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Christine Milne

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THE Greens have moved to introduce a public interest test bill to protect media ownership diversity in light of mining magnate Gina Rinehart's increased stake in Fairfax.

This news came as the Sydney Morning Herald's publisher and editor-in-chief Peter Fray, Sydney Morning Herald editor Amanda Wilson and The Age's editor-in-chief Paul Ramadge stepped down amid newsroom restructures.

Greens leader Senator Christine Milne said that the test was necessary as changes in ownership at Fairfax could be a potential threat to editorial independence and media diversity.

"If we want to ensure that all Australians benefit from a flourishing, independent, diverse media landscape now and into the future, we have an obligation to start acting to protect that landscape," Senator Milne said.

"The public interest test for changes in media control is a sensible place to start."

Greens spokesperson on communications Senator Scott Ludlam said that there was a "real urgency" for the public interest bill, which would target nationally significant media enterprises rather than bloggers or smaller media outlets.

"(Rinehart is) one individual buying a controlling stake in a media organisation with the clear purpose of shutting down dissent against her other corporate and financial interests and deliberately stifling debate about issues of science, of fairness, of great community interest," he said.

The test would apply to media enterprises with a monthly Australian audience of 500,000 that also derived more than $50 million in revenue annually from supplying media content in Australia.

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Greens bring media ownership bill

THE Greens will try to gazump the government by releasing their own proposal for a public-interest test governing media ownership before Cabinet finalises its plans.

Last week's restructure announcements by News Ltd and Fairfax Media, which publishes the Herald, and a push into Fairfax by the mining magnate Gina Rinehart, have put the issue under the spotlight.

The Greens will announce today the introduction of a private member's bill seeking to ensure diversity of media ownership and editorial independence.

The public-interest test would apply to nationally significant media enterprises - defined as those which control the content they deliver, have an Australian audience of at least 500,000 a month, and derive at least $50 million a year in revenue from supplying media content in Australia.

The Greens' bill proposes that the statutory media regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, publishes guidelines, and the application and enforcement of the public-interest test. There will be opportunity for submissions and possible public hearings. Any decisions by the authority could be appealed in the courts.

The Greens' test would take into account whether the acquisition of an organisation would diminish the diversity of ownership and content, the impact on editorial independence, on free expression of opinion, and on the fair and accurate reporting of news.

Last week, the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, confirmed that new media ownership laws under consideration would take into account the public interest as well as competition concerns.

The laws, to be based on recommendations from both the Convergence Review and the Finkelstein review commissioned by the government, are set to be signed off soon.

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Greens grab headlines with media probity plan

THE Greens this week will introduce a private member's bill for a public interest test to be applied when there are changes in control of major media companies.

As the government considers its media policy, which will include a public interest test, strongly favoured by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, the Greens said their bill would be based on recommendations from the government's convergence review and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Greens spokesman on communications Scott Ludlam said what was happening in the case of Gina Rinehart was ''one individual buying a controlling stake in a media organisation with the clear purpose of shutting down dissent against her other corporate and financial interests and deliberately stifling debate about issues of science, of fairness, of great community interest''.

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Matters to be taken into account in the Greens' public interest test would include the effect of a change on diversity of ownership and the likely impact on editorial independence, the free expression of opinion, and the fair and accurate presentation of news.

Asked about the impact if Ms Rinehart effectively took control of Fairfax, Foreign Minister Bob Carr predicted a ''degradation of the quality of those mastheads.

''I think Australians would be entitled to be very, very concerned. I think it would be impossible to separate her position as a controlling influence on the board from the way the paper behaves. I think the independence of Fairfax, which has been its glory, its boast, its pride, would be diminished,'' he told the ABC.

Meanwhile the debate over the government's media policy could be influenced by information revealed in the Federal Court case brought against Speaker Peter Slipper by staffer James Ashby, with suggestions that Mr Ashby connived with News Ltd and politicians. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said yesterday he categorically rejected that the Ashby case was ''some kind of a Coalition stitch-up''.

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