"Journalists could go to jail for doing their jobs"

Legislation introduced to the house by former Attorney-General George Brandis is the subject of a parliamentary submission by Australian media organisations and businesses


14 media organisations including Fairfax, News Corp and the ABC have criticised proposed changes to national security legislation in a submission to a parliamentary joint committee on intelligency and security.

The legislation, introduced by then Attorney-General George Brandis in December, would make sweeping amendments affecting journalists' capacity to receive and publish information being passed on by public officials.

"The proposed legislation criminalises all steps of news reporting, from gathering and researching of information to publication/communication," the submission reads.

"[It] applies criminal risk to journalists, other editorial staff and support staff that knows of the information that is now an offence to ‘deal’ with, hold and communicate.

Read the full submission here.

Read a Guardian article about the changes here.

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