Australia's attorney-general has promised a raft of changes to better protect journalists and whistleblowers.
Christian Porter says the reforms will improve press freedom.
The government has accepted all recommendations directed towards it from parliament's inquiry into press freedom conducted by the powerful committee on intelligence and security.
The changes include ensuring only judges from the supreme or federal courts can issue search warrants against journalists for offences related to disclosing sensitive government information.
"Transparency is a key foundation of a healthy democracy," Mr Porter said on Wednesday.
"These reforms support the right of journalists and whistleblowers to hold governments at all levels to account by shining a light on issues that are genuinely in the public interest."
The issue came to the fore last year when a warrant to search a News Corp journalist's home - later slapped down by the High Court - was issued by an ACT magistrate.
It allowed her home to be searched by federal police in relation to a story claiming the government wanted to broaden its powers to spy on Australians.
Warrants against journalists or media organisations would have to be weighed against the purpose of public interest journalism and arguments from authorities.
Although warrants would still be sprung on media organisations, a public interest advocate would then contest it by representing the interests of journalism.
Impending legislation would lock in the rules for who can be appointed as an advocate for five-year terms.
They must be a queen's or senior counsel, or have been a High Court or Supreme Court judge.
Federal police raided the ABC's Sydney headquarters last year over 2017 reports based on leaked Defence papers, that revealed soldiers may have committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Neither of the two journalists targeted were charged, with Dan Oakes finding out in October commonwealth prosectors didn't think it would be in the public interest.
Mr Porter has promised to improve reporting requirements on warrants used against journalists, and ensure the government looks at extra defences for public interest journalism in response to secrecy charges.
Flagged changes also require either the attorney-general or the minister for home affairs to tell the public how many warrants were granted against journalists each year, and the specific offences.
Australia's spy agency would have to tell the attorney-general how many times it applied for warrants in relation to a media organisation or journalist, and how many were granted.
Mr Porter has also released the government's response to a review looking at whistleblower protections in the public service.
The government has accepted 30 of 33 recommendations, aiming to make the rules closer to that of the private sector.
The changes aim to make the legal framework clearer for public servants and ensure laws focus more on serious wrongdoing and misconduct, while weighing national security risks.
