Who is a Journalist? A Critical Analysis of Australian Statutory Definitions
| Author | Rebecca Ananian-Welsh |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0067205X221126583 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
Article
FederalLawReview
2022,Vol.50(4)449–478
©TheAuthor(s)2022
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DOI:10.1177/0067205X221126583
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WhoisaJournalist?ACritical
AnalysisofAustralianStatutory
Definitions
RebeccaAnanian-Welsh*
Abstract
Thisarticleprovidesthefirstcomprehensivestudyofstatutorydefinitionsof‘journalist’and
‘journalism’inAustralianlawandproposesapreferreddefinitionofjournalistbyreferenceto
statutoryaims,bedrocklegalprinciplesandbroaderscholarship.Itbeginswithareviewofexisting
literatureonthemeaningof‘journalist’inthemodernmedialandscape,beforeturningtoAustralian
law.Aqualitativesurveyoflegislationidentified11textuallydifferentdefinitionsoftheterm
‘journalist’across18separatestatutes,andasingledefinitionof‘journalism’.Examinationofthe
statutorycontexts,purposesandframingofthesedefinitionsrevealstheyarecomprised,broadly,
ofsix‘approaches’.Theseapproachesarecriticallyanalysedagainstanovelfive-partthematic
framework,withparticularattentiongiventowhetherjournalistsshouldbedefinedbyreferenceto
ethicalcodesandresponsibilities.Thearticleconcludesbyidentifyingapreferreddefinitionof
journalistcapableofinforminglawreformacrossawide-varietyofareasoflaw,includingpro-
tectionsforpressfreedom,journalisticaccesstoinformation,shieldlawsandwhistleblower
protections.
Received23August2021
IIntroduction
MediafreedomhasemergedasakeypriorityinAustralianlawreform.FollowingtheJune2019raidsbythe
AustralianFederalPolice(‘AFP’)onNewsCorpjournalistAnnikaSmethurstandtheSydneyheadquarters
oftheAustralianBroadcastingCorporation(‘ABC’),parallelpressfreedominquirieswereundertakenby
theParliamentaryJointCommitteeonIntelligenceandSecurity(‘PJCIS’)andtheSenateCommitteeson
EnvironmentandCommunications.BothInquirieswentontorecommendsignificantandwidespread
reforms,fromnationalharmonisationof‘shieldlaws’toenhancedwhistleblowerprotections,the
*AssociateProfessor,TCBeirneSchoolofLaw,UniversityofQueensland.Theauthormaybecontactedatrebecca.aw@law.
uq.edu.au.Theauthorisindebtedtotheeditors,anonymousreviewers,AssociateProfessorJohanLidberg,Professor
PeterGresteandDrRichardMurrayfortheirvaluableinput,aswellastoDominicFrostforhisexceptionalresearch
assistance.TheviewsherearealsoinformedbydiscussionswithmembersoftheNSWLawReformCommission’s‘Open
JusticeReview’andQueenslandAttorney-General,theHonShannonFentiman.Theauthor’sresearchhasbeensupported
byagrantfromtheEstateofDouglasSlatterandElizabethChambersandadonationfromDavidandDianeBrown.
considerationofjournalism-baseddefencestoprosecutionandmore.
1
Laterthatyear,theAustralianLaw
ReformCommissionidentifiedpressfreedomasoneoffivepriorityareasintheFutureofLawReform.
2
Morerecently,inMay2022,theQueenslandgovernmentfollowedthroughonitscommitmentto
introduceevidentiaryshieldlawstoprotectjournalists’confidentialsources,
3
andtheNewSouth
Wales(‘NSW’)LawReformCommissioncontinuedits‘OpenJusticeReview’,emphasisingmedia
accesstocourtsandtribunals.
4
Morebroadly,21
st
centuryreformshaveintroducedspecificmeasures
toprotectpressfreedom,notablyincludingshieldlaws(alsoknownas‘journalists’privilege’)which
assistjournalistsinmaintainingtheconfidentialityoftheirsourcesinlegalproceedings.
5
Inquiriesand
lawreformdiscussionshaveraisedtheprospectoffurtherjournalism-basedprotections—notonlyin
thenationalsecuritysectorbutalsoinpoliceinvestigations,
6
defamation
7
andwhistleblowerlaws.
