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Tasmanian Times – Governance Update
GOVERNANCE UPDATE
As the CEO of Tasmanian Times, I want to reassure our readers, advertisers, and contributors that we are committed to the highest standards of governance in transparency, accuracy, and responsible journalism. Under current management, we have undertaken a thorough review of legacy content and publishing practices, and implemented updated policies to strengthen editorial independence, advertising transparency, and regulatory compliance. Below are our five key policies with further policies, protocols and codes of conduct to be published in due course.
These measures reflect our ongoing commitment to providing trustworthy news, protecting readers, and maintaining professional media governance. We will continue to review and improve our policies to ensure Tasmanian Times meets evolving legal, ethical, and industry standards.
Rod Holden,
Tasmanian Times
Tasmanian Times – Governance and Standards Policy
Tasmanian Times is committed to responsible journalism, transparency, and maintaining the trust of its readers. The organisation operates under a framework of editorial standards, governance practices, and compliance measures designed to support independent reporting and responsible publishing.
1. Independent Journalism
Tasmanian Times supports independent journalism and encourages a diverse range of perspectives on issues affecting Tasmania and the broader community. Editorial content is produced independently and is not influenced by advertisers or commercial partners.
2. Current Management and Governance
Under current management, Tasmanian Times has undertaken a review of legacy content and publishing practices to strengthen governance, transparency, and regulatory compliance. This review has informed updates to internal policies and publishing standards.
3. Transparency in Advertising
Tasmanian Times maintains a clear distinction between editorial content and advertising or sponsored material. Paid promotional content is clearly identified to ensure readers can distinguish it from independent editorial reporting.
4. Editorial Standards
Tasmanian Times is committed to accuracy, fairness, and responsible reporting. Editorial decisions are made independently by the editorial team and are guided by established journalistic principles and internal editorial policies.
5. Accountability and Corrections
Tasmanian Times welcomes feedback from readers and takes concerns about accuracy seriously. Where errors are identified, they are addressed promptly through the Corrections and Complaints Policy.
6. Compliance with Australian Law
Tasmanian Times seeks to comply with all applicable Australian laws and regulatory requirements relevant to digital publishing, advertising, and media operations. Where issues are identified, the organisation will review and update practices as appropriate.
7. Ongoing Improvement
Tasmanian Times periodically reviews its policies and practices to ensure they reflect evolving legal requirements, industry standards, and community expectations.
8. Contact
Readers, contributors, and stakeholders who have questions about Tasmanian Times governance or editorial standards can contact the organisation through the contact information provided on the website.
Tasmanian Times – Corrections and Complaints Policy
Tasmanian Times is committed to accuracy, accountability, and responsible journalism. When errors occur or concerns are raised, we aim to address them promptly and transparently.
1. Commitment to Accuracy
Tasmanian Times strives to ensure that all published information is accurate and responsibly sourced. However, mistakes can occasionally occur. When an error is identified, we will take appropriate steps to correct it.
2. Corrections
Where a factual error is confirmed, Tasmanian Times will correct the material as soon as reasonably practicable. Corrections may include:
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updating the relevant article
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adding a clarification or correction note
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removing incorrect information where necessary
3. Reader Complaints
Readers who believe an article contains inaccurate or misleading information are encouraged to contact Tasmanian Times through the contact details provided on the website.
When submitting a complaint, readers should provide:
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the article title or link
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the specific issue or concern
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any relevant supporting information.
4. Review Process
Complaints will be reviewed by the editorial team. Where appropriate, Tasmanian Times may seek additional information or independent advice before determining whether a correction or clarification is required.
5. Responses to Complaints
Tasmanian Times aims to respond to complaints within a reasonable timeframe. Outcomes may include clarification, correction, editorial review, or explanation of the editorial position.
6. Legal and Regulatory Matters
Where complaints relate to legal or regulatory issues, Tasmanian Times will handle these matters in accordance with applicable laws and may seek professional advice where necessary.
7. Policy Updates
Tasmanian Times may update this policy from time to time to reflect evolving editorial practices and legal requirements.
Tasmanian Times – Editorial Independence Policy
Tasmanian Times is committed to independent journalism and maintaining a clear separation between editorial decision-making and commercial interests.
1. Editorial Control
All editorial content published by Tasmanian Times is produced under the direction of the editorial team. Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by advertisers, sponsors, donors, or external organisations.
2. Separation of Editorial and Commercial Activities
Tasmanian Times maintains a clear distinction between editorial content and commercial or sponsored material. Advertising, sponsorship, or paid partnerships must not influence news coverage, editorial opinion, or journalistic investigations.
3. Identification of Sponsored Material
Any content that is paid for or produced on behalf of a commercial entity must be clearly labelled to distinguish it from editorial content. Labels may include “Sponsored Post”, “Advertorial”, “Paid Content”, or similar wording.
4. Conflicts of Interest
Editors, contributors, and staff are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect their editorial work. Where appropriate, such conflicts will be managed through disclosure, reassignment, or editorial oversight.
5. Accuracy and Responsible Journalism
Tasmanian Times strives to ensure that editorial content is accurate, fair, and based on credible sources. Where errors are identified, they will be corrected in accordance with the Tasmanian Times Corrections and Complaints Policy.
6. Independence from External Influence
Tasmanian Times does not allow external parties to review, approve, or influence editorial content prior to publication, except where legally required.
