22/02/17 - Journalists to get greater reporting protections on AFP cases

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/16/journalists-to-get-greater-reporting-protections-on-afp-cases

Australian journalists will gain additional protection for reporting on Australian federal police operations that could previously have seen them jailed for up to two years.The protection would permit the reporting of “controlled operations” in certain circumstances where the report would not endanger an officer or prejudice an ongoing operation.In 2014 the government created a new offence that potentially criminalised any disclosure by journalists and whistleblowers about “special intelligence operations.” The law was part of a broader package of national security reforms, and was seen as a direct response to the global revelations about electronic surveillance by the whistleblower Edward Snowden.

O 1 in 5 corporate fraud cases in large US companies from 1996-2004 was detected by employees and brought forward by a whistleblower.
O Whistleblowing is the single most common method of fraud detection.
O The percentage of employees who have observed wrongdoing and decide to report it: 65%.
O 22% of those who reported wrongdoing said they experienced retaliation because of their actions.
O More than $11 billion has come from lawsuits that were filed by whistleblowers under the False Claims Act.
O In 2011, 31% of whistleblowers experienced physical attacks on their property.
O 83%. That’s the amount that retaliation has increased since 2009, yet whistleblowing incidents have only increased by 12% in the same period of time.
O The monetary benefits the EEOC recovered for individuals claiming retaliation went past the $100 million mark for the first time in 2011.
O The total number of whistleblower complaints that were registered with OSHA in 2012: 2,787.

O 1 in 4 whistleblower complaints is typically withdrawn by the person who makes the complaint in the first place.

O There were 592 whistleblower complaints that were settled outside of the formal investigation process with no determination of right or wrong made.
O There were more retaliation complaints made to the EEOC commission in 2012 than racial discrimination or gender discrimination complaints.

O 38.1% of all charges made against employers in 2012 were retaliation related.

I think that protection for journalists should have happened a long time ago or at least after Watergate. Journalists shouldn't be punished for reporting incredibly important injustices. when they are they are just widening the divide particularly between the rich and the poor, the ones who can afford to 'get away with murder' are going to continue to have the power and money. They can control what they want when they want regardless whether it is outside the law or not.