Adjudication No. 955 (January 1998) [1998] APC 1

ADJUDICATION No. 955 (Janaury 1998)

The Australian Press Council has upheld a complaint by Jim Tsoukalidis and parts of a complaint from Simon Balderstone against The Daily Telegraph over its coverage of the appointment (later cancelled) of Dr Ekkart Arbeit as Australian athletics coach.

Claiming that the paper's coverage of the appointment was racist, unfair, unbalanced and in breach of Press Council principles, the complainants said that racial stereotyping underlay headlines (which contained both German phrases and "germanised" English), a cartoon, an editorial and a doctored photograph, published on the 7, 9 and 10 October.

Mr Balderstone in his complaint said the paper's coverage of the Arbeit affair was outrageous and one-sided, that the cartoon and the doctoring of a photograph, by the addition of a spiked helmet to a picture of Dr Arbeit, were examples of racist stereotyping which would offend many people, and that there was no attempt to maintain balance. The common ground of both complaints is the 10 October doctored photograph of Dr Arbeit and the use the same day of "germanised" English ("YOU VILL PAY") in the headline.

The paper in its defence said it believed it was entitled to express the view that Dr Arbeit was not a suitable candidate as head athletics coach. The use of German expressions was for effect, to capture reader attention. The spiked helmet was an attempt at humour, and though the cartoon relied on a stereotype, stereotypes were by their nature caricatures.

The Press Council accepts that The Daily Telegraph had a right to take a strong editorial position on the Arbeit affair. However, the Council finds that the use of the doctored photo and the altered English placed a gratuitous and offensive emphasis on nationality and to this extent upholds the complaints.

On the issue of the cartoon, the APC has traditionally affirmed the right of cartoonists to express strong views, and it does so in this case.