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Security Laws Making Australia a Secretive State, Media Leaders Say

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY - Media organizations say Australia has become a secretive state
   that is actively restricting the press. The leaders of the country's
   major newspapers and broadcasters have made the claims at the first
   public hearing of a parliamentary inquiry investigating Australia's
   security laws and their impact on journalism.

   Australia's media bosses say journalists must be able to do their jobs
   without fear. The inquiry in Sydney was told that reporters who
   published stories based on leaked government documents were being
   treated as though they had received "stolen goods."

   The Australian parliament's powerful intelligence and security
   committee is investigating the impact national security laws have on
   press freedom.

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