On the 4th of June 2025, The Courier Mail reported on charges laid against two men in connection with a non-hate crime shooting on a Muslim man in Underwood Queensland. While both alleged perpetrators were named and charged with the same offences, the article included an unnecessary and unrelated detail about only one of them: “The Courier-Mail understands the 25-year-old charged on Tuesday is a practising Muslim.” No reference was made to the religious or ideological background of the first man, despite reported gang affiliations. We wrote to the journalist to express concern over this selective identification, which reinforces harmful narratives by singling out Muslims as inherently suspect.
The journalist did not respond.
A formal complaint was submitted to the Australian Press Council (APC) citing a breach of Statement of Principles 6: “Avoid causing or contributing materially to substantial offence, distress or prejudice…”
We are currently awaiting the APC’s ruling.
