We have a serious deficit in legal protection for human rights in Australia, rights that have been in regression for 20 years. We need a legislated charter setting out the rights we care about.
Australian laws make it inevitable for whistleblowers to be charged whenever national security might be involved, even when the information is in the public interest.
While the ministerial direction represents a genuflection in the direction of press freedom, it provides nothing by way of protection for whistleblowers.
Despite media companies’ revenue declining in recent years, a nine-year study reveals that the greatly feared death of investigative journalism has not occurred.
Paul Oosting responds to GetUp’s critics
The Conversation, CC BY29.1 MB(download)
GetUp's national director Paul Oosting joins Michelle Grattan to respond to critics who accuse the organisation of "creating an environment...[of] abuse, harassment, intimidation".
Western aid has resulted in an Anglo-American culture of journalism education which has proved impractical to implement in African countries with illiberal political regimes.
A parliamentary inquiry into press freedom is merely a public relations exercise designed to buy time until the public anger over last month’s police raids dies down.
Labor is proposing establishing a new parliamentary committee to look into press freedom; one that will deal with whistle blowers and have crossbench representation.
The heads of News Corp, Nine and ABC talked tough on the need for stronger legal protections for journalists. But unity is meaningless unless it brings meaningful action from the government.
Media companies’ legal challenges to the legitimacy of recent AFP raids will allow the courts to clarify where the line is between national security and press freedom.
Following similar comments by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, a senator has called for the ABC to sell its Ultimo headquarters and move to the suburbs and regional centres.
Ideally, Australia would introduce constitutional protections for media freedom. But, in the meantime, four laws need urgent reform to better balance those freedoms with national security.
Another hectic week in federal politics has seen Labor dealing with a controversy involving union leader John Setka, and the Queensland government giving final approval for the Adani mine.
After this week’s police raids on media outlets, we need a better way to balance two crucial elements of our democracy - national security and press freedom.
This week’s raids on journalists and media outlets show not just the risk to those doing work in the public interest, but the potentially chilling effect it will have on more such journalism being brought to light.