The Australian Press Council’s (Council) Standards of Practice, particularly the Statement of General Principles, provide the binding standards to which publications must adhere, and to which Council refers when considering complaints. These Standards and the Council’s Advisory Guidelines are important educational tools for publications and journalists. The Council’s Advisory Guidelines may be considered by a Council Adjudication Panel in deciding whether there has been a breach of the Council’s Statement of General Principles, but Advisory Guidelines are not binding Standards.

Many people engage with, and may be informed about, social, political and other issues by what they read in print and online media. There is a need to balance the freedom of the press to inform and examine issues against awareness of the harmful impact that reporting can have on individuals and communities, and that balancing exercise can be difficult. Most journalists and publications endeavour, in good faith, to engage in informed and accurate reporting on a wide range of issues and people. There are several areas and issues in respect of which the Council has, over time, issued Advisory Guidelines to promote better journalistic reporting and to assist publications to comply with the Council’s General Principles following concerns about some media coverage.

This Advisory Guideline is not intended to constrain or discourage referring to religion or ethnicity but to promote high standards of media practice. In relation to this, the Council is primarily concerned with references to religion or ethnicity which have the potential to promote and perpetuate negative stereotypes in the community. This is particularly important when reporting on crime or terrorist related incidents to ensure that people in the community are not portrayed as outsiders, dangerous or violent due to their religion or ethnicity.

The Council notes that in some instances it may be accurate to report that an individual adheres to a religion or to report that person’s ethnicity, but it may also be unfair and prejudicial. For example, it may be unfair and prejudicial if it is reported in the context of an alleged crime where there is no information to suggest that the individual’s religion or ethnicity was a motivating factor in the crime. The Council notes that to ensure reporting is not unfair or prejudicial, it is important to identify as soon as possible, and to provide some context as to why, an individual’s religion or ethnicity is relevant to a report.

The Council notes that references to religion or ethnicity in headlines, including headlines used in social media, requires particular care given the need to capture the essence of a story within limited space. For example, care needs to be taken when using words such as "Islam", "Islamic" and "Muslim" in headlines concerning a terrorist attack as it can suggest that the religion or ethnicity itself is responsible for the actions of the individual or group. The Council recognises that the problem extends to other religions, and to other groups whose standing may be tarnished by actions emanating from a minority of members, and therefore urges publications to be as focused as possible in their description of those responsible.