The Australian Press Council’s 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 General Principles cover accuracy and clarity; fairness and balance; privacy and avoidance of harm; and integrity and transparency.
In addition, Council has developed Advisory Guidelines on particular issues. These Advisory Guidelines provide additional information and resources on best practice reporting on these issues. They may be taken into account 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.
The Council receives complaints about the reporting of the race, colour, descent, ethnicity and nationality of individuals or groups, and these raise important questions about the responsibility of the press in our multicultural society. The Council is principally concerned about references to race, colour, descent, ethnicity and nationality which promote negative stereotypes or prejudice in the community. The tone and context of such reporting is usually a crucial factor in determining whether the Council’s Principles have been breached.
In the Council's view, in general, the press needs to show sensitivity in reporting issues when groups of a particular race, colour, descent, ethnicity or nationality are the subject of public debate. Care needs to be taken to ensure that people are not portrayed as outsiders, dangerous or violent due to their race, colour, descent, ethnicity or nationality. The negative traits of an individual or individuals should not be represented as applying to entire communities.
Definitions and language
Defining race and ethnicity is complex and contested. The terms ‘race’ and ‘ethnic origin’ are referred to but not defined, for example, in the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). Australian States and Territories have laws that define ‘race’. For example; the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 and Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 define race to include ‘colour, nationality, descent, ethnic, ethno-religious or national origin’, (with the Tasmanian Act also including ‘the status of being or having been an immigrant’); the Western Australia Equal Opportunity Act 1984 defines race to include ‘colour, descent, ethnic or national origin or nationality and the fact that a race may comprise 2 or more distinct races does not prevent it being a race’.
Researchers do not agree about how race and ethnicity should be defined. Historically, race is often thought of in terms of shared physical attributes and ancestral origins, however, race and ethnicity have no biological meaning.
Whenever possible, journalists should ask people how they choose to define and describe themselves. Care needs to be taken not to assume that a person of a particular race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality is necessarily a spokesperson for others.
There is the danger of using the term ‘race’ where no such race exists; for example, there is no ‘Jewish’ race, nor a ‘British’ or ‘French’ race. Another danger is to accept too readily the race labels used by racist groups in hate campaigns; such labels should be examined carefully and critically.
The Council condemns use of offensive or prejudicial slang or outdated labels in referring to race, colour, descent, ethnicity or nationality. However, language that is considered offensive can change over time. Whether an expression is perceived as offensive can also depend on whether or not the person using the expression is a member of the race or nationality to which the expression refers.
If someone controversially uses such expressions, a publication may be justified in reporting them in direct quotes.
Accuracy
Publications are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that factual material in news reports and elsewhere is accurate and not misleading and is distinguishable from other material such as opinion.
Reporters are advised to take care to check facts, including in the reporting of overseas events and the names of persons reported in relation to such events.
The Council accepts that some international situations are extremely difficult to report or comment on without causing distress to different groups in the community. Many international conflicts and disputes, even when handled with sensitivity and impartiality, may arouse disagreement or passionate responses from readers.
Context and relevance
Reference to a person’s race, colour, descent, ethnicity or nationality should be relevant to a story and in the public interest. For example, it may be relevant and appropriate:
- in an article about a person who has consented to the disclosure of that information as part of telling their story; and/or
- as part of an article examining a relevant issue about race or ethnicity. It may, for example, be relevant if reporting on a race riot.
However, it may not be relevant in the context of reporting on the identity of persons accused of committing a crime unless it forms part of police descriptions of suspects, or it constitutes part of a fair and accurate report of court proceedings.
Overly prominent, and irrelevant references to a person’s race, colour, descent, ethnicity or nationality — particularly in headlines — can cause or contribute to prejudice especially when those attributes are linked to alleged or actual criminal activity.
Cartoons and context
Complaints about reporting of race, colour, descent, ethnicity or nationality are often made in relation to published cartoons. Cartoons are commonly expressions of opinion examining serious issues and which use exaggeration and absurdity to make their point. For this reason, significant latitude will usually be given in considering whether a publication has taken reasonable steps to comply with the Council’s Standards of Practice.
