Walkleys held hostage by media union

The stoush between the Walkley Foundation and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is emblematic of a damaging ideological divide.

The Walkleys have been plunged into crisis after its organising body rejected an approach by some of the industry’s biggest names to enshrine the independence of the event.

Australian journalism’s biggest awards ceremony, the Walkleys, has been plunged into crisis after its organising body – which is effectively run by the media union – rejected an approach by some of the industry’s biggest names to enshrine the independence of the event.

The stoush between the Walkley Foundation and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is emblematic of a damaging ideological divide that has engulfed the union in the past 18 months, and comes at a time when the MEAA is struggling for relevance amid falling membership and concerns of a left-leaning agenda.

The union splintered in late 2023 when its decision to endorse an open letter calling for all Australian newsrooms to treat unverified information from the democratically elected government of Israel and terror group Hamas with the same “professional scepticism” was viewed dimly by many journalists who held senior positions with the union.

There was also controversy last year when the union-led Foundation ruled that it would accept sponsorships only from organisations that offer a “tangible benefit to humanity”.

That led to the cessation of Ampol’s long-running sponsorship of the awards, leaving the event with a financial shortfall.

It’s understood that this month’s failed push to make the Walkley Foundation more independent, which would have required only a minor tweak to the body’s constitution, is likely to worsen the civil war within the MEAA.

Senior journalists from a range of media outlets have told The Australian in recent days of their disbelief that the union is insisting on maintaining a stranglehold over the Walkley Foundation.

“The MEAA has become a far-left activist rabble which is tainting the Walkleys Awards them­selves, so surely any effort by the Walkley Foundation to dilute the union’s strength is a good thing,” one journalist said.

“It’s just political posturing by the union,” said another journalist, who asked not to be named.

Another lamented that the union had been “captured by an ideological few who don’t understand journalism”, and whose political agenda “should have no place in this industry”.

In a statement released on Friday, the independent directors of the Walkley Foundation, journalists Adele Ferguson, Sally Neighbour and Victoria Laurie, outlined why the proposal to ensure a majority of the organisation’s directors should be independent – a move that was recommended by the ASX Corporate Governance Council as being “best practice” – should be adopted.

“In December 2024, based on the advice received, the three independent directors put forward a proposal to amend the constitution of the Walkley Foundation to ensure a majority of directors are independent,” the statement read. “The reform would require a simple change to the constitution to increase the number of additional independent directors.

“It would not affect the current three MEAA-appointed director positions on the Walkley board, which would remain.

“Fifteen eminent Australian journalists … have signed a letter supporting this proposal. In recent months, MEAA has made clear it does not support this reform. The raison d’etre of the Walkley Foundation is to promote excellence, integrity and transparency in journalism.

“It has proudly done so for seventy years. It is incumbent upon us to ensure the Foundation embodies these same principles.

“As journalists who hold others to account, we believe it is essential to get our own house in order to reflect the highest possible governance standards.”

Last week, three MEAA directors resigned in the wake of the Walkley Foundation board’s refusal to agree to the proposal that would ensure its independence.

The three directors, Karen Percy, Erin Delahunty and Kate Ferguson, also resigned their elected positions in the union.

A spokesman for the MEAA declined to comment on Sunday.