Over 500,000 people signed Kevin Rudd’s petition seeking a Royal Commission into media ownership, and the Senate inquiry is only the first step.

Days after Kevin Rudd’s petition seeking a royal commission into media ownership was tabled in parliament, the federal Senate has announced it will conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into news media ownership in Australia, including inherent political bias present in news reporting, and the effect that it has on our democracy.

A motion from the Greens and supported by Labor and some cross-benchers, seeks to investigate “the state of media diversity, independence and reliability in Australia and the impact that this has on public interest journalism and democracy”.

The report is due by 31 March 2021.

While not having the same potency and implications of a royal commission, it’s a step in the right direction in the debate on media and journalistic independence.

Over 500,000 people signed Kevin Rudd’s petition seeking a royal commission into Media Ownership, making it the largest e-petition ever on the Australian parliament’s website,

Source:
The New Daily
Australian Government

Image via The Guardian.

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