Adjudication No. 936 (July 1997) [1997] APC 37

ADJUDICATION No. 936 (July 1997)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint from Trevor Versace about two articles in Bundaberg's News-Mail. The front page stories were published on the two days prior to the Bundaberg City Council elections.

In October 1996 Deputy Mayor John Faircloth had sent out a letter to friends and neighbours telling them that he and his wife had bought half a travel agency business in Cairns on behalf of their daughter.

Under the heading "Claims denied" on 13 March 1997, the first article expressed the concern of residents and council candidate Trevor Versace that Mr Faircloth's ownership of the Cairns agency would conflict with his ability to promote local tourist operators and create local jobs.

Mr Versace's quote reads, "It is of great concern that an October 96 publicity letter signed by Cr Faircloth asks Bundaberg people to take their travel business away from Bundaberg. Maybe Mr Faircloth, sorry Cr Faircloth, would like to explain why he is trying to take business dollars and therefore jobs out of our city to his personal advantage too ... shame Cr Faircloth".

Mr Versace gave a copy of the Faircloth letter to the News-Mail which published it in full on page 2 with a boxed insert from a letter recipient supporting Mr Versace.

The newspaper printed Cr Faircloth's response and rather than accept a letter of reply on behalf of the family decided on a follow-up interview in the interest of fairness and for the benefit of its readership.

On the following day it published the report, "An act of love" together with a large photograph of Deputy Mayor Faircloth with the caption underneath, "He has not deserted Bundaberg for business interests in Cairns". The report covers Mrs Faircloth's reasons why she and her husband had bought half the Cairns business.

On the same day the paper published a letter from the Faircloths' daughter.

Mr Versace claims that the second article, by deliberate intention, altered the facts sufficiently to mislead readers and that he should have been given the opportunity to respond.

In considering the two articles the Press Council concludes that the News-Mail gave the main players a fair opportunity to express their views on the issues and published balanced reports. By printing the contents of the Faircloth letter, the newspaper gave readers the opportunity to form their own opinions on the issue.