Journoz: Updates for Australian Journalists

It's today (and tomorrow)

The PUBLIC RIGHT TO SECURITY Vs PUBLIC RIGHT TO KNOW Media Conference opens tonight, 6pm, at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), 702 Harris St, Ultimo.

Expect hard questions about the media's coverage of the Iraq war when journalists, academics, students, and media observers gather this weekend at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) for the 2004 Public Right To Know conference.

The Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ) hosts this annual event. It opens on Friday night, August 20, with Media Watch presenter David Marr and UTS associate professor Wendy Bacon as key speakers. They join international guests Dr Ilan Pape from the University of Haifa and Kathleen Burns from George Mason University in Washington to discuss whether the Australian and international media failed to adequately cover the war in Iraq.

"We are particularly interested in whether the media has failed to be sufficiently critical in assessing intelligence and government assertions about the nature and causes of the threats in the 'war on terror'," says ACIJ director and conference chair, Chris Nash.

"This is relevant in light of the performance of intelligence agencies in the US, UK and Australia. While the question of political doctoring of the more-or-less adequate intelligence advice has been addressed, the adequacy of the media in reporting a lot of the intelligence and political spin has not been probed," Nash says.

Over a dozen presentations will address the conference themes during the weekend event. These include How to Make Defamation Backfire, Photography, Censorship and Public Policy, and No Time for Silence: the deceit behind the legislative silencing of Australian citizens in the name of national security.

Conference presenters include Professor Liz Jacka from the University of Technology, Sydney; Jack Herman from the Australian Press Council; professor Mark Pearson from Bond University; Truda Gray and Associate Professor Brian Martin from the University of Wollongong; Genevieve Rankin from the University of Western Sydney and the Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre; and Dave Sweeney from the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The opening night session starts at 6pm on Friday August 20 with welcome drinks in the Guthrie Lecture Theatre at UTS, followed by presentations from 7pm. The Guthrie Theatre is located on Level 3, 702 - 730 Harris St, Ultimo, next to ABC Sydney.

Full conference details are online at www.acij.uts.edu.au. Registration is free.

CONTACT: Dominic O'Grady. Phone: 02 9514 2295. Posted by belinda at August 20, 2004 11:06 AM

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