Adjudication No. 808 (August 1995) [1995] APC 38

ADJUDICATION No. 808 (August 1995)

The Australian Press Council has upheld a complaint from the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation about a cartoon in the Tennant & District Times, 21 April 1995 which, it says, perpetuates extremely offensive racial stereotypes.

The cartoon features a banner, apparently referring to a news report, "Aborigines say no to euthanasia". An Aboriginal woman is looking at a man lying on the ground obviously intoxicated. She says, "Them euthanasia mob better keep away from Dad!" A child replies, "No worries Mum, he looks and smells like he's snuffed it six months ago!"

The newspaper says the cartoon is not racist - it is about drunks as hopeless, dirty and smelly, not Aborigines. It says the Aboriginal population is close to 50% of the community and is therefore frequently depicted in the news stories, sports, court reports, social photographs and the weekly cartoon of the newspaper.

The Council has consistently held that a cartoon is an expression of opinion. By its nature it uses extremes in the form of caricature. Hence, considerable license is given to cartoonists. But it is possible to go too far and breach Press Council principles, either by placing gratuitous emphasis on race or by displaying a lapse of taste which would be extremely offensive to the public.

In this case the Council believes that the cartoon does both and for that reason upholds the complaint.