09S114 General Paper Project on Media in Australia

1. Country we were assigned: Group Member: Lim Yu-De Justin Tan Xiang Cheng Benjamin

5. Regulations Regulation of the media in Australia is limited to a narrow range of specific areas. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the broadcasting regulator for radio and television in Australia, and also the co-regulatory Online Content Scheme. Consumers who have complaints about programs on television and radio or certain types of content on the Internet can apply to the ACMA. The Commercial Television Code of Practice is a set of regulatory guidelines, of which commercial television broadcasters should comply. The Australian Press Council is the self regulatory body of the print media. The Council deals with complaints from the public about editorial material in newspapers and magazines published in Australia, and aims to maintain the freedom of the press.

7. How the internet has been censored ™ How the Internet has been censored In Australia, the Communications Legislation Amendment (Crime or Terrorism Related Internet Content) Bill implemented in 2007 empower the federal police to alter the "blacklist" of sites that are currently prohibited by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Privacy groups have already criticized the legislation as an attack on free speech. ( http://news.cnet.com/Australia-pushes-further-Web-censorship/2100-1028_3-6209337.html )

8. Conclusion In conclusion, media is often controlled directly or indirectly by at least one form of governmental body. This has both advantages and disadvantages. While the government may exert their power to regulate and remove unsuitable or harmful content such as profanities and pornography, they are also able to use the same power to increase their influence over the country to consolidate their own power through propaganda. In the case of Australia, the media is mainly a mode through which the government regulates online information and removes anything that defames the government.