, South Brisbane, Qld, 4101. Unfortunately only breaches of the Code made by Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) Journalist members can be enforced. If the Chronicle's editor is not a member then your complaint may be wasted.
Another organisation handling media complaints is the Australian Press Council The Press Council's principles state: "The freedom of the press is important more because of the obligation it entails towards the people than because of the rights it gives to the press. Freedom of the press carries with it an equivalent responsibility to the public. Liberty does not mean licence. Thus, in dealing with complaints, the Council will give first and dominant consideration to what it perceives to be in the public interest."
Press Council complaints can be made my completing an on-line form or by email to: complaints@presscouncil.org.au and mailing a copy of the relevant newspaper. Written complaints can be sent to the Executive Secretary, The Australian Press Council, Suite 10.02, 117 York Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
1 comment:
Wow! And I am sure that would only be the tip of the iceberg if people wanted to really look at the performance of the editor and the Chronicle during the election. But we should be used to it by now. That sort of behaviour has not just been limited to the election. It has been going on for years, decades even.
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