It seems that the mainstream/controlled media in Melbourne continue to forcibly censor out all reference to Australia’s leading corruption whistleblower and author as well as his books.

Raymond Hoser and his top-selling corruption books have been the subject of a D-notice by Melbourne’s papers for some years with both the Age and Herald-Sun forcibly censoring stories relating to Raymond Hoser and his ground-breaking corruption books.

This hasn’t stopped them from plagiarizing material from his books and internet websites and then claiming it to be the results of their own ‘investigations’.

Here is a brief overview of some of the forcible censorship that has happened in recent times…

• Forcible suppression of any reports on the Police Corruption book, The Hoser Files that was released in June 1995. In September the same year, two Age journalists suddenly started reporting on the same Police corruption that was referred to in the book. Needless to say Raymond Hoser and his book wasn’t given credit.
• In September 1995, a woman, Connie Cassar was bashed by Police and then falsely charged by Police with multiple offences when she walked into a courtroom in which Hoser was facing four trumped up Police charges. Anita Quiqley of the Herald-Sun reported the bashing, but under instructions censored out that the bashing was because of the fact that it was because an independent member of the public had chosen to observe the railroading of an innocent corruption whistleblower.
• In early 1996, Alan Howe and Tom Scotnickie of the Sunday Herald-Sun forcibly censored their journalist Fia Cumming from appearing on the ABC’s Couchman radio show to talk about Raymond Hoser and his corruption books.
• Fia Cumming was later sacked for having published Hoser corruption stories in the early 1990’s and giving Hoser due credit and then her later insistence on reporting more of the same. Through the AJA she sought and got a payout from the paper for an improper termination.
• In 1995 the Herald-Sun and Age management told their journalists NOT to report a single word about the fixed trial of Raymond Hoser in front of a demonstrably corrupt County Court Judge Thomas Neesham (refer to Victoria Police Corruption – 2 for details). This gag order remained even after a University Professor Kim Sawyer and several others attempted to have the matter reported in the public interest. Sawyer and others had letters sent to all major media outlets. As a result of Sawyer’s complaints about the Neesham matter, a Victoria Police ‘Ethical Standards Consultative Committee’ was sacked and disbanded. When it was reformed by the Police in January 2000 (after public pressure to do so), Sawyer was not given a place on the committee.
• In 1996, Victorian newspapers were again gagged from reporting on Hoser’s newest corruption book Smuggled-2. By way of example all the major Sydney papers reported on the book at the time of release in late 1996.
• In 1997-1998 Victorian papers maintained the gag on reporting on Raymond Hoser and The Hoser Files, even though corruption matters first raised within the book were reported in both papers. The Australian had by that stage published a prominent story relating to The Hoser Files and even named the book. The gag at the Herald-Sun and Age remained in place even after non-metropolitan and interstate newspapers gave the book its proper prominence.
• In 1996 in an Australian first Hoser was taken to court three times to be censored off the internet. He won all cases. Neither the Herald-Sun or Age reported the story. Interstate metropolitan dailies and other media did. Likewise for the illegal internet censorship by Victorian MP Victor Perton that immediately followed the court case.
• In January 1996, Steve Harris, then editor of the Herald-Sun said on ABC radio that he would never report on Hoser’s books or their contents, to give them any credibility or currency. His statement was a barefaced lie. When editor and publisher of the Age in 1998-9, his paper stole material from one of Hoser’s books and falsely reported it as coming from another source. They even had the audacity to scan and reprint Hoser’s photos without permission.
• In 1999, the Age newspaper paid Hoser $10,000 damages for plagiarising his material after Hoser took them to the Federal Court for copyright violation.
• On 2 August 1999, Hoser’s books Victoria Police Corruption and Victoria Police Corruption – 2 were officially released (CD’s had been shipped some weeks earlier). They were prominently reported by news media, including a number of front pages, except for Melbourne’s Herald-Sun, the Age and others observing the D-notice against him. Neither paper dared report either book by name.
• The Age was pulled up by a correspondent at the Bendigo Advertiser some weeks later for running a defacto serialisation of the books without citing Hoser as the source.
