Does ACMA work? A case study

ACMA has been criticised in the past for having too many responsibilities and not being hard enough on those organisations and individuals who breach the regualtions.

What do you think? Here’s recent case – the 2DayFM ‘Royal prank’

In December 2012, two presenters at 2DayFM’s Summer 30 program made a prank telephone call to nurses at King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge was was being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum.

The hosts, Mel Greig and Mike Christian, obtained information about The Duchess of Cambridge's health by impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales in a phone call answered at the reception by nurse Jacintha Saldanha. Saldanha transferred the call to the nurse treating the Duchess, who gave details of her condition.

The stunt was cleared by 2Day FM lawyers prior to airing. Station officials tried to contact the nurses at least five times prior to broadcasting the stunt. Despite consent not being obtained, the call went to air. Some days later, the nurse at the centre of the prank committed suicide.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority found the station had breached two clauses of the Commercial Radio Codes of Practice and committed a criminal offence under the Surveillance Devices Act.

ACMA imposed tougher licence conditions on 2DayFM and will force the broadcaster to air a special three-hour program to raise awareness about mental illness and promote "media ethics" in the wake of the infamous "royal prank" call.

You can find the details of the full investigation here: http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/Newsroom/Newsroom/Media-releases/2dayfm-royal-prank-broadcast

This is an example of how ACMA can come down hard on a media organisation. However, then there is this:

http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3778598.htm

Very different outcomes - so you might think this is not a very strict way of doing things.

But you must remember that overarching these codes of practice is of course, legislation; the laws that journalists and media authorities must adhere to.