Blacked-out front pages across Australia – Media rivals unite against government secrecy

As part of a nation-wide ‘Your Right to Know’ campaign for freedom of speech, Australia’s national and major metropolitan newspapers produced front pages on 21 October consisting of a heavily redacted memo. As seen in the Sydney Morning Herald, below it were the words “When government keeps the truth from you, what are they covering up?”

In further unprecedented solidarity, the main Australian broadcasters, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the Special Broadcasting Service, Channel Seven, Nine, Ten, and Sky News, all screened ads criticising government secrecy.

The movement to preserve media freedom in Australia followed several Australian Federal Police (AFP) raids on news reporters. See IIC 12 June 2019 item: Press council concerns on Police raids of Journalists’ office and home.

The ‘Your Right to Know’ campaign seeks reform of Freedom of Information laws, search warrant regulations and protections for whistleblowers. It also argues for exemptions to protect journalists from prosecution under new national security laws.

• Thursday, 14 November 2019