Example: secret recording of interaction with a practitioner
A situation might arise as part of a request to provide medicine or even within the context of what looks like a genuine request for a consultation, where a practitioner may be subjected to secret audio-taping and/or filming.
If this is done by a member of the media and the practitioner then comes to know that the recording has been used in a media program, this is a violation of the Journalist code of ethics.
The practitioner has recourse to lodging a complaint.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA):
The first step in making a complaint about material broadcast on commercial television, commercial radio, the ABC or SBS is to write directly to the broadcaster concerned. Similarly, a complaint about material broadcast on social media should first be brought to the platform where the content was published.
So, first you would need to write a complaint to the broadcaster. They usually will require a complaint to be submitted within 30 days of the offending broadcast. Find out the details of the broadcaster’s complaints officer and inform yourself how a complaint should be supplied, i.e. via post or email, etc.
A complaint should include the following information:
- The date, time and location of the broadcast
- The name of the program
- Reason for your concern
- Your name and address
- Any other information the broadcaster specifies as required
Further steps:
If no answer to the complaint is received within 30 days or the entrapped practitioner is unhappy with the response provided, the matter can be referred to the ACMA, https://www.acma.gov.au/.
Regarding social media, a complaint can also be made to the eSafety Commissioner: https://www.esafety.gov.au/.