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Sacked Nine reporter seeking legal advice

"I believe what happened today is completely unfair. And I am seeking advice on the matter," Cameron Price tweets.

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Journalists at the centre of the “Chopper Gate” fiasco are now considering legal action.

Reporter Cameron Price tweeted last night: “Thanks for all the support. I believe what happened today is completely unfair. And I am seeking advice on the matter.”

His byline beside his Twitter handle read: “Walkey and Clarion nominated Journo. With a clear conscience.”

Price had been with the network since 2008.

Melissa Mallet tweeted: “Will miss the team dearly. Thank you for the support, a very difficult day to fathom.”

Mallet, who had been with Nine News Brisbane since 2009 and won a Queensland Media Award, told the Courier Mail: “I am going to miss that job. I absolutely, absolutely loved it.

“I am just shattered, absolutely shattered.

“We were just trying to do what we do, and bring what was such a tragic story for people.”

The third dismissal was News Producer Aaron Wakely.

QTQ Director of News Lee Anderson, who was away at the time of the two chopper crosses, is understood to have resigned in protest.

Lawyer John Laxon is believed to be making represention in an unfair dismissal case. He has previously represented John Laws, Tracy Spicer, Christine Spiteri and former WIN boss David Butorac in media cases.

Nine bosses in Sydney were incensed by the misrepresentation to viewers. There are suggestions that Director of News and Current Affairs, Mark Calvert flew to Brisbane to wield the axe.

But unlike the young reporters, Calvert has made no comment via his Twitter account. Several profile Nine news and current affairs faces, who are often prolific on Twitter, have also avoided the subject despite it being a trending topic last night.

26 Responses

  4. As a former Nine Melbourne employee, I can think of quite a few incidents that are worse than this, and that were sanctioned by the blokes at the top, such hypocrites.

  5. @Craig N
    You can’t be serious? You honestly think that because “Its just what they do” it’s ok? And that it’s not wrong or misleading?!
    “The problem” is that it casts doubt on every single thing we see on the News from now on. Trust nothing, trust no-one.
    If as a ‘news gatherer’ you really believe that this issue is “a load of crap” with no implications for other ethical issues, then the battle is lost and our media has already lost its soul.

  6. I don’t see what the problem is here.
    People are saying its wrong and misleading.
    What a load of crap. Half the stand ups Journos do aren’t at the location they’re talking about. I was a cameraman for News and Its just what they do.
    Who cares, It doesn’t change the facts of the stories they are covering.

  7. “With a clear conscience.” – well if that’s your journalistic thinking mate then there’s no room for you in news reporting.
    If you weren’t there then what were you reporting? What you pinched from other news sources?
    If you were “just following orders” then you should have had the guts to say “no”. You would have had FWA, AJA etc. supporting you in any repercussions.
    Whose brilliant ideas was it to fake it twice?

  9. “I believe what happened today is completely unfair. And I am seeking advice on the matter”
    If Cameron Price drags this through the courts all the grubby details of what happened will come out (nines just going to say he did this, this and this, etc). He may never be hired in television media again.

  13. “Clear conscience” LOL. Cameron, you’re a disgrace to journalism. Maybe you should think about being a car salesman instead. He’s right though, it is completely unfair, unfair to the viewers he deceived.

  15. well boo hoo journo…let their involvement out…. if they were told to do it by the producer…or if it was their idea….. or whatever other reason then suck it up. You just cant do what they did, i know alot of people will say that it wasnt a big deal….but “from little lies big lies grow” so if its done here…where else will we be told something and be 100% they are being true… ACA and Today tonight are tabloid…news must look at the facts…or am i completely wrong here??? do they have a code to report and give a balanced accurate story? happy if im wrong

  16. Re them saying they can’t fathom this? News reporting is supposed to be accurate and credible. Not ‘lets pretend’. Otherwise no one will believe what they see or hear on tv.

  17. The question is, are these two just fall guys for company cost-cutting?

    Young reporters probably don’t feel like they have the ability to go up against non-ethical requests from management.

  18. What a bunch of over rated tossers who are far too obsessed with their own self importance. As with NofW the damage is done, the credibility has gone and the brand is dead.

  20. You count the amount of lies that TV stations make day in and day out and you’ll be counting for a very long time. The two reporters are the sacrificial lambs.

  23. I knew this would not end, Nine was probably hoping it would pass quickly and be forgotten by next week, not gonna happen now!

    In the same week we had Paul Lockyer die in a chopper crash Nine pulls a stunt like this in the name of news, this is the reason I avoid 9 & 7 evening news now.

  24. This story isn’t over. Whilst I really do feel sorry for Melissa and Cameron, I don’t feel Nine had any other choice. I do however feel more were involved and should have also recieved the sack.

  25. “We were just trying to do what we do, and bring what was such a tragic story for people.”

    No Melissa, you faked a live cross to a news story, and that is what is unfathomable. You, and Cameron Price, got what you deserved.

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