11 July 2009
2009 Adelaide Festival of Ideas
8.00–10.00 pm
Free Spin: controlling the Message and the Limits of Free Speech
Panellists: Natasha Stott Despoja, Fred Chaney, George Megalogenis, MC Mehta, Zainah Anwar
Freedom of information laws are in place at state and federal level in Australia, yet all we seem to get is spin. Governments in continuous campaign mode relentlessly massage the message and journalists chase the daily grab rather than getting to grips with substance. Our libel laws remain among the most restrictive in the world, yet at the same time we get tangled up in acrimonious debates about censorship and freedom of expression. Is our speech free enough? Are we too timid and polite? Or would a free speech free-for-all create more losers than winners?
Visit the 2009 Adelaide Festival of Ideas website for more information.
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