Adjudication No. 545 (February 1992) [1992] APC 15

Adjudication No. 545 (February 1992)

The Press Council has dismissed a complaint by the Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, Mr John Halfpenny, about the refusal of the Herald-Sun to acknowledge an alleged error in an article published on 29 October 1991.

The article, describing local residents' opposition to the construction of public housing units in parkland near their homes, quoted a claim by a "building union spokesman", Mr John Cummins, that several building unions were considering whether to place bans on construction work.

Mr Halfpenny wrote to the Herald-Sun pointing out that most building unions and the Trades Hall Council, supported the development. He considered that the reference to a "building union spokesman" implied that Mr Cummins was in a position to speak for unions other than his own (the BLF), and asked the paper to correct and explain this "inaccuracy".

While refusing to concede that it had made an error, the Herald-Sun published Mr Halfpenny's letter 10 days later, minus the request for a correction and explanation.

Mr Halfpenny regards this omission as a form of censorship.

The Press Council finds that the term "building union spokesman" was, at worst, ambiguous, and could have been taken to refer either to Mr Cummins' union alone, or to several construction unions. Publication of Mr Halfpenny's letter clarified this ambiguity and the Council considers any further acknowledgement of the issue by the paper unnecessary.