Three Fairfax journalists have avoided conviction for unlawfully accessing a restricted ALP database but have to write a story accepting responsibility.
The Age newspaper has admitted it wasn't mindful enough of legal issues surrounding its reporters Ben Schneiders, Nick McKenzie and Royce Millar accessing the database.
But the newspaper's editor-in-chief has defended the reporters' right to pursue the story, published days before the 2010 Victorian election.
The three journalists admitted on Thursday that they accessed the ALP database in November 2010.
Victorian Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen on Thursday agreed to place the three and a former City of Melbourne councillor, Fraser Brindley, who was also charged with accessing the database, on diversion.
Under diversion, a first-time offender can acknowledge responsibility for the offence and be released without conviction.
The diversion order required the men to be of good behaviour for 12 months and to co-author a story accepting responsibility.
The Age must also write an editorial on the matter.
Outside court The Age editor-in-chief Andrew Holden defended the paper's decision to publish the story.
"I think the important thing was that they're investigative journalists, they believe there is a story there of public interest and investigative journalists are right to pursue those stories on that basis," he told reporters.
"What you are always mindful (of) however of course is the legal issues around it and in this particular case, quite clearly there were legal issues that perhaps we weren't mindful enough of at the time."
Mr Holden said he was relieved the three reporters will not be facing criminal trial.
"We will have a statement that we will publish on their behalf next week that will detail their acceptance of responsibility and provide some more background to the case," he told reporters.
"The editorial will follow pretty much the lines the statement the three of them will make next week."
