News Media & the Law Conference

MELBOURNCE -- Journalists, lawyers and academics examine: Policy Debates for News Media: Changing Formats, Platforms and Corporations; News, the Law & Regulation: Current Issues for Journalists, Producers & Editors.

Presented by the Communications Law Centre, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and the Australian Press Council.

Date: 23 June (1.30-6.00) & 24 June (9.00-4.15) 2005
Venue: Victoria University Law School, Queen Street, Melbourne

Registration includes a complimentary copy of Keynote Speaker Robert Manne's book Left Right Left: Political Essays 1977-2005 (Black Inc. Books, 2005).

Registration form available at: http://www.comslaw.org.au/events/NewsMediaLawConference.pdf

Program
Day 1: Policy Debates for News Media: Changing Formats, Platforms and Corporations

Welcome
° Professor Colin Clark, Dean, Faculty of Business & Law, Victoria University

What is the future for news media?
° Mike Van Niekerk, Managing Editor, theage.com.au & smh.com.au
° Ian Cook, News Editor, Sky News

New Definitions of Journalism
° Eric Beecher, co-owner Private Media Partners
° Andrew Jaspan, Editor-in-Chief, The Age

Cross-media Ownership Stuart Simson, Executive Chairman, emitch
° Roger Colman, Director, CCZ Equities

Welcome Drinks and launch of the CLC's Media Ownership Update

Day 2: News, the Law & Regulation: Current Issues for Journalists, Producers & Editors

Keynote Address
° Robert Manne, Commentator & Professor of Politics, La Trobe University

Global Media, Public Broadcasting and the Debate on Democracy
° Ramona Koval, Journalist & Board Member, ABC
° Phil Martin, former director of News & Current Affairs, SBS
° Margaret Simons, Freelance Journalist & Author

Newsgathering: New Traps Set by the Law
° David Lindsay, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Monash University
° Liz Jackson, Presenter, Media Watch
° Justin Quill, Senior Associate, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
° Russell Robinson, Investigative Reporter, Herald Sun

Defamation: Using & Abusing the Law
° Roy Baker, Project Director, National Defamation Research Project, CLC
° Andrew Rule, Senior Reporter, The Age
° Lesley Power, Corporate Counsel, SBS
° John Silvester, Journalist, The Age

Handling Sensitive Information: Access Freedom of Information & Suppression Orders
° Veronica Byrne, Senior Associate, Minter Ellison
° Michael McKinnon, FOI Editor, The Australian
° Matthew Ricketson, Journalism Discipline Leader, RMIT

To register please use the News Media & the Law Conference Flyer available at http://www.comslaw.org.au/events/NewsMediaLawConference.pdf