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Seven to fight action against Sunrise footage

Lawsuit centres around footage of NT community during panel on removal of Indigenous children.

Seven Network will defend against defamation proceedings

The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court, alleges that Sunrise defamed the 15 applicants by playing slightly blurred background footage of them during a controversial panel discussion.

The background footage was originally filmed with consent for a health promotion in Yirrkala – a small Aboriginal community approximately 700km east of Darwin.

However, lawyers for the Yolngu group said their clients “remained readily identifiable” and that the presentation implied they had abused, assaulted or neglected children.

A separate Indigenous group also filed a racial discrimination complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

A Seven spokesman told NITV News: “The proceedings relate to some footage used in the background to the story which was blurred to prevent any person being identified and Seven is able to defend the case on that basis.

“It is unrelated to the ACMA ruling which is being dealt with separately. We can’t comment further as the matter is before the court.”

The segment was also found to have been in breach of the Code of Practice.

One Response

  1. Slightly off topic, but it was reported in the SMH this morning that news media are fighting in the US courts to get the police footage released of the Australian woman shot dead by American police. After we just had Christchurch and the live streaming of that terrorist act, which was rightly condemned, how hypocritical of the media to now want to get access to video of a naked and dying woman.

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