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‘Publishing is not a crime’: media groups urge US to drop Julian Assange charges

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Original article by Jim Waterson
The Guardian – Page: Online : 29-Nov-22

The media organisations that first helped WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange to publish leaked diplomatic cables in 2010 have called on the US to drop its prosecution of him. They contend that the prosecution of Assange is an attack on media freedom, and that "publishing is not a crime". Assange is currently being held in a UK prison, where he is awaiting the outcome of an appeal against a ruling in June by then UK home secretary Priti Patel that he be extradited to the US.

CORPORATES
WIKILEAKS

MEAA to review standards for Clarion media awards after Walkley Foundation rescinds its award

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: Online : 24-Nov-22

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance will undertake a review of the state-based Clarion awards. The review has been prompted by the fallout arising from the Walkley award that was given to a news story on former federal MP Andrew Laming which was subsequently found to have been defamatory. Nine Entertainment journalists Peter Fegan and Rebeka Powell also won a Clarion award for their articles on Laming, who intends to make a submission to the MEAA’s review. The Walkley Foundation recently decided to rescind the Walkley award of Fegan and Powell.

CORPORATES
MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, WALKLEY FOUNDATION FOR JOURNALISM, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC

Good news in store for retail this Christmas – new research

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Original article by
Australian Retailers Association – Page: Online : 23-Nov-22

The Christmas Gift Buying Survey has been undertaken by the Australian Retailers Association in collaboration with Roy Morgan. The survey shows that 59% of Australians intend to spend the same or more (12%) on Christmas gifts compared with 2021, despite growing inflationary pressures. It also found that the average gift purchase is $700, down slightly ($26) on last year. Alcohol and food top the list of intended gift purchases for this year, followed by gifts cards and toys. The ARA and Roy Morgan forecast that Australians will spend nearly $64 billion in the lead up to Christmas, up 3% on last year. They also forecast that sales over the four-day Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend (25 – 28 Nov) will reach a record $6.2 billion.

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AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Activist investor aims to scuttle Murdoch’s $39b megamerger

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Original article by Elizabeth Knight
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 23-Nov-22

Irenic Capital owns two per cent of News Corporation’s Class B shares. The activist investor opposes Rupert Murdoch’s proposal to merge News Corp and Fox Corp, warning that reunifying the two companies would be expensive and distracting. He has written to the committee of News Corp directors that is assessing the merger proposal, urging them to recommend not proceeding with the deal. Irenic instead is of the view that News Corp should spin off its real estate assets, which include a 61 per cent stake in realestate.com.au owner REA Group.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, FOX CORPORATION, IRENIC CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, REALESTATE.COM.AU

Australian TV news presenters still mostly white, report shows, sparking row over balance

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Original article by Mostafa Rachwani
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 23-Nov-22

A new report highlights the lack of diversity among Australian television news and current affairs presenters. The report from Media Diversity Australia shows that 78 per cent of TV journalists have an Anglo-Celtic background, up from 75.8 per cent in 2020; meanwhile, people from a non-European background account for just 6.1 per cent of appearances on news and current affairs programs, despite comprising 24.7 per cent of the nation’s population. The report is based on a sample of free-to-air news and current affairs programs over a two-week period in June. The ABC’s Gavin Fang says the sample size was not large enough, while restricting it to one media format is also a shortcoming.

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MEDIA DIVERSITY AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Review into ABC and SBS financial stability

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Original article by Sophie Elsworth
The Australian – Page: Online : 16-Nov-22

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has advised that her department has commenced a review of the ABC and SBS that will examine measures to support the stability and independence of the public broadcasters. Rowland disclosed details of review while attending a function organised by ABC Friends, which is not affiliated with the ABC. She emphasised that the review will not consider issues such as funding of the ABC and SBS or proposals to merge them. The review will include public consultation in 2023.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS)

Cricket chiefs look to post a big score

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Original article by James Madden
The Australian – Page: 19 : 14-Nov-22

Sources have indicated that Cricket Australia was "underwhelmed" by the initial ­offers for the next broadcasting rights deal and has asked broadcasters to make new submissions. Seven West Media and Foxtel paid $1.18bn for the current rights deal, which expires in two years’ time. Seven and Nine Entertainment are believed to have offered around $50m per year solely for Test match rights, while Ten and Foxtel are said to have pitched for the rights to all international and domestic matches. CA’s negotiations with broadcasters follows Nine’s recent renewal of its rights deal with Tennis Australia in a new five-year deal worth a record $425m.

CORPORATES
CRICKET AUSTRALIA, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED, FOXTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED

‘Stuck in a rut’: Diversity rules to be overhauled in major media reform

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Original article by Zoe Samios
The Age – Page: Online : 14-Nov-22

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is to ask the Australian Communications and Media Authority to review current rules that measure and determine the diversity of Australia’s media, with a view to having them revamped. Rowland will tell the Communications and Media Law Association Seminar on 4 November that media policy had been "stuck in a rut" under the previous government, while any change to the way that media diversity is measured could have a big impact on the way that media companies approach further consolidation in the future.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA LAW ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

ABC warns national anti-corruption commission could investigate journalists’ work

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Original article by Paul Karp
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 19-Oct-22

The ABC has raised a number of concerns in its submission to a parliamentary inquiry on the proposed National Anti-Corruption Commission. The public broadcaster said the definition of corruption means the legitimate work of ABC journalists could come under scrutiny by the NACC if they receive confidential government information or documents in the normal course of their work. The ABC has called for editorial work to be excluded from the scope of the NACC’s powers. The Australia’s Right To Know Coalition in turn has expressed concern that warrants could be used to reveal journalists’ sources.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA’S RIGHT TO KNOW COALITION OF MEDIA COMPANIES

ABC calls for mandate to ensure it hosts federal election debate

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Original article by Amanda Meade
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 18-Oct-22

A parliamentary committee is examining the conduct of the 2022 federal election, and is looking at issues such as voting rules and political donation laws. In its submission to the committee’s inquiry, the ABC has called for legislation that would see it host and broadcast at least one leaders’ debate during a federal election campaign. Then Prime Minister Scott Morrison accepted invitations to take part in debates with Anthony Albanese on the Seven and Nine networks and Sky News Australia during the 2022 election campaign, but refused to appear on the ABC. In arguing its case for at least one debate, the ABC noted in its submission that research has revealed it is the most trusted media brand, while it also pointed out it has Australia’s biggest "broadcast footprint".

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NINE NETWORK AUSTRALIA LIMITED, SKY NEWS