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Media and government should stop using terrorist ‘brand names’ like ISIS says CPA boss

A prominent commentator has said the media and government should stop using the “brand names” of terror groups like ISIS and think carefully about the way the debate is framed to avoid “giving them life”.

Panel (l-r): Yalda Hakim, BBC World News presenter and correspondent; Tim Costello, CEO World Vision Australia; Richard Goyder MD Wesfarmers; Alex Malley, CEO CPA; Robert Milliner, the B20 Sherpa.

Panel (l-r): Yalda Hakim, BBC World News presenter and correspondent; Tim Costello, CEO World Vision Australia; Richard Goyder MD Wesfarmers; Alex Malley, CEO CPA; Robert Milliner, the B20 Sherpa.

Speaking at a BBC Worldwide CEO debate in Sydney last night called Australia: People, Place, Power, Alex Malley, the CEO of CPA Australia, called on government and the media to think carefully about the way they are talking about the groups.

Following remarks about the Islamic State terror group (ISIS) Malley said: “We all live in a brand society, all of us will know it, and we should not be talking about any terrorism activities under a brand name, it’s a mistake.

“It gives them purpose, and we should be talking about terrorism and keep it as a general principle. The minute we give a brand name to an item it creates a certain behaviour and people will flow under the brand, and all of a sudden we’ve given them life. 

“I think it’s a really important issue, and there are entities out there called that (ISIS) who’ve absolutely had to disappear off the horizon and change their name. This is something we should talk about because it’s almost the anti-Christ of what we do in branding and business, and we’ve got to talk about the media and business and government being far more sensible about defining things, they don’t air certain behaviours on television, we don’t promote gutless and awful acts and nationally air them, and we agree we are going to deal with these things without brands.”

When challenged by moderator, BBC World News presenter Yalda Hakim, on the fact many muslims reject the name Islamic state because it does not represent them, he added: “It’s a fine point and if we don’t address it we’re almost encouraging the next brand name to come out.”

Malley was joined on the panel by Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder, CEO of World Vision Tim Costello, and Robert Milliner, Australia’s Sherpa to the B20.

During the discussion Malley also questioned the current arrangements around tax, saying while he agreed multinational corporations like Google and Facebook, which famously minimise their local tax bills by using off-shore billing methods, should be paying their fair share, the government needs to look at the way in which it administers it. He challenged the government to “take the moral high ground”.

The panel also agreed there was too much red tape currently in place around business administration which was hampering small and medium businesses by piling on extra administrative costs to them.

The event at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney was being held to celebrate the launch of the BBC’s new Australian news website which went live this week.

Alex Hayes

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