Greens grab headlines with media probity plan
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