• Following questions raised arising from the book Victoria Police Corruption, opposition leader Steve Bracks committed his party to a Royal Commission into the ambulance service, during the August/September 1999 State election. After he won government in October (following the Frankston east by-election), neither the Age or the Herald-Sun gave Hoser credit for his role in initiating the inquiry. Several other media sources including the Frankston Standard did correctly credit Hoser’s book as the catalyst for the inquiry.
• In October 1999, Hoser sent a letter to newspaper editors around Australia about corrupt practices at Radio 3AW (contra for comments). No Melbourne papers ran the letter and at least one of them passed the letter on to 3AW to take legal action against Hoser. Notwithstanding this, the letter was widely published, including in the West Australian newspaper and Adnews. 3AW’s legal threats against Hoser didn’t come to anything (at least as of February 2000, when this was written), although they had effectively pushed Hoser to formally complain to the ABA (on 25 October 1999) about 3AW’s corrupt practices, including a deal with Volvo Australia and/or a dealer by 3AW’s Steve Price and other serious matters.
• The allegations by Hoser were confirmed as correct by independent sources. The practices were identified as being improper and the ABA announced a formal inquiry into the matter as a result of the Hoser complaint within weeks.
• The Age and Herald-Sun both wrote that the ABA’s inquiry was the result of an ‘anonymous’ complaint. Both knew that Hoser was the source, but refused to acknowledge the source, because of the D-notice against him and his books. Strangely enough, Steve Price ignored the D-notice and went on air to make a series of false and defamatory statements against Hoser, making sure that his listeners knew that Hoser was the source of the ABA inquiry into 3AW. However Steve Price confirmed Hoser’s original allegations (to the ABA) against him as correct.
• In December 1999, Bruce Mansfield of 3AW interviewed Raymond Hoser on air about taxi matters. Hoser took the opportunity to plug his books Victoria Police Corruption 1 and 2 on air (they were relevant to the questions asked). Mansfield was sacked within days. The excuse given by 3AW management was that Mansfield had taken a free trip without knowledge of 3AW management. Mansfield denied the allegation, stating that 3AW knew about the trip at the time it had been taken. Thus the only other likely reason known for the sudden sacking was the interview with Hoser. Prior to the interview, 3AW had in writing refused to allow Hoser on air to refute defamatory statements by Steve Price.
• In September 1999 Hoser stood as a candidate for the Frankston East by election. Under instructions from management at both papers no journalist was allowed to mention the books Victoria Police Corruption and Victoria Police Corruption 2 by name. Several tried to. The Herald-Sun never did a single story on Hoser standing as a candidate and the Age gave Hoser no more than a few lines as part of a much larger write-up stating merely that he was an independent candidate. By law, both papers had to publish Electoral Commission ads, which named Hoser as a candidate. Journalists with both papers were under instructions not to give Hoser any prominence as a candidate and to only push the two-party line. This was made easier when both major parties nominated a number of stooges to stand as independents in order to split the independent vote. Without exception all these stooge independents directed their preferences back to the major parties, thereby guaranteeing a win by one of the major parties.
• In December 1999, a Fitzroy bookstore Polyester was raided by Police for allegedly stocking illegal books. The alibi used by Police for the raid was that they were carrying contraband books about drugs and other matters. Polyester had been a major outlet for the Hoser corruption books, having sold several boxes. The Age did a large story on the matter on 11 January 2000, page 5 and published a large colour photo of the bookshop owner Paul Elliott standing behind two sets of shelves and their books. While most of the books in the photo are crisp and sharp with their titles being clearly visible, the covers of two prominently positioned books (center-left) are noticeably blurred. While they would not be readable to someone unfamiliar with their covers, it is obvious from the colours of the books, and their texts, positioning of texts and so on, that the two books are copies of Victoria Police Corruption. This was confirmed by a visit to the shop the next day (not that this part was necessary, due to what has already been said).

So when you next read the Age or the Herald-Sun remember that you are probably not getting the full story … that is if you are even getting the story at all.