Adjudication No. 724 (May 1994) [1994] APC 33

ADJUDICATION No. 724 (May 1994)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint by Mr Peter Schwarten against the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin over its refusal to publish a letter which he had submitted. The letter sought to counter another letter written by Mr Edwin Geal which was a response to an earlier letter of Mr Schwarten published in the Morning Bulletin.

The Press Council has often reiterated that a newspaper has a discretion in relation to letters sent to it for publication, and that the discretion should be reasonably exercised. On this occasion the newspaper had advised Mr Schwarten that it had to be careful to ensure that letter writers "keep to the issues and not become involved in personal attacks which could result in legal problems for both the paper and the writer concerned".

The Press Council is of the view that the newspaper did not exercise its discretion unreasonably and that there has been no infringement of any of the principles of the Council.