Nevertheless, publications must still take reasonable steps to avoid contributing to substantial offence, distress or prejudice unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest. Council has upheld complaints against publications in respect of cartoons.
In some cases, however, the context of accompanying articles or letters to the editor, or of the political debate at the time, has led the Council to conclude that there is sufficient public interest in a cartoon’s subject matter to outweigh the substantial offense, distress or prejudice it may cause.
Fairness and balance
Publications are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that factual material is presented with reasonable fairness and balance, and that writers’ expressions of opinion are not based on significantly inaccurate factual material or omission of key facts. By way of example, in considering whether factual material has been presented with reasonable fairness and balance, it may be relevant to consider whether the omission of information leads to an unfair representation of the person or group being discussed.
Importantly, the obligation to present factual material with reasonable fairness and balance also applies to an opinion article.
Avoid substantial offence, distress or prejudice or substantial risk to safety
Publications are required to take reasonable steps to avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice, or a substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.
Unnecessary emphasis on race, colour, descent, ethnicity and nationality should be avoided. Such references should only be included if they are relevant.
Reference to a person’s physical characteristics or ethnicity could be relevant, or in the public interest, when they are part of police descriptions of wanted suspects, particularly of suspects regarded as violent and dangerous. Ethnicity-based descriptors can be useful if they form part of an overall description that could lead to the arrest of an offender, and if the following principles are met:
- they are used in the pre-arrest phase along with a physical description;
- they are not used once a person has been apprehended;
- they are used only to describe people whose ethnicity is unknown; or
- they are only used post arrest if a publication can demonstrate there is a genuine public interest in doing so.
Conversely, ethnicity-based descriptors can be of limited effectiveness as they can be the result of emotional or prejudice-driven responses from witnesses who may be mistaken. They can also cause members of a given community to feel that they are being unfairly targeted.
When a person’s physical characteristics or ethnic background are part of court proceedings, they are then matters of public record.
The Council accepts that some situations are extremely difficult to report or comment on without causing offence to different groups in the community. This is particularly the case in reporting on events involving conflicts between members of different races, ethnicities or nationalities.
Cultural sensitivities
When reporting on matters that have occurred within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, there are cultural practices and sensitivities around releasing names or images of deceased persons from these communities that should be considered. Similarly, publications should endeavour to be aware of such sensitivities in other Australian communities.
Supplementary resources
To assist our member publications in the reporting of matters related to race, these guidelines are supplemented by the national and international resources in Attachment 1.
Attachment 1
National and International Media Resources
General resources
National Union of Journalists. (2014). Race reporting guidelines.
MEAA. (2020). MEAA Guidelines on Reporting Hate Speech and Extremism.
Race Forward. (2015). Race Reporting Guide.
SBS. (2021). SBS Code of Practice (Section 5 on Respect).
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2014). Casual racism FAQs.
Australian Government. The Australian Government Style Manuel on the use of culturally appropriate and respectful language when writing about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Narragunnawali. Terminology Guide: A Guide to Using Respectful and Inclusive Language and Terminology.
Reconciliation Australia. Demonstrating inclusive and respectful language.
Reporting crime and race
NSW Police Force. Public Affairs Branch. (2022). Media Policy.
Police Accountability Project. (2017). Reporting crime and race: A short guide for journalists.
Reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Media Diversity Australia. (2018). Reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Issues: An introductory resource for the media handbook. Reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Issues: An introductory resource for the media quick guidelines.
Australia Council for the Arts. (2019). Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts.
SBS. (1997). The Greater Perspective: Protocol and Guidelines for the Production of Film and Television on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. (2016-17). Supplementary Guidelines.
Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. Codes of Practice - Code 4: Indigenous programming and coverage of Indigenous issues.
Reporting Islam
Islam is a religion rather than a race, but stakeholders have suggested that there is benefit in including practical tips in relation to more mindful reporting of Muslims and the Islamic faith in the APC’s Advisory Guideline on Reporting of ‘race’.
Reporting Islam Project. (2018). Reportage Handbook.
Sourcing experts
Media Diversity Australia. Find-an-Expert directory.
Useful statistical data sets
Closing the Gap. Closing the Gap Targets and Outcomes. (2023). Productivity Commission Dashboard.