Complaints

Published by Digital Media & Co Pty Ltd
Applies to: theindiansun.com.au, The Indian Sun national eMagazine, The Indian Sun print editions, The Indian Sun — Queensland

Who can complain

Anyone. You do not need to be the subject of the story, and you do not need to be personally affected. If you believe something we have published breaches our Editorial Standards — on accuracy, fairness, impartiality, privacy, disclosure or any other ground — we want to hear about it.

The Indian Sun is bound by the Standards of Practice of the Australian Press Council. If you believe the Standards may have been breached, you may approach The Indian Sun or make a complaint to the Australian Press Council in writing at www.presscouncil.org.au.

We are also bound by the LINA Editorial Standards. We ask that you raise your complaint with us first; if we cannot resolve it, you can take it to the Press Council. See “If you are not satisfied” below.

There is no charge, and you do not need a lawyer.

What we can consider

Complaints that our published content breaches our Editorial Standards. That includes:

  • factual inaccuracy
  • unfair treatment, or the denial of a reasonable opportunity to respond
  • lack of balance or impartiality in news reporting
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest, or advertising presented as editorial
  • intrusion on privacy, or unfair treatment of a vulnerable person
  • misleading headlines, captions or images

We can also consider complaints about our conduct in gathering a story.

What we cannot consider: disagreement with an opinion clearly labelled as opinion (though we will consider a factual error inside an opinion piece); complaints about advertising content, which should go to the advertiser or to Ad Standards; and matters that are before a court.

How to complain

Send us your complaint by either of these routes:

If you would prefer to write to us by post, email us and we will provide a postal address.

Please include, as far as you can:

  1. A link to the article, or the publication, edition and page number for print.
  2. What you say is wrong or unfair, quoting the specific words if you can.
  3. Why — including any evidence or documents that support your account.
  4. What outcome you are seeking (correction, clarification, apology, right of reply, removal).
  5. Your name and a contact email or phone number.

We ask that you complain within 60 days of publication where possible. We will still consider later complaints where the matter is serious or the article remains published.

How we handle it

Acknowledgement — within 2 business days. We confirm we have received your complaint and give you a reference.

Assessment — within 5 business days. We tell you whether the complaint falls within this policy. If it does not, we explain why and, where we can, point you somewhere that can help.

Investigation and response — within 20 business days of acknowledgement. The complaint is assessed by the Editor, who reviews the published material, the reporter’s notes, sources and correspondence, and your submission. We may come back to you for more information. If we need longer — because the matter is complex or a key person is unavailable — we will tell you before the 20 days are up and give you a new date.

Decision. We write to you with the outcome and our reasons. The complaint is upheld, partly upheld, or not upheld.

Independence of the decision-maker. Where the complaint concerns the Editor’s own reporting or a decision the Editor personally made, the complaint is referred to the Publisher, or to an independent senior journalist outside the newsroom, so that it is not adjudicated by the person complained about.

What we can do to put things right

Depending on what we find, we may:

  • correct the article and add a dated correction note
  • publish a standalone correction or clarification, with prominence proportionate to the original error
  • publish a clarification, apology, or a letter or right-of-reply from you
  • annotate or, where warranted, remove the material
  • change how we handle a subject in future, and record the lesson in our annual standards review

We will tell you which of these we are doing and when.

If you are not satisfied

Internal review. You may ask for the decision to be reviewed by the Publisher within 20 business days of our response. Tell us why you think the decision was wrong. The review is conducted by someone who was not involved in the original decision, and we respond within 20 business days.

The Australian Press Council. If you remain dissatisfied, you can take your complaint to the Australian Press Council, which adjudicates independently of us. The Indian Sun is subject to its Standards of Practice, and we publish its adjudications in full where a complaint against us is upheld.

The Press Council generally asks that you complain to the publication first, which is why we ask for the chance to resolve it.

Other external options. Nothing in this policy limits your rights. You may also refer the matter to the Australian Communications and Media Authority where it concerns our obligations as a registered news business; seek independent legal advice; contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for privacy matters; or contact the Australian Human Rights Commission for discrimination matters.

Record keeping and transparency

  • Every complaint is logged with its date, subject, outcome and any remedial action.
  • The log is reviewed by the Editor and Publisher at least annually, alongside the review of our Editorial Standards.
  • We publish a short annual summary of complaints received and how they were resolved.
  • Complainants’ personal information is handled in accordance with our privacy policy and is not disclosed to the subject of the story without consent, unless disclosure is necessary to investigate the complaint and we have told you first.

Vexatious and repeat complaints

We deal with every complaint in good faith. Where a complainant repeatedly re-agitates a matter already determined, or where correspondence becomes abusive, we may decline to correspond further, and will say so in writing with our reasons.

Digital Media & Co Pty Ltd · theindiansun.com.au · Last reviewed September 2026