FREEDOM OF THE PRESS – AUSTRALIA

ABC raid could scare off sources

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Original article by Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Oct-19

The Federal Court has adjourned its hearing into the ABC’s legal challenge to the validity of a police raid on its Sydney headquarters in June. Matt Collins, SC, who is representing the public broadcaster, has told the court that whistleblowers will be reluctant to contact journalists if the Australian Federal Police’s search warrant is not overturned. Amongst other things, the ABC’s case is based on the implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

You’re at dangerous crossroads, warns legendary news anchor

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Original article by Steve Jackson
The Australian – Page: 1 : 29-Oct-19

US broadcaster Larry King believes that Australia needs to adopt similar laws to the first amendment to the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press. King says he was shocked to learn of Australian Federal Police raids on a journalist’s home and on the ABC’s Sydney headquarters in June, saying he would have reacted with violence if his home had been raided in such a fashion.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

Attorney-General hits out at press campaign

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 25-Oct-19

Attorney-General Christian Porter has rejected suggestions that journalists should receive a blanket exemption from national security and criminal laws. Responding to the Right to Know campaign, Porter argued that allowing the media industry to contest the issuance of a warrant against a journalist could potentially stop the police from preventing a serious crime. He conceded that there is scope for changes in some areas, such as Freedom of Information laws.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, WIKILEAKS

Labor draws link to press freedom fight

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 23-Oct-19

The issue of press freedom continued to attract scrutiny in federal parliament on 22 October, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison stating that people should only be prosecuted if they have broken the law. It followed his previous statement that journalists should not be prosecuted on the whim of a politician. Meanwhile, Labor leader Anthony Albanese has sought to link the government’s refusal to answer questions about Senate estimates hearings to the media industry’s Right to Know campaign.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RIGHT TO KNOW COALITION, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS

Chilling effect on the news

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 36 & 37 : 22-Oct-19

The Right to Know coalition is seeking to combat what it contends is the increased suppression of press freedom in Australia. Members of the group include Seven West Media, News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance and the ABC. The group believes that there are six key areas where reform is needed, including protections for whistleblowers, changes to the definition of what information should be regarded as secret and changes to defamation laws.

CORPORATES
SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION

PM tested on secrecy laws

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Original article by Rosie Lewis, Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 22-Oct-19

The issue of press freedom came under scrutiny in federal parliament on 21 October. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that any decision to prosecute a journalist should be based on the rule of law rather than the "whim of politicians". Law Council of Australia president Arthur Moses has responded by calling for Attorney-General Christian Porter to withdraw a recently-issued directive to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the prosecution of journalists for alleged breaches of four statutes.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

United front in fight for freedom

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Original article by Leo Shanahan
The Australian – Page: 2 : 21-Oct-19

The Australian media industry has ramped up its Your Right to Know campaign. Some of the nation’s major newspapers will replace their front pages on 21 October with an advertisement featuring blacked-out content and the question: ‘When the government hides the truth from you, what are they covering up?’. The move is part of the industry’s push to safeguard freedom of the press in the wake of police raids on the home of a News Corp journalist and the ABC’s Sydney offices.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, NINE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX NEC, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT

Secrecy law a burden: HRC

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Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 5 : 18-Oct-19

Details of submissions to News Corp Australia’s legal challenge to the validity of a police raid on the home of journalist Annika Smethurst have been released. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s submission has broadly supported News Corp’s stance, although it has taken a different legal approach to the issue, arguing that secrecy laws limit the freedom of political expression. Constitutional law expert George Williams, says the two approaches could both support the media group’s view that the raid on Smethurst was unlawful.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Tweaking will not protect journalists

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Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 24 : 4-Oct-19

Attorney-General Christian Porter is at odds with Law Council president Arthur Moses over a ministerial directive that allows him to veto prosecutions against journalists over reports that may breach secrecy laws. Porter’s ministerial directive also seemingly contradicts one issued by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton in early August, in the wake of the Australian Federal Police’s media raids. Porter’s ministerial directive could potentially enable him to kill off AFP cases against media companies and journalists that have been sanctioned by Dutton.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

A-G’s media plan misses mark

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Original article by Chris Merritt
The Australian – Page: 6 : 2-Oct-19

The effectiveness of the federal government’s proposal to provide new legal protections for journalists continues to be questioned. News Corp Australia executive Campbell Reid contends that providing the attorney-general with ministerial discretion to block legal action against journalists for publishing legitimate news reports will have no effect on the level of scrutiny and investigation into journalists. Law Council of Australia president Arthur Moses and Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance CEO Paul Murphy also contend that the reforms are insufficient.

CORPORATES
NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, NEWS CORPORATION – ASX NWS, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS ALLIANCE, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIA. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES