The Wire

Journalists and publishers are speaking out in protest to the new sedition laws that are part of the government’s counter-terrorism package that is going through the senate this week. Various media organisations have banded together to express their concerns about the freedom of the media under the proposed laws, which they claim could lead to self-censorship as publishers face gaol-terms for breaking sedition laws. Today the federal Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock responded to the concerns of a coalition of 16 media organisations who last week requested ammendments to the legislation to protect journalists and publishers. Mr.Ruddock responded in the Australian today that he will consider minor changes, but that a journalist’s notebook could still be ceased by Police for a matter of national security. The media coalition, which contains all the major newspaper and television groups, wanted targeted measures that preserved the legislation package but ‘carved-out’ the media from measures such as sedition that could see journalists go to gaol for up to 5 years for reporting on arrested terrorist suspects. Jack Herman is the Executive Secretary of the Australian Press Council, one of the 16 groups in the coalition. He spoke to the wire about how the new laws will affect both journalists and publishers.