Surely therefore its illegal to obtain this information by deception let alone to broadcast it to the world. You’d think the DJ’s would understand that?

I mentioned on ABC the other morning that those of us with long memories might remember another great moment in Australian media involving a hospital and a seriously ill woman, this one in 1969.

A newspaper photographer disguised himself as a doctor to photograph the then-comatose Marianne Faithfull in a Sydney hospital after she’d attempted suicide. The pic ran on the front page of a Murdoch paper (big surprise) and temporarily generated heat re ethics but not for long.

This was just before my time in newspapers, but I do remember when there WERE industry codes of ethics - AJA (now MEAAA) members were meant to adhere to them but rarely did. Union management also seemed to find it funny when myself and a group of other members raised the issue of the industry’s continual slide in the public’s viewpoint (we rated above politicians but below used car salesmen!)

Now journalists and “entertainers” (which is how John Laws defined himself during the cash for comment scandal) are lumped together in the same union, and calls go out(again)for enforceable codes of ethics and a press council with teeth. Am not holding my breath.

Methinks the pigs that might fly will be sharing the air(waves) with flocks of chickens coming home to roost!

Jodi Adams

At some point it should have been obvious to anyone that at the very least the livelihoods of these two nurses were on the line. It is not outside realms of imagining that that alone could and would lead to harm.

Even before the tragic suicide this vapid pair showed callous disregard for the welfare of all involved.

In the ACA interview, Tracy Grimshaw could have gone harder at the interviewees but didn’t, she showed restraint for the right reasons.
I feel the interview was successful, in that it shifted the public’s focus to relevant decision makers higher up the food chain.
The use of two human shields while in damage control was futile and serves to exemplify more unethical characteristics exhibited by the stations management team.

Is there exceptions e.g if you try a number of times but fail its ok?

What other possible legal arguments are there for airing the tape?

Despite Gillard’s recent grovelling to Charles, they have no place in the modern independent nation that Australia ought to be.

And, as Moir pointed out in today’s SMH cartoon, the British media jackals are rather poorly placed to be criticising their counterparts in the Australian colonies.

Remember kids overboard when he argued with Chris Barrie that they should not allow the 438 AFghans and others to be rescued?

He is still Max the Axe as far as I can see, no remorse, no brains, no skill.