News Ltd to cooperate with media inquiry

Newspaper publishers have promised they will cooperate with the inquiry into secotions of the media.

The ABC reported News Limited is disappointed by the Federal Government's move to set up an inquiry but agreed it will fully participate in the review.

News Limited is owned by Rupert Murdoch whose British publications are currently under parliamentary inquiry in the UK over the phone-hacking scandal.

Fairfax Media has also promised to cooperate but is arguing for less regulation of the industry.

The inquiry comes after accusations of anti-government bias in News Limited publications, however Communications Minister Stephen Conroy insists the inquiry is not targeting News Limited or aimed at protecting politicians, ABC reports.

Senator Conroy has stressed the media inquiry will be independent, saying keeping politicians out of an inquiry into the media is the right thing to do.

Former Federal Court judge Ray Finkelstein will lead the independent inquiry into the nation's print and online media,

including the watchdog role of the industry-funded Press Council.

"Politicians shouldn't be looking into the media," Senator Conroy told Sky News on Thursday.

The minister said the inquiry announced on Wednesday would be conducted very differently to the way proposed by Australian Greens

leader Bob Brown.

"To focus on one organisation was not the way a government should conduct itself," he told Sky News, referring to Senator Brown's running battle with News Limited.

"We said no."

Senator Brown has previously labelled some News Limited publications "the hate media", accusing The Australian of being on a mission to destroy his party.

The government will discuss details with Judge Finkelstein later this week.

Senator Conroy says the inquiry will be resourced properly.

"It's not billions of dollars, it's not millions of dollars, but we'll ensure that it's adequately resourced," he told the Nine Network.