7. Policy Updates
This policy may be updated periodically to reflect evolving editorial standards, legal requirements, or industry best practices.
Tasmanian Times – Advertising and Sponsored Content Transparency Policy
Tasmanian Times is committed to maintaining transparency, editorial integrity, and compliance with Australian laws and regulatory standards in relation to advertising and sponsored content.
1. Editorial Independence
Editorial content published by Tasmanian Times is produced independently of advertisers and sponsors. Advertisers do not influence editorial decisions, coverage, or journalistic content.
2. Identification of Advertising and Sponsored Content
All advertising, sponsored articles, advertorials, or paid promotional material published on the Tasmanian Times website will be clearly identified. This may include labels such as:
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“Sponsored Post”
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“Advertorial”
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“Paid Content”
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“Advertisement”
These labels are intended to ensure readers can clearly distinguish between editorial content and paid promotional material.
3. Advertising Standards
Tasmanian Times requires all advertisers and sponsored content providers to comply with:
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Australian consumer protection laws
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the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (where applicable)
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applicable advertising standards and industry codes
Tasmanian Times reserves the right to refuse, remove, or amend advertising content that may breach these standards.
4. Prohibited or Restricted Advertising
Tasmanian Times does not knowingly publish advertising that promotes:
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illegal products or services under Australian law
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prohibited interactive gambling services
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misleading or deceptive claims
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unlawful or harmful activities
Content identified as potentially breaching these standards may be removed or restricted without notice.
5. Review and Compliance
Tasmanian Times may conduct periodic reviews of advertising and sponsored content to ensure compliance with applicable laws and platform policies.
Where concerns are raised regarding advertising content, Tasmanian Times may:
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review the content
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seek independent advice if necessary
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remove or modify the content
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update policies or procedures as appropriate.
6. Changes to This Policy
Tasmanian Times may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation, or publishing practices.
7. Contact
Questions regarding advertising practices or sponsored content can be directed to Tasmanian Times through the contact details listed on the website.
PLEASE NOTE: Tasmanian Times has recently decided to end advertorial content, but legacy obligations remain for a set period. Therefore, this policy will remin in force until the legacy advertorial period has ended.
Tasmanian Times – Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 12 March 2026
Tasmanian Times (“we”, “our”, “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and store personal information when you use the Tasmanian Times website and related services.
1. Who We Are
Tasmanian Times is an independent online news and commentary publication serving local Tasmanian’s and the Tasmanian diaspora.
Website: https://tasmaniantimes.com
2. What Personal Information We Collect
We may collect personal information including:
Information you provide:
- Name
- Email address
- Contact details
- Letters, comments, or submissions
- Correspondence with our editors
Information collected automatically
When you use our website, we may collect:
- IP address
- Browser type and device information
- Pages viewed
- Referring website
- Time and date of access
- Cookies and session identifiers
3. Cookies and Analytics
Tasmanian Times may use cookies and analytics tools to:
- Measure website traffic
- Improve content and usability
- Maintain website functionality
- Detect spam or misuse
You can disable cookies through your browser settings.
4. Why We Collect Personal Information
We collect personal information to:
- Publish reader comments and submissions
- Communicate with contributors and readers
- Improve our journalism and website
- Send newsletters or updates where requested
- Moderate content and prevent spam
- Meet legal obligations
5. Disclosure of Personal Information
We may disclose personal information to:
- Web hosting providers
- Content management platforms
- Analytics providers
- Email newsletter providers
- Moderation and spam prevention services
- Legal advisers and regulatory authorities where required
Some providers may store or process information outside Australia.
6. Overseas Disclosure
Some service providers may process information in jurisdictions including:
- United States
- European Union
- Other countries where our providers operate
We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers handle personal information consistently with Australian privacy laws.
7. Data Retention
Tasmanian Times retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
Retention periods may include:
- Comments and published submissions
Published comments, letters, and articles may remain on our website indefinitely as part of the public record.
- Editorial communications
Emails and correspondence with readers, contributors, or sources may be retained for editorial, administrative, or legal purposes.
- Technical logs
Server logs and analytics data are generally retained for a limited period necessary to maintain website security and performance.
Where personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify the information.
8. Security of Personal Information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
These measures may include:
- Secure hosting infrastructure
- Access controls
- Spam filtering and monitoring
- Software security updates
However, no internet transmission is completely secure.
9. Access and Correction
You may request access to personal information we hold about you.
You may also request correction if the information is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
Requests can be made using the contact details found on our website.
10. Comments and Public Content
If you submit comments, letters, or articles:
- Your name and content may be published publicly.
- Published content may remain accessible online indefinitely.
- Content may be archived or indexed by search engines.
You should avoid including sensitive personal information in public submissions.
Tasmanian Times reserves the right to moderate or remove content at its discretion.
11. Journalistic Exemption
Tasmanian Times operates as a media organisation engaged in journalism.
Under section 7B(4) of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), acts or practices carried out in the course of journalism may be exempt from certain requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles where the organisation is publicly committed to observing privacy standards in its journalistic activities.
Tasmanian Times is committed to responsible journalism and handling personal information in accordance with applicable media standards.
12. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external sites.
13. Children
Tasmanian Times is not directed to children under 16 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children.
14. Complaints
If you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you may contact us.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
15. Changes to this Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time.
The latest version will always be published on the Tasmanian Times website.