Adjudication No. 855 (May 1996) [1996] APC 29

ADJUDICATION NO. 855 (May 1996)

The Press Council has dismissed a complaint by restaurateur, Michael Mah, against The Sunday Age.

The complaint concerned a review of Mr Mah's restaurant written by the newspaper's restaurant critic, Stephen Downes.

Mr Mah complained that the article was insulting and unfair to his restaurant. He asked that the paper apologise and print two letters of his choice from customers supporting his restaurant.

The newspaper rejected Mr Mah's allegation and defended its right to publish critiques of restaurants.

Four months later and after Mr Mah had referred the matter to the Press Council, the editor said the paper was willing to print one of the letters received from customers disputing Mr Downes' assessment of Mr Mah's restaurant. She explained that the letters, received within two weeks of the publication of the review, had been misplaced when a change in editors had occurred.

Restaurant reviews are by their nature subjective and the Council has said previously that reviewers carry a commensurate responsibility to be fair and to be careful of judgments on which an unfavourable review is based.

Mr Downes' review was not wholly critical of the restaurant, praising some aspects of the meal, decor and atmosphere. Overall he rated it as "acceptable". Mr Mah claimed there were factual errors and that the tone of the review damaged his business. However the newspaper belatedly offered to print a response offering a contrary view, an offer Mr Mah declined to accept.