Business of Media
Porter drops defamation case against ABC
Christian Porter has backed down from his court battle with the ABC, dropping defamation proceedings against the public broadcaster and journalist Louise Milligan less than three months after launching the action, reports the AFR’s Max Mason.
Despite the settlement, a fresh battle has emerged between the two sides, with disputes over the events leading up to Monday and the details of the agreement, while Labor has called for an independent inquiry into the allegations made against Porter.
Porter launched defamation proceedings against the ABC and Milligan on March 15 over an online story from February 26, which he said implied he “brutally raped a 16-year-old girl in 1988” and that it “contributed to her taking her own life”. Porter vehemently denies the allegations.
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ABC statements following settlement of Christian Porter litigation action
The ABC released this statement yesterday and then followed it up later in the day:
Christian Porter has decided to discontinue his defamation action against the ABC and Louise Milligan.
All parties have agreed to not pursue the matter any further. No damages will be paid.
The only costs that the ABC will be paying are the mediation costs.
The ABC stands by the importance of the article, which reported on matters of significant public interest, and the article remains online. It has been updated with this Editor’s Note:
On 26 February 2021, the ABC published an article by Louise Milligan. That article was about a letter to the Prime Minister containing allegations against a senior cabinet minister. Although he was not named, the article was about the Attorney-General Christian Porter.
The ABC did not intend to suggest that Mr Porter had committed the criminal offences alleged. The ABC did not contend that the serious accusations could be substantiated to the applicable legal standard – criminal or civil. However, both parties accept that some readers misinterpreted the article as an accusation of guilt against Mr Porter. That reading, which was not intended by the ABC, is regretted.
The ABC stands by our investigative and public interest journalism, which is always pursued in the interests of the Australian community.
The ABC stands by Louise Milligan, one of Australia’s foremost and most awarded investigative journalists, and all our journalists in their independent and brave reporting on matters about which Australians have a right to be informed.
A second statement followed later on Monday:
ABC response to statements made today by Christian Porter
The ABC has not said that it regrets the article. As we have stated, the ABC stands by the importance of the article, which reported on matters of significant public interest. The Editor’s Note says: “(B)oth parties accept that some readers misinterpreted the article as an accusation of guilt against Mr Porter. That reading, which was not intended by the ABC, is regretted.
The ABC has never and still does not accept that the article suggested guilt on the part of Mr Porter. The ABC did not plead a truth defence to the “guilt” meaning that Mr Porter alleged in his statement of claim.
Four Corners EP Sally Neighbour did not “lie” when she tweeted that “‘No money was paid”. Ms Neighbour meant that no money was paid to Mr Porter, which is correct. Ms Neighbour quickly clarified her tweet to say that “No damages were paid”.
[Read the complete statement here]
News Brands
ABC warns reporters against saying Christian Porter lost
The ABC has warned its journalists not to suggest Christian Porter “lost” his high-stakes defamation case over historical rape allegations, after the former attorney-general dropped his legal pursuit of the public broadcaster and its reporter Louise Milligan, reports News Corp’s Nicola Berkovic and Richard Ferguson.
Porter, now Industry Minister, said he would recontest his seat at the next election and remain in cabinet after the ABC agreed to include a statement that noted the broadcaster “did not contend that the serious accusations could be substantiated” to either a criminal or civil standard.
Porter — who launched the lawsuit in March, claiming the broadcaster had published false allegations and was motivated by malice — said it was a “humiliating backdown for the ABC, no matter what way they want to spin in”.
ABC embroiled in row over compulsory iview logins
The ABC will not force Australians to hand over their personal information to access its radio app, despite making it compulsory for “ iview” users who want to use its TV streaming services, reports News Corp’s Sophie Elsworth.
The public broadcaster has finally revealed that users of its ABC Listen app will not need to set up a login to listen to their radio services from July.
The decision comes as the ABC is being asked to review its decision to make logins compulsory for iview services.
