Federal Court of Australia … ABC ordered to pay Antoinette Lattouf $150,000 in penalties for contraventions of the Fair Work Act and ABC Enterprise Agreement … Followed finding that ABC had unlawfully dismissed Lattouf for expressions of political opinion … Seriousness of conduct … Failure to investigate leak to The Australian … Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Category: Media Matters
ACMA report on combating disinformation and misinformation
Australian Media and Communications Authority … Report on efforts by digital platforms to combat misinformation and disinformation … Engagement of third party fact checkers has stalled … Decline in removals of content for breaching guidelines … Development of media literacy standards … Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Antoinette Lattouf v Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Federal Court of Australia … Justice Darryl Rangiah hears submissions on penalty for ABC’s contraventions of Fair Work Act and Enterprise Agreement in terminating employment of Antoinette Lattouf … Cross-examination of ABC’s Chief People Officer … Lattouf calls for $350,000 penalty … ABC says dismissal a “perfect storm” and a “one off” … Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Lattouf v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 2)
Federal Court of Australia … Federal Court rules journalist Antoinette Lattouf was unfairly dismissed by the ABC … Followed removal from on-air fill in stint on ABC Radio Sydney over social media post on Israel/Gaza war … Decision to terminate employment in response to concerted pro-Israel lobbying and imminent adverse media coverage … Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Spotlight on McClintock
Former defamation silk takes the podium … Speech and fielding questions in clubland … Jabs at enemies … Why fewer punters are suing … Cross-examining journalists … Fun cases … When not to sue … From Richard Ackland … more
Pauline Hanson v Lidia Thorpe and Nine Network Australia
Legal letters from Senator Pauline Hanson’s lawyers to Senator Lidia Thorpe and the Nine Network … Followed Today interview in which Thorpe referred to Hanson as a “convicted racist” … Hanson sought withdrawal and apology … Nine Network posts clarification … Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
No more Rivers of Gold
Australia is among the most concentrated media markets in the world … Economic dominance in key sectors … NBN and its consequences … Google and Meta occupy top spots in the top ten … Rob Nicholls breaks down the report into concentration of media and communications … more
Preserving the digital archive
Sustainability of digital archives … Legal issues … Loss of valuable MTV News content … The Wayback Machine … Accessibility to the past … National Library of Australia … Data storage … Environmental and financial costs … Veronica Lenard reports … more
Antoinette Lattouf v Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Fair Work Commission … ABC terminated employment relationship with casual radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf … Termination came after Lattouf shared Instagram post from human rights NGO commenting on Israel/Gaza War … Relationship ended when Lattouf taken off air and given no more work … Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Southey v Butler
NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal … Transgender activist loses transgender vilification claim against Herald-Sun … Argued article about female inmates petition against transgender inmate amounted to vilification … Article did not convey that transgender people as a class were a threat … Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Buying Silence
Oligarchs and plutocrats versus the media … The crushing appeal of SLAPP actions … Goldsmith, Maxwell and now the Russians … Lawyers and the money … Important stories that are never published … British media lawyer David Hooper suggests useful reforms … Book review by Veronica Lenard … more
Duke of Sussex v MGN Limited
Hacking case in London ... Mirror Group Newspapers ... Significant damages awarded to the Duke of Sussex ... 38 private investigators engaged by the editors ... Board of directors not aware ... Editor Piers Morgan knew of the illegal newsgathering ... Some claimants time barred ... Report from Inforrm ... more