abc: Fairfax chief concerned at new pattern of media censorship
The CEO of Fairfax, one of Australia’s major media companies, says news organisations are facing increasingly strict censorship rules.
Fred Hilmer says the Federal Government has put mechanisms for media censorship in place, namely the laws which limit the scope of what can be broadcast in news services on digital television channels.He says another threat to the freedom of the press is the legislation introduced which would make the disclosure of unauthorised official information by the public service, a crime.
Although the bill is part of the Government’s espionage legislation, Mr Hilmer says recent photos of asylum seekers in the water could not have been published if the bill was in place.
“That had nothing to do with national security, nothing to do with terrorism, but that was in the bill,” he said.
See also The Age, Fairfax CEO says media restrictions threaten democracy