Frank Cook against The Post

The Post published an article on August 22, 2025, titled An occupation that makes me sing.

It was a column which mocked traffic management and the widespread use or overuse of traffic cones.

Frank Cook complained that while the article tried to masquerade as satire, it was quite vicious.  At least one road worker had been killed, other workers were abused daily while doing their job and this column encouraged that.

He said workers should have been given the opportunity to respond and The Post had failed its obligation to provide that balance.

In response, The Press, which employs the columnist, said the article was marked as opinion.  Media Council Principle (5) Columns, Blogs, Opinion and Letters, recognises opinion content does not require the same balance as news reporting provided it is clearly identified as opinion and relies on facts.

It added the columnist was known for his provocative stance on topical issues and was entitled to express his genuinely held views. While the column mocked some aspects of traffic management it was not vicious. It mainly mocked the rules they operated under rather than individual traffic managers although, it implied the required level of risk management appeared to be excessive.

It said the columnist did not seek to deny the risk to traffic management staff road workers. The column sat within accepted standards for opinion and no balancing opinion was required.

The Media Council noted this was a satirical column and written in a mocking tone which made it clear it was not to be taken seriously. It was presented as opinion and therefore covered by Principle (5) which endorses the long-held convention that columnists and letter writers have the freedom to express their opinions, provided their views have a foundation of fact.

Opinion pieces do not have to be neutral or balanced as they are expressions of a personal view. Freedom of speech allows people to express strong, challenging or even offensive opinions and that extends to satirical writing or cartoons, where the message may fall flat or even anger some or many readers.

Decision:  No grounds to proceed.