18 October 2017
Mr Patrick Wright
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Dear Mr Wright
FOI REQUEST – REFERENCE NUMBER 2017-030
I refer to your request for access to documents under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI
Act) in your email of 5 September 2017. In our subsequent correspondence, the scope of your
request was refined to access to the fol owing documents:
“1. Copies of all directions and editorial guidance, provided by staff responsible for
editorial or managerial oversight of coverage, to journalists or other key staff covering
marriage equality/same sex marriage:
a) in relation to marriage equality/same sex marriage coverage , from 1 January 2016
to 5 September 2017
b) in relation to coverage of the marriage equality plebiscite.
2. All documents containing directions to ABC staff to refer to ‘same sex marriage’ rather
than ‘marriage equality’, and all documents containing information about the reasons why
staff should do so.”
If I have misunderstood your request in any way, please let me know.
I confirm that the 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the day after
the scope of your application was clarified, being 18 October 2017.
Subject to any suspension of the processing period or extension of the time for deciding this
application, the ABC is required to make a determination in relation to this application by
16 November 2017. Please note that processing charges may be imposed and that consultation with
third parties may be required. If it is necessary to seek agreement to pay charges or to consult with
third parties, additional processing time is provided under the FOI Act. You will be advised of any
charges as well as any need to consult third parties in relation to your request.
Please note that the ABC is required by the FOI Act to publish decisions and accessed information on
its website within 10 working days after the release of the documents to the FOI applicant.
You should also be aware that by making an FOI request, you may be providing personal information
to the ABC. The ABC will manage any such information in accordance with the ABC’s Privacy Policy.
Details of that policy are available on the ABC’s website:
http://about.abc.net.au/abc-privacy-policy/.
Please note that personal information (such as your name) may be disclosed in the course of
processing this request, for instance for the purposes of consultation or internal reporting.
We wil consider your request and provide you with a decision as soon as practicable.
Yours sincerely
Juliana Walsh
Corporate Compliance Coordinator
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