Sunday Age censured for strip search report. The Australian Press Council has censured The Sunday Age for publishing playwright Barry Dickins’ account of being searched by Victoria Police without going to police for comment, and then not publishing a correction after Dickins faced court for making a false statement. In Dickins’ piece, published in October, 2015, he said he’d been stopped and searched by two police officers in Carlton, apparently suspected of stealing a T-shirt. He said the officers told him to drop his pants, and took photos of his pubic hair. This account was later found to be false by a magistrate, and Dickins was put on a good behaviour bond for making a false report. The Sunday Age reported the court case, but did not publish a correction. Victoria Police complained to the Press Council, which found the paper had breached standards requiring it to ensure the article was accurate and not misleading, and the court report was not sufficient to correct the record. The Sunday Age published the adjudication yesterday, as required by the Press Council, but has still not published a correction.

Fairfax’s ‘good news’. Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood has made a bold promise to shareholders about the company’s future for print newspapers — one that News Corp is yet to make. At last week’s annual meeting, Hywood said Fairfax was committed to “producing our print products seven days a week for years to come”, despite current guidance that it could lose $180 million in its newspaper and radio revenues by June 30 next year. Last week’s annual meeting came after shareholders approved the spin-off of Domain in the next 10 days and its move onto the ASX as a listed company. We won’t get a new look Fairfax Media balance sheet until the December 31 figures are released in early February along with the interim financial results. Australia’s major newspaper companies are under pressure as advertising revenues continue to sink. NewsMedia Works’ latest report released Friday said print ad revenues were falling at more than 14%, and battling these headwinds will be tough for all newspaper companies. — Glenn Dyer

Video of the day. A football spectator in Argentina took down a drone circling the field at a match last week with a roll of toilet paper.

Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings. Seven won last week — even after Nine’s stunning success on Sunday night with the finale of The Block. Seven News did win Sydney at 6pm Monday to Friday, despite losing Friday. Last night Seven won the night, easily — with Nine second in total people, but third in the main channels behind the ABC. Ten was a very distant fourth, again. Nine News was again very weak — beaten in the metros by the ABC News and nationally as well. 

The doctors did it for the ABC. In fact it was the best night of the year for the ABC, with three of the top four programs on the night across the country — including the Dr Blake Mysteries which is finishing its final season on the ABC with a ratings bang — 1.32 million nationally last night and third. Doc Martin was tops with 1.48 million national viewers. Dr Blake will end with a tele-movie next week and then depart for Seven, which is a bonus for that network. A strange call by ABC CEO Michelle Guthrie — success earns the axe! ABC also had its best night in the regions and quite along time with Doc Martin tops with 487,000, then Dr Blake with 438,000, the 7pm ABC News was third with 420,000, Seven News was fourth with 418,000 and The Wall was fifth with 386,000. From 7.30 to 9.30pm the ABC was the most watched network across the country last night.

But for Seven, last week’s hit — The Wall — is this week’s question mark. It averaged 1.14 million viewers nationally last night and 755,000 in the metros. For its debut a week ago it averaged 1.54 million and 974,000 in the metros and 386,000 in the regions. It is fading fast. — Read the rest on the Crikey website