Northern Territory journalists irate over the government’s heavy-handed media tactics

The NT’s Gunner government is limiting the ability of journalists to attend press conferences and media outlets in the top end are demanding urgent change.

NT chief minister Michael Gunner at a press conference. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

Journalists in the Top End are demanding urgent changes to the Northern Territory Labor government’s long-running stance to hold invite-only media conferences at short notice, which they say is hampering press freedom.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s press team has been accused of cherry picking select journalists to attend media conferences and in some instances giving as little as 30 minutes notice beforehand to attend.

One news editor described the situation as “ridiculous” and “shambolic” and said in his long-running career he had “never seen anything like it”.

“It’s an unworkable system,” he said. “Sometimes we’ve missed getting a text because the government has made an editorial decision that attending wasn’t of value to us.”

In normal circumstances editors and reporters in other states are usually given at least two hours notice about a press conference with government ministers or the members of the opposition, and usually alerts are distributed widely to newsrooms via email.

Another senior journalist said he had repeatedly complained to the Chief Minister’s office only to be told the issue would be addressed. 

“There have been occasions where I have not been informed of press conferences then told later they had assumed I would not be interested,” he said.

“On other occasions I’ve been given less than 30 minutes notice when a rival outlet has been given several hours’ notice.”

The change to sending out alerts for press conferences began about 12 months ago and sources claim it was because the Gunner government did not want the NT Independent’s reporter Chris Walsh putting tough questions to their ministers.

Walsh has been banned from media events in the NT, mainly because the publication he works for is owned by the former head of the NT Manufacturers Council, Owen Pike, who has been a staunch critic of the government and has a Facebook page mocking the government.

“It’s a full assault on the freedom of the press,” Mr Walsh said.

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance’s federal president Marcus Strom said “the Gunner government is fast developing a reputation as being hostile towards the media”.

“Now our members are telling us that the Territory government’s media unit is picking and choosing which outlets get access to events,” he said.

“We urge the NT government to recognise the essential role that the media play in informing its citizens and to adhere to the principles of press freedom in all interactions with journalists.”

A government spokesman refuted the claims.

“All independent media are welcome at and invited to NT government press conferences. We dispute any suggestion to the contrary,” he said.