Complaints Against ‘truth’ Not Upheld (Press, 26 July 1982)

On 26 July 1982, the Press Council dismissed a complaint from Miss Patricia Bartlett, the national secretary of the Society for Promotion of Community Standards, against the publication of photographs in the New Zealand newspaper "Truth." The complaint centred on two main issues. The first was a news photograph from a cricket match in Auckland that depicted a topless woman being touched by a man in the crowd. Miss Bartlett argued that this image represented a decline in journalistic standards and implied unacceptable approval of the woman's treatment. The second part of her complaint involved three photographs related to a film adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” which Miss Bartlett contended were inappropriate as the film had been classified R18 by the New Zealand film censor for explicit content. She claimed these images objectified women and promoted the publication's ongoing policy of featuring naked women. In its assessment, the Press Council stated that the cricket match photograph was newsworthy, capturing a light-hearted public event witnessed by many spectators. No significant public outrage was noted beyond the complainant's perspective. The council concluded that the publication of the photograph was justified in terms of public interest and dismissed this aspect of her complaint. Regarding the three photographs associated with the film, the council acknowledged that the film censor would not allow their use as advertising stills. However, they pointed out that the images were relatively small and had previously appeared in the newspaper without eliciting any significant public reaction. The council cited its own earlier publication, which discussed sex and nudity in the press, underscoring that the principles governing public taste can evolve over time. While Miss Bartlett argued that the publication did not uphold the high professional standards of the New Zealand press, the council asserted its commitment to maintaining the established freedom of the press. They emphasised that editorial discretion was paramount in determining good taste. Ultimately, the council concluded that the photographs, despite possibly not meeting everyone's standards, did not significantly deviate from contemporary community standards to warrant interference. As a result, the complaint was not upheld.

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