The Racial Hatred Act: Case study 3

Listen

Introduction:

media response to Pauline Hanson's maiden speech to Parliament

excerpts from Pauline
Hanson's maiden speech

Reports/Comment:

ABC Radio National's Media Report poses the question: 'Is Pauline Hanson a simple fish-and-chip
shop lady or a savvy media performer?' The Media Report's Agnes Warren
comments

Ray Martin's back announce on
A Current Affair after Pauline Hanson declined the show's interview invitation

ACA Producer, David Hurley,
explains why the program declared its hand on the issue

ABC TV's Acting Sydney Network News Editor, John
Mulhall, explains the editorial decision not to cover the Hanson speech.

Reader criticisms of bias in The Sydney Morning Herald's Letters to the Editor

Please note that none of the reports in the case studies have been the
subject of complaints or queries under the Racial Hatred Act.

A Current Affair invited Pauline Hanson to a live studio interview with
Ray Martin the day after her speech. It was one in a succession of interview
invitations the show had extended to Mrs Hanson - none of which she accepted
- since she first came to national prominence during the federal election.
After lengthy deliberations between the show's producer, David Hurley and
her advisers, including media adviser John Pasquarelli, she declined. She
gave as her reason, Martin's involvement in the Council for Aboriginal
Reconciliation.

Ray Martin delivered back-announce after a taped story on Pauline
Hanson's maiden speech to Parliament, A Current Affair, 11 September 1996

Pauline Hanson has black banned me... no pun intended. She won't talk
to me because she believes I'm sympathetic towards the plight of Aboriginal
people. Well, I must confess I am.

Unlike Mrs Hanson, I believe they are the most disadvantaged Australians.
I have no problem with Asian Australians either.

Mrs Hanson is, of course, entitled to state her views. I think she's
ill-informed. Her so-called solutions are simplistic and I disagree with
much of what she says. But I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss those
differences with her.

Of the more than fifty calls received by Channel
9 following Ray Martin's editorialising about Hanson's rejection of his
interview invitation, most were critical of Martin's stance, alleging bias
and lack of professionalism.

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