United in fight for freedom

Media companies unite in campaign to end attacks on the rights of journalists.

The nation’s media companies have censored their own front pages in a united call for greater media freedom following a sustained attack on the rights of journalists to hold governments to account and report the truth to the Australian public.

Spurred by an AFP raid on the home of News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst on June 4 and another raid targeting journalists at the ABC headquarters a day later, more than a dozen of the nation’s top mastheads, TV and radio stations, and websites have taken the unprecedented act of protest against increasing restrictions on the freedom of the press.

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The Your Right to Know campaign will be accompanied by radio and television advertising across the country asking the public: “When the government hides the truth from you, what are they covering up?”

Writing in The Australian, News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller described the raid on Smethurst’s home and the ABC as “the straw that broke the camel’s back” but pointed to ongoing impingement on behalf of the government on the rights of the free press.

“It’s unprecedented to see the front page of every single newspaper pointing out the same issue we are challenged with having to deal with, but this is serious, it’s ­serious for all Australians, not just for media, but it’s our job to actually serve our communities.

“When you see every media organisation lining up together to make this point, we need to see some action.”

Mr Miller said it was “clear the government is not getting the message that it has a problem”.

The Your Right to Know campaign demands the government act in key areas being used to limit press freedom: laws that include allowing media organisations to contest warrants by police, exemption for journalists from ­national security laws that make journalism an offence, greater protections for whistleblowers and less documentation stamped “secret” that represses reporting.

Media companies want a proper functioning freedom of information system as well as reforms to defamation law.

Since 2002, there have been 75 pieces of federal legislation introduced in the guise of protecting the public from national security threats, but media companies say they have succeeded only in further restricting reporting on government decision-making.

ABC managing director David Anderson said there had been a slow erosion in the public’s right to know over the past two decades “with the introduction of laws that make it more difficult for people to speak up when they see wrong­doing and for journalists to report these stories”.

Nine Entertainment’s chief executive, Hugh Marks, said the issue was not just about raids on media organisations.

“This is much bigger than the media,” he said.

“ It’s about defending the basic right of every Australian to be properly ­informed about the important ­decisions the government is making in their name.”

News Corp and the ABC told a Senate committee on Friday they were still unaware whether their journalists could face jail.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Sunday he would be disinclined to consent to the prosecution of journalists, while Anthony Albanese said the government should state they won’t face charges.