TV veteran Steve Carey says Victoria Police is trying to stop the reporting of breaking news

The heavy-handed treatment of media by Victoria Police sends a ‘shocking red flag’ that press freedom in Australia is under serious threat, according to a former media executive.

The recent heavy-handed treatment of the media by Victoria Police during Melbourne’s protests sends a “shocking red flag” that press freedom in Australia is under serious threat, according to a former media executive.

Aggressive behaviour by officers in Melbourne, including the use of pepper spray on photographers, arrests of journalists and then last week a ban stopping news outlets capturing aerial footage of the protests and airing it live, has raised questions about the inappropriate interference of the police force on the media’s coverage of important news events.

Former veteran TV news executive Steve Carey, who worked at Seven, Nine and the ABC across a 35-year career, said Victoria Police had taken things “too far” during the pandemic.

“It was absolutely the wrong call by the police command to try to shut down the air space, and to try and stop the media performing its duty to inform the public,” he said. “It was a shocking red flag.”

Last week, media outlets including the Nine Network, Seven Network and the ABC took court action again a decision enforced by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, at the request of Victoria Police, to stop media from flying over the Melbourne CBD.

This move prohibited the media from capturing aerial footage of the ongoing protests and also limited the capacity to live-broadcast the vision of the protests.

The decision was scrapped after an application to the Federal Court, and the matter will again go before the court this ­Friday.

Seven’s Melbourne newsreader Mike Amor was among those to hit out at Victoria Police’s actions. “Restricting the use of helicopter vision, is a move that doesn’t belong in a democracy,” he tweeted. “Where does it end …”

Freelance photographer Luis Ascui, who was working for The Age on September 18, was pepper-sprayed by members of Victoria Police while covering the protests.

This was despite holding three cameras at the time, having his press identification around his neck, being clearly identifiable as a member of the press and having a security guard alongside him.

“You have to watch your back from the protesters but now you have to watch your back from the police as well,” Ascui said.

Earlier in the year Herald Sun reporter Olivia Jenkins and photographer Jake Nowakowski were handcuffed by Victoria Police while reporting on an anti-vaccination demonstration attended by protesters in inner-city Melbourne.

Police later apologised for the incident.

A spokeswoman for Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville urged the police and media to work cohesively together.

Victoria Police were contacted for comment but did not respond to specific questions about the incidents involving media.