The Executive Director of the Australian Press Council has left the Council after seven years in the role. Two Public Members of Press Council are also stepping down. Press Council Chair Neville Stevens AO paid tribute to John Pender’s contribution as Executive Director.

“He has provided invaluable guidance and wisdom to three Council Chairs and to Council members more generally. His knowledge and expertise have underpinned Council operations over this period, and he has provided necessary stability in challenging times."

A recruitment process is well advanced to appoint a new Executive Director and pending this appointment Paul Nangle, Director of Complaints, will be the Acting Executive Director.

The Press Council also farewells Public Members Andrew Podger, AO, and Zione Walker-Nthenda.
Mr Stevens thanked them for their valuable service to the Council. “They have each played an important part in progressing the Press Council’s work of upholding high editorial standards and freedom of expression at a time of great change in Australia’s media landscape.”

He added that “Public members play a major leadership and governance role in the operations of the Australian Press Council. They bring a diversity of thought and an appreciation of contemporary social issues and community to Council activities and in conjunction with community representatives on Adjudication Panels provide independent assessment of material published by publisher members against the Press Council’s Standards of Practice.”
The Press Council will shortly be advertising for Public and Independent Journalist members to serve on its governing Council and on Adjudication Panels.

The Australian Press Council (APC) was established in 1976 and is responsible for promoting high standards of media practice, community access to information of public interest and freedom of expression through the media. Press Council members include many of Australia’s major newspaper, magazine and online publishers. These publishers agree to comply with the APC’s binding standards of practice. When complaints about these members are made to the APC, the material is evaluated against these standards by the APC’s adjudication panels, which are independent of publishers.

For more information, please contact Dorothy Kennedy, Media Advisor, Australian Press Council at dorothy.kennedy@presscouncil.org.au or call the Press Council on (02) 9261 1930.