Communications & the Arts

Defend mass media diversity in Australia

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Media laws must be urgently reformed to prevent further concentration of ownership of Australia’s media.

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has bought almost 14% of Fairfax Media, adding to her 10% stake in Channel Ten. The reach of Fairfax extends beyond the city mastheads the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age into regional towns right across Australia.

Eleven of Australia’s twelve capital city daily papers are owned by either Fairfax or Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd. The remaining newspaper is controlled by Kerry Stokes, the owner of Channel Seven.

The weakening of Australia’s media ownership laws by the Howard Government has had a negative impact on the integrity of public debate in Australia, a situation that will worsen if further concentration of ownership is permitted.

Disturbingly, Australia is already ranked 30th in the world for press freedom. By comparison, Canada is 10th and New Zealand is 13th. (Reporters Without Borders – Press Freedom Index 2011/2012).

With the support of the Australian Greens, the Government can take the urgent action required to protect diversity in media ownership in Australia.

Please urge Communications Minister Stephen Conroy to take action before it is too late.

PM must retract “illegal” WikiLeaks claim

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Friday 17th December 2010, 2:22pm
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The Australian Greens have called on Prime Minister Gillard to unequivocally retract her claim that the work of WikiLeaks is "illegal".

Greens communications and legal affairs spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the Prime Minister had attempted to back-pedal on her original claim but a straight-forward retraction was in order.

The future, eventually, will find you out

Opinion Editorial | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 15th December 2010, 12:14pm
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"It is becoming unprecedentedly difficult for anyone, anyone at all, to keep a secret. In the age of the leak and the blog, of evidence extraction and link discovery, truths will either out or be outed, later if not sooner.

Write a Letter to the Editor

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Motion to support SBS

Motion | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 18th March 2009, 12:00am
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SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE CORPORATION

Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania-Leader of the Australian Greens) (3.50 pm)-I, and also on behalf of Senator Ludlam, move:

That the Senate-

(a) notes:

(i) the unique national broadcasting service that the Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) provides to the Australian community,

(ii) the invaluable role that the SBS plays in promoting a multicultural Australia and the services it provides to Australians from non-English speaking backgrounds, and

(iii) that the inadequate funding provided to the SBS has resulted in the SBS having to undertake in-program advertising; and

(b) calls on the Government to ensure adequate funding and support for the SBS, free from political and commercial interference.

Question agreed to.