Media Watch blocked from 7:30 tapes
Media Watch last night weighed in, of sorts, on the Craig McLachlan interview given to Seven’s Spotlight, reports TV Tonight.
It followed fiery tweets between producer Mark Llewellyn and ABC reporter Lorna Knowles on whether 7:30 interview subjects had been ‘coached’ by ABC.
Despite being independent of ABC News (Media Watch falls under Entertainment & Specialist), the show was unable to access original 7:30 interviews to draw conclusion.
Host Paul Barry told viewers, “….without having the full tapes it is impossible to say.”
Radio
Ray Hadley to lose thousands of regional listeners from 2GB radio show
Radio king Ray Hadley is set to shed tens of thousands of listeners after Southern Cross Austereo announced it was dropping his program from some regional markets, reports News Corp’s Mitchell Van Homrigh.
It comes months after SCA launched a digital breakfast show with former 2GB host Steve Price.
The program airs between 7-10am daily and Price hosts alongside Natarsha Belling.
Hadley has broadcasted with 2GB for 20 years and in that time championed NSW’s local regions.
Television
Sunrise host David Koch fires up over covid vaccine during interview with Qantas boss Alan Joyce
Sunrise host David Koch has fired up in an interview with Qantas boss Alan Joyce about Australia’s vaccine rollout, reports News Corp’s Anthony Piovesan.
The presenter hit out at Joyce’s commentary that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout “was not a race”, slamming it as “bulldust”.
“Nat (Natalie Barr) took on the Health Minister on Friday magnificently, and then even over the weekend, Michael McCormack, Dan Tehan the Trade Minister, all speaking this is not a race, bulldust, it is a race, isn’t it?” Koch said on Monday morning.
Joyce responded, saying Qantas had a “vested interest” in the country’s vaccine rollout.
Claims from Greg Hunt that aged care facilities are being vaccinated rejected on The Project
Health Minister Greg Hunt’s claim that 100 per cent of aged care residents have been vaccinated appears to be in tatters after one woman said her grandmother’s facility has not even administered the first jab, reports News Corp’s Bianca Mastroianni, Finn McHugh and, Anthony Piovesan.
Hunt initially said that 100 per cent of Victorian residential aged care facilities have been vaccinated, however, he later backtracked, saying a “lack of uptake was down to residents refusing the jab.”
Now, in a startling new interview with The Project, Kate Howard says her family has been desperate for her 95-year-old grandmother to be vaccinated for months and that no one in the aged-care facility where she lives has even received the first dose of the vaccine.
Why do networks not want local quotas on streaming?
Producers have long been calling for local quotas on streaming services, but it’s not a position that lobby group Free TV Australia agrees with, reports TV Tonight.
In its response to the Government’s Media Reform Green Paper, Free TV Australia claimed such investment obligations would increase pressure on already scarce production facilities, cast and crew, which in turn could lead to production cost increases.
It also argued such quotas could lead to more ‘globalised’ content, rather than telling local Australian stories, and could act as a disincentive to co-productions with broadcasters.
Former MasterChef judges are reuniting for special charity event
Australia’s former MasterChef judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston have announced on Instagram that they are reuniting for a new venture, and this time it’s for a very important cause, reports News Corp’s Merryn Johns.
The trio have announced “We need your help” as they make a surprising comeback for a live 12 hour cookathon to raise funds for India during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Crown will feature storyline about how Martin Bashir secured Diana interview
The next season of The Crown will feature episodes about BBC journalist Martin Bashir’s “grooming” of Diana, Princess of Wales, reports News Corp’s Poppy Taylor.
The acclaimed television show will document the “deceitful” way Bashir secured the now infamous 1995 Panorama interview.
The UK’s Daily Telegraph claimed the fifth season of the award-winning show will feature Bashir and how the Princess was drawn into taking part in the interview, despite Prince William’s recent calls for the Panorama interview to “never be aired again”.