Adjudication No. 1261 (October 2004) [2004] APC 36

Adjudication No. 1261 (October 2004)

The Press Council has upheld in part a complaint about a Charters Tower court report headed Town pest back in local court in The Northern Miner on 11 June 2004.

The complaint from Rick Langtree accused The Northern Miner of acting in an unacceptable manner. He alleged that the paper was influenced by another matter, which was going to court in the coming weeks involving John Brophy and the newspaper's editor. The newspaper denies this on the basis it was providing its usual court coverage without any consideration of the future matter involving the editor.

Mr Brophy was found guilty on two charges of using insulting words to police officers. The reader however would not be able to identify from this article any other convictions Mr Brophy had and why he would be referred to as a "town pest".

The Council believes that the report itself, in which the word "pest" was not used, was fair and balanced. However the use of the epithet in the headline was unfair, and to this extent the complaint is upheld.