Playing symons page 3 The OZ 18/12 pdf file

http://resources.news.com.au/files/2012/12/17/1226538/641407-121218-simons.pdf



PLAYING SIMONS SAYS
SimonS
wrote in
may 2010
“The
Victorian
government
has
intervened on the side of the
Office of Police Integrity in
its high-stakes battle to be
allowed to publish a report
critical of The Australian
newspaper and reporter
Cameron Stewart.
Meanwhile, documents now
available on the Federal
Court file show that Stewart
told the News Limited legal
team last March that
publication of the OPI report
would be likely to cause him
reputational loss.’’


REALITY
The draft oPi report was not
critical of Stewart and Federal
Court documents do not state
that the publication of the oPi
report would be likely to cause
him reputational loss.
Simons routinely implied in
her stories between April
and June 2010 that Stewart
had breached the MEAA
code of ethics in relation to
confidential sources. She
continued to do so after
MEAA head Chris Warren
told her in June 2010 it was
not true. She also claimed
that The Australian had
sought to suppress a draft
report written by the OPI
because it was critical of
Stewart’s conduct.
reality
the oPi report was not critical
of Stewart and therefore this
was not a factor in the
suppression order. in
november last year, meaa
released a statement saying:
“Stewart contacted the media
alliance to seek advice about
those aspects of his situation.
the media alliance believes
that Stewart’s actions have at
all times been consistent with
his obligations under the code”