Four new appointments to the Ad Standards Community Panel will further strengthen the ability of Australia’s independent system of advertising complaints adjudication to reflect community standards.
The university student, police officer, doctor, and anti-discrimination lawyer and former journalist bring a range of life experience and perspectives reflecting Ad Standards commitment to representing Australia’s diversity.
Ms Fiona Jolly, Chief Executive Officer of Ad Standards, said the Ad Standards Community Panel represents a broad range of community values, ages, skills, geographic and demographic groups.
“Ensuring that the Community Panel as a whole reflects a wide variety of Australians and is broadly representative of the diversity of the Australian community is our top focus.”
“The diversity of the Community Panel helps with understanding the many different community standards relative to decisions that need to be made by the Community Panel,” said Ms Jolly.
The Community Panel is responsible for considering complaints made by members of the public about advertisements across all mediums and represents the wide cross-section of community opinion.
The Panel considers complaints across wide-ranging social issues covered by the advertising codes and initiatives administered by Ad Standards – from discrimination and exploitation, to the environment, body image and health, and ads targeted to kids.
The incoming members were selected following public advertisement. The Community Panel as a whole does not include representatives from the advertising industry, or from consumer or lobby groups. Membership is on a fixed term basis with new appointments staggered to ensure a mix of corporate knowledge while introducing people with a mix of experience, views and skills.