Critics of News Limited turn hearings to hate

NEWS Limited's fiercest critics betrayed their continuing fury with and suspicion of the media group during yesterday's hearings.

NEWS Limited's fiercest critics betrayed their continuing fury with and suspicion of the media group by diverting yesterday's hearings into sweeping press regulations towards the issues that triggered the "hate media" campaign two years ago.

Labor Left figure Doug Cameron, his colleague John Murphy and Greens senator Scott Ludlam led the charge against the company at two separate parliamentary hearings into media reforms.

Their questions focused on ownership and privacy, as well as revisiting the 2011 British phone hacking scandal and the so-called "hate media" complaints.

Liberal senator Simon Birmingham dubbed it a case of "vengeance and vendetta", saying the government's push to overhaul press rules was not about "serious public policymaking".

"I think we have seen an obsession across both inquiries where John Murphy in the joint parliamentary inquiry asked about Murdoch family interests at every opportunity he was given," Senator Birmingham said.

But the man driving the reforms, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, shrugged off suggestions on radio yesterday that the overhaul was aimed at News Limited, publisher of The Australian, describing Labor's planned changes as a broader "over-arching reform".

Senator Cameron, however, relished the chance to muscle up to News Limited chief executive Kim Williams. Taking a combative stance, Senator Cameron said: "I find it absolutely breathtaking to be lectured by the Murdoch press about the privacy laws, I really do. I think the hypocrisy is huge in coming here and lecturing the Senate about privacy laws after what the Murdoch press did in the UK."

Later Mr Williams shot back, saying he didn't travel to Canberra to have a "chemically difficult discussion" but to assist the committee to "actually look at the legislation".

Senator Cameron replied: "Oh thanks, all the chemically difficult issues are done in your press."

The Greens were also keen to vent their criticism of News Limited, with Senator Ludlam using the hearing to ask Mr Williams what the attitude of all News Limited papers was towards the Australian Greens.

"Is it the view of the whole News Limited stable that the Australian Greens should be destroyed at the ballot box, or is that just the view of The Australian?" he asked.

Mr Williams said the question misunderstood the nature of media companies and that editors were empowered to determine their own editorial line rather than to simply reflect a corporate position.

"You know that yourself, Senator, because you know that the Hobart Mercury has always had an extremely strong and cordial relationship with Bob Brown, with Christine Milne, and with the policies of the Greens in Tasmania," Mr Williams said.

On September 9, 2010 The Australian editorial responded to an accusation from then Greens leader Bob Brown that the paper was trying to wreck the alliance between the minor party and Labor.

The editorial said: "We wear Senator Brown's criticism with pride. We believe he and his Green colleagues are hypocrites; that they are bad for the nation; and that they should be destroyed at the ballot box."

Media regulation exploded as an issue when the extent of phone-hacking at the now-closed British Sunday The News of the World, owned by News Corporation, which controls News Limited, emerged in mid-2011.

The fall-out from the scandal has hit other British media outlets, with senior figures from the Daily Mirror interviewed last week.

Political figures used the furore to launch attacks on News's Australian titles. Julia Gillard declared in July 2011 the Australian arm of the company had "hard questions" to answer, but has never specified what these might be.

Mr Brown, who had attacked News Limited publications, particularly The Australian, in May that year as the "hate media", demanded an inquiry into media governance.

Senator Conroy was asked by radio host John Laws yesterday about whether the media shake-up was part of a vendetta against News Limited, to which he replied: "Look, not at all."

"There is nothing in these bills that target any company. This is an over-arching reform which had the public interest test - which is about mergers - it applies to all different voices in all different sectors. So there is absolutely nothing to do with News Limited there."

Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes said it was "pretty obvious from the questions I got this morning, and subsequent questions, that they don't like what News Corporation has being doing to them or saying about them".

"My position is News Corporation sometimes says things I really don't like but I will support their right to say it as long as I breathe because that's what freedom of the press is all about."

Additional reporting: David Crowe