Dear Scott,
I heard about the book banning on my local radio station 2GB here in Sydney.
I believe it is not the content of the book that spoofed Dymocks to pull it off their shelves but the COVER PHOTOS...I heard the cover photo depicted two extremely wealthy young publishers, who together could probably buy Australia...I believe they were Kerry Packer's son James, and Lachlan Murdoch....Dymocks couldn't take the risk of having suit bought against them by these two mega-millionaires. "TRIAL by MEDIA" on the cover with photos of these two guys! The Art Director who designed the cover should know better.
Paul Sydney
Australia.
The Courier-Mail, Saturday 13th February 1999 (reporter Matt Horan):
Hanson book turmoil:
One of Australia's biggest bookstore chains has withdrawn a book about Pauline Hanson's botched federal election campaign from sale for legal reasons.
The book, Murder by Media, was written by Hanson supporter and One Nation "webmaster" Scott Balson.
It had been on sale just one month before it was pulled from the shelves.
Dymocks board member John Millard yesterday said the matter was in the hands of Dymocks' legal advisers.
Mr Balson said he had received no complaints about the book.
The Daily Telegraph, Saturday 13th February 1999 (reporter Matt Horan):
Dymocks withdraws Hanson book
One of Australia's biggest bookstore chains has withdrawn a book about Pauline Hanson's botched federal election campaign from sale for legal reasons.
The book, Murder by Media, was written by Hanson supporter Scott Balson.
It has been on sale for a month.
Dymocks board member John Millard said yesterday the matter was in the hands of Dymocks legal advisers.
A fax from Mr Millard to all Dymocks stores says, "Following legal advice which we have now obtained and for the protection of both Dymocks and all its franchisees, an instruction is now given that any stock be removed from the shelves and no further copies of the book be sold.
He refused to say what the legal problems were.
Mr Balson, who runs Ms Hanson's web pages and has links to the ultra right-wing newspaper The Strategy, published the book himself.
The book is a criticism of the media, focusing especially on Ms Hanson's failed campaign in last year's federal poll.