Adjudication No. 646 (June 1993) [1993] APC 38

ADJUDICATION No. 646 (June 1993)

The Press Council has dismissed three complaints from the Arms Collectors' Guild of NSW against the Sydney Sun-Herald.

The guild complained over a page 1 report which was headlined "RAID ON GUNS AT AIRPORT", a report described by the guild as hearsay.

The paper quoted unnamed Custom officials and police as saying that investigations were being made into smuggling of drugs and weapons through Sydney Airport. It also reported that houses in Marrickville and Newtown were raided in these investigations.

The headline was to a minor degree in error in saying the raids were at the airport, but their true location and connection with the airport investigation were made clear in the report.

The guild also complained over a report headlined "Fury at visit of top US gun lobby man". The report, however, backed up its headline by quoting four leaders of the Coalition Against Guns as expressing grave concerns over the visit to Australia of the president of the US National Rifle Association, Robert Corbin.

Finally, the guild complained over an editorial headlined "Gun fiasco continues ..."

The editorial concluded:

"Why is the safety of the vast majority of citizens continually ignored to indulge the sick desires of a small minority to remain able to blast animals, objects - and potentially people - to smithereens?"

The guild says that the final sentence is "offensive, defamatory and derogatory" of many law-abiding citizens. The paper countered by saying it was clearly an expression of editorial opinion.

All three complaints are dismissed.