Press Council chair to withdraw from two complaints, following pressure from News Corp
Julian Disney
The chair of the Australian Press Council (APC) Julian Disney is to withdraw from two adjudications, following pressure from two News Corp newspapers.
In a statement released, this afternoon, APC executive director John Pender announced: “Two News Corp papers have written to me insisting, among other things, that the Chair of the Council, Professor Julian Disney, should withdraw from the Council’s adjudication of two complaints relating to them. They did so on the ground that there could be an appearance of bias.”
“At Prof Disney’s request I consulted a Vice Chair of the Council, John Doyle QC, who is a member of the relevant Adjudication Panel. Mr Doyle considered that the demands for Prof Disney to withdraw were not justified, and I was of the same view.”
Just awful stuff. Just take the legitimate criticism would you, News Corp? Stop being so arrogant and at the same time, thin skinned
So, the APC was allowed a smidgeon more power when Finkelstein and the Labor government were considering a statutory regulatory body. ‘See what a good job we’re doing by ourselves! No need for an external body!’
Then the ‘new empowered’ APC found some News Corp reporting to be unfair and unbalanced, as any sane rational person must, and the bully has reared its ugly head. Through threats of disengaging from, and defunding, the APC, News Corp has forced Julian Disney to stand aside on any adjudications concerning itself, despite top legal advice that News Corp complaints were bogus.
What a blot on the Australian media landscape this foreign-owned media bully is! Warping our public debate, pressuring our politicians into cowardly obeisance, shrugging off any accepted standards of journalistic integrity…all in the name of pursuing its notorious owner’s insatiable corporate lust.
How pathetic APC getting involved over a simple article about eating kangaroos. What a morbid, censorship, freedom of speech hatred and petty mob the APC are.
Michael – except that it’s not censorship. There are no fines or penalties or injunctions, the newspaper is just required to publish the APC’s verdict. It’s the only avenue the general public realistically has to raise issues with the print media. It would be better if The Australian became a good sport and accepted the findings in a mature way. They agreed to abide by the rulings of the Press Council, yet it seems they will only accept the APC if they never find against them.
Trust a bloody university-educated, café-sipping, chardonnay-drinking, tree-hugging pinko leftie to show some ethics and stand aside even when he doesn’t have to. It’s like bear-baiting and the bear accedes to being humiliated.