Why Australia’s two biggest media bosses have joined forces against the government
Major media organisations have joined forces, asking the federal government to do more to protect press freedom.
The “Your Right to Know” campaign is being run across radio, newspapers and television platforms, with the nation’s leading newspapers running blacked-out front pages.
ON AIR NOW: @AlanJones speaks to Nine ceo Hugh Marks and NewsCorp executive chairman Michael Miller about media freedom #YourRightToKnow #PressFreedom https://t.co/uCAJnURIrA pic.twitter.com/zo1knBFfks
— Natalie Peters (@nataliejpeters) October 20, 2019
It follows police raids on the home of a Newscorp journalist and ABC headquarters to find the source of sensitive stories.
Nine Entertainment boss Hugh Marks and Newscorp Australasia Chairman Michael Miller have joined Alan Jones in studio, standing together on the issue.
Mr Miller says “it is frightening” to think the media is being silenced by the government.
“Nobody here is saying that anyone should be above the law. The question is, does the law serve the public interest?
“If government operates on the basis of a culture which is, keep things secret because we don’t want it being discussed, then I think we as people, we as taxpayers, we as effectively owners of the government lose out. Because we don’t have the information on which to make informed decisions.”
NOW | Nine CEO Hugh Marks and News Corp Australasia Chairman Michael Miller are in the studio.
The #righttoknow campaign has launched today, calling for the protection of journalists from strict national security laws.
Listen live: https://t.co/WgEL7cNTAQ pic.twitter.com/FkD2iyscFU
— 2GB 873 (@2GB873) October 20, 2019
Nine CEO Hugh Marks agrees, saying new national security laws need to be changed.
“The way they were introduced was to create an offence for journalism in the first place, which the journalist and their media organisation need to defend.
“What we’re seeing here is not a slow creeping but basically a pretty concerted campaign, and it’s been happening over many years, to hide behind national security and secrecy over the public’s right to know key information.
“And that’s not a culture we should live in.”
Click PLAY below to hear the full interview
Former Labor senator Graham Richardson tells Ben Fordham people have the right to fight for free speech.
“It’s always under attack, but it always survives in Australia and it will continue to. I don’t doubt that.”
Sky News host Paul Murray tells Ben the campaign may be perceived in different ways.
“When they try to search for special laws because you declare yourself a journalist well I think there are unintended consequences about that, that mean you end up giving legal protection to things like WikiLeaks.”
Click PLAY below to hear the full interview