Australia

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 19 December 2006 IFJ press release: “Time for justice” 30 years after deaths of Balibo five journalists in East Timor The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) supports calls from Australian affiliate, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (the Alliance), for full cooperation in an upcoming coroner’s inquest into the […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has expressed shock that the editor of a student magazine became the subject of an investigation under a federal anti-terror law after being denounced on an “anti-terrorist” hotline. “This was an example of an unfortunate use of Australia’s freedom-impinging laws,” the press freedom organisation said, calling for legislative reform to […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: Australian government’s media reforms threaten freedom of expression The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is calling on the Australian Government to abandon new media ownership laws that were passed by the Parliament earlier this week after the laws triggered almost $US5 billion in frenetic sharemarket trading […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is an MEAA press release: High Court decision undermines the public’s right to know The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, the union that represents Australia’s media workers, is concerned that a decision in the High Court of Australia has failed to uphold the intent and purpose of Australia’s freedom of information […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is the introduction to the MEAA report “The media muzzled: Australia’s 2006 press freedom report”: When it comes to press freedom, the past 12 months have felt like two steps backwards for every step forward. First, the good news: After decades of campaigning, we’ve finally won uniform defamation laws that focus […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is a 24 August 2006 MEAA media release: CONTEMPT CASE AT ODDS WITH PLANNED LEGISLATION TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS’ CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES The Alliance says that all governments should move quickly to implement their commitment to provide some qualified privilege for journalists. This comes after a Victorian Supreme Court decision to pursue contempt […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Michael Harvey and Gerard McManus of the Melbourne-based “Herald Sun” could be imprisoned very soon for contempt of court after Judge Elizabeth Hollingworth, of the Supreme Court of the southeastern state of Victoria, on 23 August 2006 rejected their appeal against a lower court’s order that they name their source for a […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is a 12 April 2006 ARTICLE 19 press release: ARTICLE 19 calls on the Australian government to review its sedition laws ARTICLE 19 has lodged a submission in response to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s review of the sedition laws enacted in November 2005. ARTICLE 19’s submission outlines the applicable […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is a MEAA media release: Phone tap laws threaten press freedom New laws, passed by the Senate yesterday, give law enforcement agencies power to intercept phone calls, emails and text messages of innocent people. This extreme surveillance law poses a severe threat to press freedom – journalists can assume their conversations […]

(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has voiced shock at the methods used by the office of Australian Prime Minister John Howard to censor parody website http://www.Johnhowardpm.org, on which political commentator Richard Neville hosted a spoof speech by Howard about the presence of Australian troops in Iraq. The prime minister’s office had the website closed down […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: IFJ Warns Over Threat to Diversity Following New Media Laws in Australia The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) says the Australian Government’s proposed new media regime fails to take up the real challenges confronting the media and entertainment industries in Australia and will significantly reduce diversity […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is a MEAA media release: Phone tap laws in Australia threaten press freedom If federal government plans to give its security agencies new phone-tapping powers are accepted, journalists must assume that their conversations with sources will be intercepted, says Australia’s media union. This excessive threat to press freedom will not only […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is a MEAA media release: 24 hour strike continues at ABC Radio Current Affairs December 13, 2005 – The Media Alliance and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) support the decision by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio Current Affairs (Caff) employees to strike for 24 hours. Radio Caff employees made […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is an MEAA media release: Journalist charged for talking to a prisoner Australia’s media union has called on the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director General of the state’s Corrective Services Department to drop the charges levelled at highly respected journalist and filmmaker Anne Delaney. Earlier this year Ms. […]

(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is an MEAA media release: Anti-terror legislation threatens freedom of expression The federal government is rushing through anti-terror legislation that threatens freedom of expression, says Australia’s media and entertainment union. “The federal government has created laws that will radically alter the nature of public debate in this country. The laws draw […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 13 October 2005 CPJ press release: AUSTRALIA: CPJ alarmed by contempt charges against two journalists New York, October 13, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by contempt of court charges filed against two reporters for the Melbourne-based Herald Sun who refused to divulge the source […]