CANBERRA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Australian federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said on Thursday the government's new media inquiry will not target News Limited, and rejected Greens calls for the probe to specifically scrutinize the Murdoch's newspapers.
Conroy announced on Wednesday former Federal Court Judge Ray Finkelstein will lead the independent inquiry into the nation's print and online media, in the wake of the phone hacking scandal of Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corporation in Britain.
Greens leader Bob Brown has been bitterly critical of News Ltd. publication, particularly The Australian newspaper, which he brands "the hate media", and urged for an inquiry to look at the concentration of media ownership in Australia.
But Conroy said the inquiry would be conducted very differently to the way proposed by Brown.
"Bob Brown wanted a parliamentary inquiry, he wanted a media inquiry to focus on News Limited, to talk about breaking up News Limited, and we've said 'no' to all of that," Senator Conroy told Channel Nine on Thursday morning, adding that the inquiry into the print and online media would not look at the concentration of media ownership, despite News Ltd. owning 70 percent of Australia' s newspapers.
"To focus on one organization was not the way a government should conduct itself (referring to Senator Brown's running battle with News Limited)."
Brown welcomed the inquiry, saying that it would find other ways to improve the number of voices in the Australian media.
The government will discuss details with Judge Finkelstein later this week.
In response to the inquiry, newspaper publishers have promised they will cooperate with the inquiry, which will not have the power to compel witnesses, but warned against government regulation of the press.
Australian Associated Press (AAP) CEO Bruce Davidson said it was vital the print media remained independent and free from any regulation that would impede its role in a democratic society.
"I trust that this inquiry would rightly reject such a notion, and AAP certainly will be pressing that point in any submission to the inquiry," he said.
John Hartigan, the chairman and chief executive of News Limited, which controls 70 percent of Australia's print media, said the way the inquiry had been set up was "regrettable".
"This inquiry started life as a witch-hunt by the Greens and has morphed into a fairly narrow look at a mixed bag of issues ostensibly focused on print journalism," he said in a statement.
"Any substantive inquiry into the media should cover all media and all media equally, particularly if it intends to investigate the need for a new overarching regulatory system."
Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull also dismissed the inquiry as a "stunt" and an attack on the freedom of the press.
The inquiry will report to the government by February 28, 2012.
Source:Xiong Tong