ALLIANCE QUERY QLD JOURNO SHOOTING

Date: 24 October 2002

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance has today written to the Premier of Queensland calling on his government to fully investigate the overnight shooting attack on the home of Brisbane journalist Hedley Thomas.

According to reports, Thomas was at home with his wife and children at the time of the attack around 11pm AEST when four shots were fired into his house.

The Alliance is concerned the attack is part of a wider trend of intolerance towards the media in Australia.

Other recent attacks on the media and journalists in Australia include the recent bashing of a SBS News crew in Sydney's South West.

This is in addition to the restrictions placed on journalists at the Woomera detention centre in South Australia early this year and legal attempts by the NRMA to force journalists to reveal their sources.

"The attack on Hedley Thomas is the latest in a series of intolerant acts towards Australian journalists so far this year," Alliance Federal Secretary, Mr Christopher Warren, said today.

"Unfortunately, with the SBS incident and last night's shooting, these attacks are becoming more and more violent.

"These sort of attacks have in the past been more common in developing countries, where democracy is shaky.

"We must do all we can to ensure that violent attacks against the media do not become the norm for those disgruntled by news reporting in Australia.

"Australia's governments must accept a responsibility for ensuring Australia offers a climate of tolerance toward the media and its right to report," Warren said today.

The Alliance has alerted the international community of this attack though the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) network.

For further comment, contact Federal Secretary, Christopher Warren, at the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance on 02 9333 0999 or 0411 757 668 or Alliance Queensland Branch Secretary David Waters on 0411 757 669.

For further information

Contact:	Christopher Warren
Union:	MEAA
Phone:	02 9333 0999
Contact Mobile:	0411 757 668
Fax:	02 9333 0933
Email:	federal@alliance.org.au
WWW:	http://www.alliance.org.au

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