by Judy, Australia

The Finkelstein Inquiry looked into the culture, practices and ethics of the media and recommended a News Media Council be established to set journalistic standards and handle complaints made by the public when those standards are breached – so where are its teeth?

The general public has the tendency to accept media reports on face value, and most are unaware of what goes on behind the scenes to get the information that is presented to us as news or current affairs.

After reading people’s accounts of what occurred, as well as speaking to people who were present at the Esoteric Medicine presentation at the Lennox Head Community centre on Friday 12^th October, 2012, I now have credible accounts of the means the media used to get their footage. It is abhorrent that a presentation open to the general public, with children present, was raided so mercilessly by David Millikan and his co-workers.Women, planted incognito amongst the general public, stood and started filming everyone once David Millikan, a claimed Uniting Church minister who had been granted permission to address everyone from the stage by Serge Benhayon under the guise of research for a book, changed demeanour and started his tirade of accusations.

An ‘official’ camera crew then tried to barge into the gathering to capture footage of people, who by this stage were reeling in disbelief that such underhand means and force were being used by a mainstream television station.

When selected shots from this event are used by the TV channel behind all this – yes, with a guaranteed sensationalised voice over – there will be absolutely no integrity presented. David Millikan used deceit and manipulation in his pose of ‘exposing a cult’. This is absolutely despicable in a nation that prides itself on its inclusiveness, tolerance and notion of giving everyone a fair go.

In their fervour, what they have overlooked is how their actions have now exposed to many that the media in Australia has sunk to incredible depths, as it has in the UK.

It is time to STOP the lies and abusive methods used by the media in the name of getting the ‘story’.

Finkelstein Inquiry – Media codes of ethics and accountability http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/146994/Report-of-the-Independent-Inquiry-into-the-Media-and-Media-Regulation-web.pdf