New press guidelines shorter and simpler
Australian Press Council chairman Julian Disney says the body's revised statement of general principles provides clarity and conciseness for print and online media.
"It is considerably shorter now. It's a step towards getting our standards of practice better known and applied in newsrooms," Professor Disney said.
"Many codes, including the past statement, tend to be utopian or aspirational, setting the level of best practice.
"We're concerned with the level below which (reporters) mustn't fall. We've tried to ensure that they're reasonable and practical, but also rigorous."
The statement outlines the core principles taken into account when the council rules on and resolves media complaints. Among these principles are accuracy, fairness, privacy, integrity and transparency.
Prof Disney doesn't believe it will affect the number of media complaints but it will make them easier to deal with and adjudicate on.
The revised statement of general principles takes effect for all material published from August 1, 2014.
