Press freedom report found (see earlier post)

The 2007 Australian Press Freedom Report by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance contains a section on Freedom of Information (including an article by Matthew Moore and Michael McKinnon) and another section on problems for the media posed by "privacy". See the full report here.

I think the comments about FOI are spot on, but disagree with the view that privacy rights are the bogey for freedom of the press that some in media circles and this report claim.

The Report covers a range of other important areas of concern about limitations on the media in Australia.

Lets hope the Alliance and other media groups take consistent positive action to push for open government principles and FOI laws that work to extend the public right to know. Federal Secretary, Christopher Warren, in his introduction says "the only way to confront this time of official spin and manipulation is head-on, and the time is now".