Libel Action Invited

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31728, 11 July 1968, Page 17

Libel Action Invited

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, July 10. Sir Frank Packer, manag-ing-director of Australian Consolidated Press, publishers of the Sydney "Daily Telegraph,” has offered a group of students $lO,OOO to sue his dewspaper for libel. A four-man student delegation which saw Sir Frank Packer yesterday said that three recent editorial articles in the “Dally Telegraph” and “Sunday Telegraph” had libelled university students. The newspaper reported

today that the . students’ spokesman, Mr Michael Jones, had said that if they possessed $lO,OOO they would certainly have sued the “Daily Telegraph” for libel. Sir Frank Packer then offered to pay $lO,OOO to a reputable legal firm nominated by the students, so that a barrister could be briefed to institute a libel action based on the three editorials. The newspaper said the students agreed that if the action failed they would give an unqualified apology for suggesting that they had been libelled.

A “gentleman’s agreement” had also been reached that if the libel action failed, Mr Jones would undertake, if buying a morning paper, to purchase the “Daily Telegraph. The woman member of the deputation, Miss Barbara Griffin, would also undertake—“lf buying a magazine” to buy the “Australian Woman’s Weekly,” which is also published by the Consolidated Press. The "Daily Telegraph” also agreed to print an 800word article provided by the students in reply to its editorials.