You’re at dangerous crossroads, warns legendary news anchor Larry King
Larry King says US-style first amendment must be considered as he attacks our freedom-of-speech laws | VOTE
Veteran newsman Larry King has attacked Australia’s draconian freedom-of-speech laws, saying he would “react with violence” if police raided his home in a bid to identify the source of a story.
The American broadcaster, who hosted the eponymous Larry King Live on CNN for a quarter of a century, called on Scott Morrison to introduce legislation properly protecting whistleblowers and journalists, describing them as the cornerstone of a robust democracy.
King said he was outraged to learn Australian Federal Police had raided the home of News Corp Australia reporter Annika Smethurst and the ABC’s Sydney headquarters in June, in a crackdown on public interest reporting reliant on whistleblowers.
“I am not a violent person but, if that had happened to me, I would have reacted with violence,” the 85-year-old told The Australian.
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“I’ve been in the business 62 years and I’ve never heard of anything like it. I can only tell you that, as an American journalist, I am shocked. I’ve always had Australia’s quality journalism high on my list of the best journalism in the world, but it’s at a dangerous crossroads. In all these years, I’ve never been censored, never been stopped from saying anything, never had a guest cancelled because someone didn’t like what they had to say — and I’ve interviewed every controversial person on the planet.
“A strong media is essential to the progress of a country and the wellbeing of a country.”
King, who has collected two Peabodys and an Emmy award for his work and still hosts a weekly interview program, said the Morrison government needed to enact laws similar to the first amendment to the US constitution, which protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
“I don’t think there is anything more important than the first amendment,” he said. “If the US didn’t have it, we would be limp and we would be in trouble. I can’t believe Australia doesn’t have laws to protect a free and open media – and if there are police raids on the press in Australia, you need them.”
Does Australia need a US-style First Amendment to protect freedom of speech and press freedom, as suggested by veteran newsman Larry King @kingsthings?https://t.co/RvT5hQFOAL
— The Australian (@australian) October 28, 2019
King said he had taken a particular interest in Australian politics since joining the board of Australian beverage company Lifestyle Global Brands, and being exposed to the national Your Right To Know campaign.
The campaign, which has united media companies across the country, has shone a light on the escalating culture of government secrecy – and the deleterious effect it is having on public accountability of politicians, public servants and the courts.
“I hate secretive countries, secretive governments,” King said.
“What have you got to be secretive about? What are you afraid of?
“If you want to be a public official, or if you want to serve the public, you have to be ready to take the criticism that comes with it.”
He said the campaign came at a crucial time for media across the world, with politicians such as Donald Trump eroding faith in the media. “I’ve known Trump for 35 years; he’s not the president I thought he would be,” King said.
King said press freedom was not an issue that only affected journalists. Every member of society should speak out if they witnessed wrongdoing. “Don’t be afraid to come forward,” he said.
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