Adjudication No. 805 (August 1995) [1995] APC 35

ADJUDICATION No. 805 (August 1995)

The Australian Press Council has upheld a complaint by Mishka Buhler against The Bunyip newspaper, published in Gawler, SA.

The complaint arose out of a column item of 15 February 1995 criticising students and teachers at Gawler High School for crossing the railway line on their way to school without care for their own safety.

In a letter published in The Bunyip on 22 February 1995, Ms Buhler claimed that over a two year period the newspaper had consistently given Gawler High School bad publicity, and items she, as community liaison coordinator at the school, took in for the paper's "Schools In" column were often not published.

In an Editor's Note at the foot of the letter, the newspaper said that, as the school's community liaison officer last year, "... it would have been nice if Mishka had come in to The Bunyip and introduced herself. Perhaps we could have addressed a few misunderstandings". The Note added that the school's liaison officer for this year, who had been appointed by the School Council, had been in touch, and the paper was endeavouring to improve the positive coverage of the school's activities.

In the course of an attempted mediation, Ms Buhler repeated her complaint that the newspaper generally published adverse reports on Gawler High School, a charge which the newspaper denies, and which does not appear to be supported by the School Council itself.

Ms Buhler then narrowed her complaint to two issues raised in the Editor's Note: the editor's assertion that she did not come in to The Bunyip to make herself known, and the implication that she was not appointed by the School Council.

She said during her term as community liaison officer she had visited The Bunyip every two weeks to submit items for publication, and was personally known to three people there including the Managing Editor. She had, on occasions, discussed with staff members her concern about items supplied by her being printed late or omitted. Ms Buhler pointed out that if staff members had not known who she was, they would hardly have accepted from her those items which were published.

On the second point, the suggestion that she was not appointed by the School Council, she supplied a copy of her letter of appointment by the Council, and a copy of a reference highly praising her work in her role as community liaison officer.

The paper did not supply a convincing reply on these specific points. For this reason and also because the paper did not provide Ms Buhler with the opportunity to respond to these points, the complaint is upheld.