APC signs first multicultural publisher as member of Press Council
An online publisher serving Australia’s Filipino community has joined the Australian Press Council to be the first multicultural publisher to sign on since the industry regulatory body began targeting the multicultural press at the end of last year.
Schwartz Media, which publishes weekly newspaper The Saturday Paper and The Monthly magazine, also joined the APC alongside The Bushland Shire Telegraph Pty, publisher of a weekly community newspaper circulating in the Hawkesbury area of NSW, and Emanila Pty Lts, a group of online-only publications serving Australia’s Filipino community.
In August 2015, chair of the Press Council, Prof David Weisbrot pledged to broaden the council’s membership, looking to engage with the multicultural press before specifically targeting Chinese community newspapers.
To date no Chinese community newspaper has signed on as a member, with Emanila the first multicultural publisher to join the APC.
David Weisbrot bowed to the Murdoch editors and has made the toothless tiger even less effective as a press regulator. The fact that the editors were upset about Julian Disney proved the council’s watchdog role was actually being upheld under Disney’s reign. These new members should rest easy.