The Real Media Collective’s (TRMC) self-regulatory body, the Distribution Standards Board (DSB) has updated its code to discourage signatories from delivering anti-vaccination flyers such as those from Clive Palmer’s United Australia party.
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| UAP flyer (ABC News) |
After reviewing proofs of flyers last week, the DSB board decided on Thursday to update its code so that signatories would not deliver “content of inauthentic material.”
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| "The letterbox carries a great responsibility": TRMC CEO Kellie Northwood |
Kellie Northwood, chief executive of the TRMC and the DSB, said: “This includes content which contains misinformation that could have potential to impact an individual’s physical or mental health, financial security, safety, is knowingly fraudulent, or is not supported by a qualified independent third-party or is widely rated as false content.
“Material pertinent to medical advice that is not qualified by an independent third-party health professional or is widely regarded as false has no place within the letterbox,” Northwood said.
“The letterbox carries a great responsibility, arguably higher than other media channels, as it includes material above and beyond unaddressed communications from various sectors – addressed financial statements, government notices, health and educational material, emergency service contacts, community directories and more – information that is trusted with an assumed level of accuracy.”
Speaking in federal parliament In August, Labor MP Patrick Gorman named print business IVE Group, a national mail distributor, as being behind the UAP flyers, according to a report by The Guardian.
“IVE Group referred questions about its role to the DSB,” according to the report. “It is understood IVE has not been distributing flyers for UAP in recent months.”
