Sunday Tele breached privacy of Latham’s kids and failed to declare involvement of reporter’s mother, rules press watchdog

Tim Burrowes

May 20, 2012 11:25

Former Labor leader Mark Latham has won a finding against the Sunday Telegraph after the newspaper reported he intimidated an elderly swimming teacher.

The Australian Press Council has upheld his complaint that his children’s privacy was breached, and that the newspaper should have declared a conflict of interest over the fact that one of the swimming teachers at the pool on the day was the mother of journalist Jennifer Sexton, who wrote the story.

Sexton’s report, published on December 11, stated:

“MARK Latham has been reported to the Department of Education for intimidating the mother of former star cricketers Steve and Mark Waugh over a children’s swimming class.

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.