Re: APC 2024/0971 Complainant / Sydney Morning Herald
From: Manuel Graeber manuel.graeber@professoriate.org (Professoriate)
To: Complaints complaints@presscouncil.org.au
Date: 27/05/24 16:02
https://www.manuelbgraeber.org/correspondence-with-the-australian-press-council/
Dear Paul,
If the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) would publish a correction it would expose
the fact that the court documents submitted by Mr Mathew Dean of Sydney Uni
management are full of falsehoods. You have access to more than one example
which prove this (please find my original email attached below
for your reference). However, you did not address these issues and instead
referred to an already factually incorrect article published in the SMH.
My main grievance is that a senior colleague has made allegations of bribery
and blackmail against University management, not me. It was my duty to make a
public interest disclosure, and I should not be portrayed as a troublemaker
for simply carrying out my duty as an employee and President of the University
of Sydney Association of Professors.
The public needs to be informed accurately and not misled by spin. It is worth
mentioning that a former editor-in-chief of the Sydney Morning Herald (Darren
Goodsir) currently serves as the chief of staff at our university.
As you might know, traditional news sources are losing their grip on the
market to social media platforms. While this shift brings its own set of
challenges, it also presents an opportunity for more accurate and unfiltered
reporting as you can see in this case. It is our responsibility as academics
to ensure that the truth is prioritised over spin. I hope that you will
consider my request for a correction and take necessary action. Please let me
know if I/we can provide any further information or evidence to support our
claims.
Kind regards
Manuel
Professor Manuel B Graeber MD PhD FRCPath
President, University of Sydney Association of Professors
Vice-President, Australian Association of University Professors
Complaint WC/LUMIRJ/0258
From: Manuel Graeber manuel.graeber@professoriate.org (Professoriate)
To: complaints@presscouncil.org.au
Date: 06/05/24 22:29
Dear Sir/Madam,
I would like to request that The Sydney Morning Herald and 9News
publish a correction and apology due to the misinformation they are
currently spreading. Both news organizations have been propagating
inaccurate information as evidenced by the links provided
Their defense is that this misinformation stems from a court document,
which only contains claims and not evidence. However, both news reports
directly contradict the original evidence that has now become publicly
available, and the editors have been made aware of this.
I am particularly concerned about their reporting as they claim that I,
rather than a colleague, made the initial allegations of blackmail and
bribery by a high-ranking university manager. This is untrue. Furthermore,
it is untrue that there is no officially recognized public interest
disclosure, among other false information in their articles.
I am requesting an apology because these reports are also defamatory. Both
editors have either refused to make the necessary corrections or ignored
my concerns entirely
I am eagerly awaiting your response.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Kind regards,
Manuel Graeber
Professor Manuel B Graeber MD PhD FRCPath
President, University of Sydney Association of Professors
Vice-President, Australian Association of University Professors
On Mon, 27 May 2024 03:16:54 you wrote:
Dear Mr Graeber,
Re:
Sydney Morning Herald article “Whistleblower professor accused of ‘serious
misconduct’ sues Sydney Uni”, (Online) 17 April 20249News article “University of Sydney professor fights sacking, claims bribery
and corruption” 18 April 2024We refer to your complaint received on 6 May 2024 concerning the articles
above.In your complaint you say that “both news reports directly contradict the
original evidence that has now become publicly available, and the editors
have been made aware of this”. You say that you are “particularly concerned
about their reporting as they claim that I, rather than a colleague, made
the initial allegations of blackmail and bribery by a high-ranking
university manager”.After careful consideration, the Council Secretariat has decided not to
proceed further with the complaint. In reaching this decision, we have
taken into account that the articles are based on a report of court
proceedings that would appear to be accurate at the time of publication. In
relation to this, we note that the articles are based on a ‘statement of
claim’ filed in the Federal Court of Australia and the comments in the
article are presented as “claims” and “allegations”.In relation to your concerns relating to blackmail and bribery, we do not
consider the articles attribute these actions to you. We note that the
Sydney Morning Herald article says: “According to court documents, this
email included allegations that a senior academic tried to bribe and
blackmail a vulnerable young colleague and that Graeber was being excluded
or bullied in the workplace”. The 9News article says: “Graeber alleged that
a professor ‘attempted to bribe and blackmail another staff member’, but
this complaint was not made following procedures for reporting allegations
of corrupt conduct, the tertiary institution said in its defence”.Accordingly, we consider the matters about which you have expressed concern,
are unlikely to be considered a breach of the Council’s Standards of
Practice.Although we are not proceeding further with the complaint, the Sydney
Morning Herald will be informed of your concerns about the article. Please
note that 9News is not a member of the Australia Press Council. Australian
television and radio broadcasters, such as 9News, are regulated by the
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Information about how
to access ACMA’s complaints handling process may be found at:
https://www.acma.gov.au/complaintsWe appreciate your concern about compliance with appropriate media
standards. Apart from the outcomes in specific cases, we do try to learn
from the broad pattern of complaints in an effort to improve media
standards and to target our educational initiatives.Information on our complaints procedures, including a request to review a
decision, may be found
here.Kind regards,
Paul Nangle
Director of Complaints
Australian Press Council Inc
PO Box 1014, North Sydney NSW 2059
Telephones: 02 9261 1930 1 800 025 712
www.presscouncil.org.auhttp://www.presscouncil.org.au/[cid:DocMergef6df15db5a594133ac042f67b1f393a0.001.jpeg]
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