Codes - other media

Press and other news media

The Journalists’ Code of Ethics governs those journalists who are members of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA).

Publications

Publications can include novels, magazines and comics. There are three categories of publications that are required to be classified:

• Restricted R1 (18+)
• Restricted R2 (18+)
• Refused Classification.

If a publication is likely to fall into any of these categories, they are subject to the provisions of the Guidelines for the Classification of Publications. Otherwise they do not require to be classified.

Not all states and territories permit the sale of Restricted category publications. In those states that do, publications that have been classified Restricted Cat 1 or Cat 2 have conditions placed on their display and point of sale, under each individual state’s Classification Acts.

Telecommunications - premium services

Telecommunications - Premium services refers to any Australian telecommunication service with the prefix 190. These can relate to telephone, fax, SMS (short message service), and the Internet (in the form of dialers).

The Code of Practice for premium services (i.e. phone numbers with the prefix 190) comprises rules relating to the supply of premium rate telephone information services. Compliance with the Code is required through the service agreement between each service provider and a carriage service provider. Service providers of premium-rate 190 numbers must abide by the Code of Practice, which is developed by the Telephone Information Services Standards Council (TISSC).

Outdoor advertising

The Outdoor Media Association (OMA) has therefore developed a Code of Ethics to which all members must adhere. The Code of Ethics is a set of voluntary principles that defines the industry’s standards for doing business with advertisers and regulators, and its responsibilities towards the community and the environment. They supplement the obligations that members already are required to comply with under existing law, including federal and state law.

Commercial radio

The ACMA has registered a new commercial radio code of practice that contains safeguards for participants in live hosted entertainment radio programs. The code was developed by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) in response to the ACMA’s 2009 investigation into the adequacy of the protection for such programs participants at that time. The new code prohibits the broadcast of programs which treat participants in a highly demeaning or highly exploitative manner - are broadly in line with the protections for reality television participants in the commercial television code of practice.

The commercial radio codes of practice are available on the Commercial Radio Australia website.