The Fight Goes On

An MEAA press freedom report reviewed

Advocates of press freedom have been kept busy in recent years, responding to a range of mechanisms aimed at preventing the media from telling the full story and, in particular, from scrutinising government action.

It's an interesting exercise to take stock, from time to time, and consider landmark events in the context of evolving trends. From the Australian perspective, one of the best ways of gaining an overview of the current state of press freedom is by perusing the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance's annual review of press freedom.

The MEAA's 2008 report into the state of press freedom in Australia, Breaking the Shackles, the Continuing Fight Against Censorship and Spin, was released on 2 May, in conjunction with the MEAA's annual dinner to raise money for the Alliance Safety & Solidarity Fund, which works to promote press freedom in the Asia/Pacific region.

In terms of landmarks, the report acknowledges that one of the beacons of press freedom in the last year was the formation of the Right to Know Coalition and its publication of an audit into free speech in Australia. In spite of the plethora of threats to press freedom in Australia of late, the report recognises a number of positive developments, including expressions of commitment to review of freedom of information by both the Bligh government in Queensland and the Rudd government at the federal level.

On the other hand, Sydney's hosting of the APEC summit might well be regarded as the low point of the last year. In its description of "fortress Sydney", the MEAA report provides an account of an accredited photographer being assaulted by police as she attempted to document the actions of protestors who penetrated police lines.

Other points of interest in the topography of press freedom in the last twelve months include the sentencing of Allan Kessing for allegedly leaking a report on airport security; the sentencing of Gerard McManus and Michael Harvey for refusing to disclose a confidential source; the suppressing of Underbelly in Victoria; attempts to use the Trade Practices Act to bring actions for defamation; the selective leaking of documents by the Australian Federal Police in the arrest of Dr Mohammed Haneef; the threatening of journalists with prosecution by the WA government for reporting on a secret inquiry or for refusing to disclose sources; and the deportation of Russell Hunter from Fiji after publishing reports that the former prime minister Mahendra Chaudry was involved in tax evasion. (The subsequent deportation of Evan Hannah occurred after the report was written.)

The report considers a range of issues, including the impact of terrorism and sedition laws on freedom of expression; the extent of government spin and political advertising; attempts to restrict access to websites declared offensive; the latest developments in litigation for defamation and privacy; and the widespread use of suppression orders preventing reporting of court proceedings.

The MEAA's 2008 report into press freedom gives a useful snapshot of the state of free expression in Australia as well as a glimpse of intrusions into press freedom in the Asia-Pacific region. When read in conjunction with its predecessors it gives an idea of where things are improving and where they are deteriorating. The report is available for download from the MEAA's website: http://www.alliance.org.au/

Inez Ryan

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