Research at Bond

Current Research Projects

Freedom of the Press Versus Privacy

The Australian Press Council has awarded its very first research grant to Bond’s Head of Journalism, Professor Mark Pearson. The $5000 grant, supplemented by Faculty funding, has been allocated towards research into the impact of privacy laws on press freedom both here in Australia and overseas.

As a result of the pilot study, Professor Pearson has developed the ‘Privacy Mandala’, a comprehensive checklist designed to be used in newsrooms when editors and journalists are required to make privacy decisions.

“In developing this filter, we looked at the key privacy elements written into various industry codes of practice, as well as major court decisions relating to privacy issues,” said Professor Pearson.

“Bringing all of these codes together, we were then able to identify four main factors that need to be considered when weighing up a privacy decision; namely the nature of private material, the means of intrusion, the fame of the individual and the damage caused.

“Using the Mandala system in the decision-making process, all of these considerations are then weighed up against the crucial counterpoint of public interest.”

This stream-lined, easy-to-use newsroom tool follows on from the Australian Journalists’ Defamation Checklist, developed by Professor Pearson with the help of student Everett Sizemore through the Centre for New Media Research and Education.

Offered as an online resource, it has been widely used by journalists Australia-wide since its launch in 2005 and is currently being updated in line with new defamation laws passed in January 2006.

Professor Pearson is also working on a National Crime Reporting Database, supported by HERDC funding, which will give journalists online access to all of the relevant laws applying in each Australian state.

“Laws relating to the reporting of crimes and criminal trials vary from state to state,” he said.

“It is a highly complex area with hefty fines and even jail sentences handed out to journalists and their employers who infringe the guidelines relating to juvenile crimes, sexual offences, sub judice contempt and more.

“The National Crime Reporting Database will give media bodies easy and accurate access to the specific state laws relevant to the news item in question.”

Key Project Team Members

  • Professor Mark Pearson - Bond University

Funding Sources

Contact:

Professor Mark Pearson

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
BOND UNIVERSITY QLD 4229
AUSTRALIA

Phone: +61 7 5595 2516
Email: mpearson@staff.bond.edu.au