Adjudication No. 31 (May 1978) [1978] APC 8

ADJUDICATION No. 31 (May 1978)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint against a newspaper which published a report about an aboriginal girl who, it said, believed she had been "sung to death"

The Council's adjudication stated:

The Northern Territory Council for Civil Liberties complained of a report on the front page of the Northern Territory News of March 6, 1978.

The report stated that a 16-year-old aboriginal girl in Darwin Hospital believed she had been "sung to death". The report went on that the girl, named Jill, was now recovering and was expected to be discharged in a few weeks. It quoted a hospital spokesman as saying it was true that Jill believed she had "been sung".

The Council for Civil Liberties complained about the size of the headline and the fact that it stated "Jill Sung to Death", whereas in fact the girl was recovering. It stated that there was a racial tone to the article and that it tended to ridicule aboriginal tribal beliefs. It stated that the Northern Territory News would not have dared to publish such intimate and emotional details about a European.

The editor of the Northern Territory News, in reply stated that his paper consistently used large type on its front page and enclosed examples.

He maintained that the heading was correct and pointed out that a sub-heading stated that the girl would recover.

The editor further stated that the story was of genuine interest to readers who lived in a part of Australia where the Stone-Age existed side by side with the 20th century.

He would have given even more prominence to the story had it concerned a European. The editor added that to his knowledge the girl was not upset by the story and had made no complaint about it.

The Australian Press Council considers that the complaints about specific matters cannot be substantiated and that public interest justified publication of the article. It dismisses the complaint.