Part 1: Online News Standards:

Australian Radio Network Pty Ltd (ARN) and its websites are committed to honest and fair reporting of news content and applies the following journalistic principles:

  1. Report, interpret and present news honestly, striving for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts.
  2. To remain impartial and to not undermine the accuracy, fairness or independence of reporting of news.
  3. To be transparent in reporting of news and allow audiences and readers to be equipped with facts.
  4. Use fair, responsible and honest means to obtain news material.
  5. To do the utmost to achieve fair correction of material errors in published news material.

ARN will make all reasonable endeavours to comply with the Online News Standards as varied from time to time, however a failure to comply will not be a breach of the Online News Standards if the non-compliance was in respect of a minor, peripheral, incidental or trivial matter, or was due to a reasonable mistake, reasonable reliance on information supplied by another person, the publication of material which was accidental (provided that ARN took reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence), or an act or default or another person which was outside ARN’s control, or an accident, technical issue or some other cause beyond ARN’s control.

Part 2: Complaints Handling Policy:

This policy outlines the complaints handling by ARN for online news content that is published on ARN’s websites.

Complaints shall be handled, assessed, and given due consideration based on the nature of the concerns raised in connection with the Online News Standards. On receiving a complaint, ARN will determine whether or not the complaint is a complaint regarding the Online News Standards (Online News Standard Complaint) and should be considered further. Online News Standard Complaints should be made via the ‘contact us’ email address found on the relevant station.

ARN will review the online news content complained of and assess its compliance with the Online News Standards.  ARN will take into account any other relevant material and may seek comments from the relevant internal business division on the issues raised in the Online News Standard Complaints. ARN will endeavour to respond in a timely manner addressing the concerns raised in writing, unless the complaint does not relate to the Online News Standards.

In order for a complaint to be validly considered an Online News Standard Complaint the complaint must:

  1. Be about online news content prepared and published by ARN;
  2. Be about online news content that the complainant has read or viewed themselves;
  3. Be made within thirty days of the first publication of the relevant material in writing to the station via the email address found on the ‘Contact Us’ page for the relevant station;
  4. Identify the material complained of in sufficient detail including the website link, date of access and headline;
  5. Sufficient details of the complaint for the nature of the complaint to be understood;
  6. Provide adequate contact details for a response to be provided;
  7. Not be frivolous, vexations or an abuse of this Complaints Handling Policy;
  8. Not be offensive or vulgar.

 

If a complaint is or may become the subject of existing or threatened proceedings, then ARN may choose not to treat the complaint as an Online News Standard Complaint.

If a complaint is about advertising material appearing on the website that ARN published, then ARN may choose not to treat the complaint as an Online News Standard Complaint and may instead refer the complaint to the Advertising Standards Bureau.

If a complaint is regarding a privacy issue, only the individual whose privacy interest is alleged to have been intruded upon may make an Online News Standard Complaint.

If a complaint is accepted as valid, the complainant will receive notification of the outcome of their complaint in writing. Please note that filing a complaint about certain content will not guarantee its removal or guarantee a response.

We reserve the right to amend the Online News Standards and Complaints Handling Policy as required. We will publish the current Online News Standards and Complaints Handling Policy on our website. Your complaint will be considered against the published policy on the date of receipt of your complaint.

For privacy complaints please email the ARN privacy officer at privacy@arn.com.au

For complaints about content heard via radio broadcast, please submit a formal complaint via the online portal at the following addresses:

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