8
Underlyingandcomplicatingthesediscussionsisathornydefinitionalquestion.Pressfreedom
requirestheprotectionofjournalistsandtheirsources,aswellascertainspeechandaccessrightsfor
journalistsandmediaorganisations;butwhoisajournalist?Andwhatisjournalism?
Inpracticalterms,themeaningsof‘journalist’and‘journalism’areconstantlyevolving.Goneare
thedaysof‘newspapermen’andtheweeklynewscycle.‘News’isproducedanywhere,atanytime
andarguablybyanyone.Bloggers,photojournalists,freelanceworkersandacademiccommentators,
inadditiontoproducers,editors,socialmediamanagers,in-houselegalteams,administrativesupport
andaplethoraofotherrolescharacterisethemodernmediaecosystem.Inthisdiverseanddynamic
context,itmaybethatconcretedefinitionsarenotappropriate,orperhapsevenpossible.
Thefactremains,however,thatlegaldefinitionsofthesetermsnotonlyexistbutoccupyanimportant
placeinAustralianlaw—andarelikelytodosoforyearstocome.Thisarticleprovidesthefirst
comprehensivestudyofstatutorydefinitionsof‘journalist’and‘journalism’inAustralia.Acomparative
examinationofthesedefinitionsaimstoidentifyapreferredapproachtodefining‘journalist’byreferenceto
existingscholarshiponthemodernmedialandscape,specificstatutoryaimsandbedrocklegalprinciples
includingclarity,legitimacyandthedemocraticroleofafreepress.Inthisway,Iaimtoinformlawreformto
protectpressfreedom,aswellasongoingeffortstoharmoniseareasoflaw(suchasshieldlawsand
whistleblowerprotections)whichrestonsuchdefinitionsandwouldbenefitfromanationalapproach.
Ibegin,inpartII,bysurveyingtheexistingcross-disciplinaryliteratureonthemeaningof
‘journalist’inthemodernworld.Ithenturntothelaw.Thisresearchinvolvedaqualitativesurveyof
1.ParliamentaryJointCommitteeonIntelligenceandSecurity,ParliamentofAustralia,InquiryintotheImpactofthe
ExerciseofLawEnforcementandIntelligencePowersontheFreedomofthePress(Report,August2020)36,82(‘PJCIS
Report’);SenateEnvironmentandCommunicationsReferencesCommittee,InquiryintoPressFreedom(Report,May
2021)68(‘SenateReport’).
2.AustralianLawReformCommission,TheFutureofLawReform:ASuggestedProgramofWork2020–25(Report,2
December2019).
3.EvidenceandOtherLegislationAmendmentAct2022(Qld).Therelevantprovisionscameintoforcebyproclamation,
effective12September2022,andnowappearinEvidenceAct1977(Qld)pt2div2B.
4.NewSouthWalesLawReformCommission,OpenJustice:CourtandTribunalInformation:Access,Disclosureand
Publication(Consultationpaper22,December2020)215–233.
5.EvidenceAct1995(Cth)s126K;EvidenceAct1995(NSW)s126K;EvidenceAct1929(SA)s72B;Evidence(National
UniformLegislation)Act2011(NT)s127A(‘NTEvidenceAct’);EvidenceAct2011(ACT)s126K;EvidenceAct1906
(WA)s20I;EvidenceAct2001(Tas)s126B;EvidenceAct2008(Vic)s126K.Fordiscussion,seeHannahRyan,‘What’s
inaName?Bloggers,Journalism,andShieldLaws’[2014]33(4)CommunicationsLawBulletin10,12;seealsoStephen
Odgers,UniformEvidenceLaw(ThomsonReuters,2018)1078–1091,1095,1200–1207.
6.See,eg,PJCISReport(n1)xx,36,82.
7.Fordiscussion,see:AustralianLawReformCommission,TheFutureofLawReform(Update,October2020)7–9.
8.PJCISReport(n1)116;SenateReport(n1)51–75;AJBrown,‘SafeguardingourDemocracy:WhistleblowerProtection
aftertheAustralianFederalPoliceRaids’(TenterfieldOration,TheHenryParkesFoundation,26October2019)2.See
alsocallsforaMediaFreedomActdiscussedin,eg,SenateReport(n1)[7.47]–[7.60].
450FederalLawReview50(4)
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