Adjudication No. 939 (August 1997) [1997] APC 40

ADJUDICATION No. 939 (August 1997)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed complaints from Stan Heilbronn over the non-publication of letters he wrote in mid 1997 to the Townsville Bulletin.

Although the Press Council's adjudication relates specifically to letters he wrote about the "Leading Schools concept" being introduced into the Queensland education system, it equally applies to letters he wrote in 1996 on the "Cops in Schools" program which were well outside the normal time frame for acceptance of complaints.

In both cases, the newspaper exercised a discretion over letters' selection the Press Council generally endorses.

Many newspapers get far more letters from readers than they can possibly print. While the Press Council urges editors to be conscious of the need for balance in debates on public issues and admonishes them when that does not occur, the fact that selection decisions have to be made is obvious.

In these cases, the newspaper appears to have provided reasonable space for views contrary to those expressed in news stories and its own editorials and there was no obligation to print letters from any particular reader.

In one of his letters, Mr Heilbronn wrote that he was "suspicious of the motives, methods and rationals (sic) behind Leading Schools". Mere suspicions are not enough for any reader to demand space.

The newspaper said its process for selecting letters for publication "is based on all sorts of criteria -- length, appropriateness, legality, risk of defamation, public interest and entertainment among them".

While it may have been possible for the newspaper and the complainant to agree on an acceptable letter from him, that it did not occur did not create any breach of the Press Council's principles.