Article
Existing shield laws do little to protect Australians, or our democracy
Publisher
Journalists
Journalism
Media regulation
Freedom of information
Freedom of the press
Australia
New Zealand
Resources
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Existing shield laws do little to protect Australians, or our democracy | 110.98 KB |
Description
To mitigate uncertainty and ensure consistent protection for journalists, Australia needs an all-encompassing, national shield law like New Zealand has.
Australia’s inferiority to leading democracies in ensuring press freedom and free flow of information is nothing new. But we can add failing to acknowledge the evolution of journalism to that list.
Shield laws are supposed to provide privilege for journalists, protecting them from forced disclosure of confidential sources and information. They attempt to mediate the conflict between a journalist wanting to protect their sources and a court needing the relevant evidence before it.
Publication Details
DOI:
10.4225/50/58507fb2b7ae6
Copyright:
APO and author 2016
Access Rights Type:
open
Post date:
14 Dec 2016