However, one of the most blatant and damaging practices has been the use of paid-for fabrications and smears, and their subsequent presentation as credible, across almost every media platform.
Fairfax Media were particularly active in producing this type of material, with a Fairfax journalist, Eamonn Duff, actually collecting the fabrications and presenting them as a book. This continued even after he had admitted in court that he made a payment to the family of the main smear source of his fictional material.
Despite the immense catalogue of evidence proving that this damaging output was totally false, including direct interviews with many of those misrepresented, FremantleMedia and Nine Network sought to derive further revenue from it, by producing a telemovie based upon the fiction.
The damage this would cause to the welfare of Schapelle Corby was incalculable, particularly as her once-only parole application was in process when the project was announced. News of the plans themselves was widely and luridly reported in Indonesia.
Nonetheless, behind the scenes, a huge financial contribution to support the project was already being arranged. The benefactor was to be... the Government of Queensland, courtesy of taxpayer revenue.
DEAD MEN CAN'T SUE
Further information on the above television production, and the taxpayer funding by the Government of Queensland, will be provided in the forthcoming documentary, Dead Men Can't Sue
FREMANTLEMEDIA AND NINE NETWORK
FreemantleMedia & Nine Entertainment Co were notified of the nature of the source material for the planned telemove well in advance of casting and filming. On 1st December 2012, media analyst, D.M. Corbett, wrote to both corporations, and their stockholders, collecting digital read receipts to evidence awareness. Other members of the public took similar initiatives.
As a consequence, there is no doubt at all that these organizations chose to proceed whilst in full possession of the facts, both with respect to the source data, and the implications for Schapelle Corby and her family.
THE SENATE INQUIRY INTO QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT MALVERSATION
On September 30th 2014, the Senate in Canberra voted to establish a federal inquiry into the conduct of the Queensland Government. Unfortunately, directly contradicting its own terms of reference, the committee wilfully excluded consideration of the this clearly documented misuse of public funds.
.