Australia/New Zealand What is the most important press freedom issue for you? (Australia only)

[lynnb]

The MEAA (Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance) is conducting a survey on the state of health of press freedom in Australia. It only takes a few minutes to complete. This survey relates to Australia only. Please do not complete it if you have comments about press freedom in other countries. Non-media persons can complete the survey - it asks you to identify whether you are a current or former media worker. Photographers are included in the definition press and media workers. Current or former press photographers are encouraged to complete the survey.

"What is the most important press freedom issue for you?

One of the essential pillars of a democratic society is freedom of the press.

The media plays a crucial role as the fourth estate in scrutinising governments, holding those in power to account, and ensuring transparency by corporations and public figures.

But press freedom in Australia has gradually been eroded in recent years by national security laws, a culture by the courts of suppressing information, the absence of unified protections for whistleblowers and journalists across the states, and by archaic defamation laws which place the onus of proof on publishers.

MEAA is an active campaigner for press freedom in Australia, and we want to hear from you about what you regard as the most important issues for press freedom."

 

[peterm1]

Thank you Lynn.

I filled the form out then abandoned it having done so. My reason for abandoning it was primarily due to one question which was ambiguous and I am sure would result in my answer being misinterpreted. The question was about the funding of public broadcasting. I am strongly of the view that public broadcasting in Australia is grossly over funded in an environment where public broadcasters like the ABC and SBS have crudely and blatantly ignored their charters which require balanced reporting in their news and current affairs programs. In fact they do anything BUT provide balanced reporting - being strictly of the strong leftist persuasion where they routinely run campaigns using public money against conservative and centre right politicians. They invite for example, wholly hostile audiences to forum programs then hold what has been described as "lefty lynch mobs" when conservative leaning persons are on the panel. I am in favor of open debate on these issue and in favor of both points of view being aired and argued. I am not in favor of using public funds to create a bully pulpit to push a political line (of either political persuasion if it comes to that). If I answered as currently expressed, the question about funding of public broadcasting will certainly be interpreted as meaning I think there is not enough funding whereas I believe that there is too much and that public broadcasters must compete for funds in the market place (as well as compete with their ideas in the market place of ideas - not use our money to ram it down our throats). I should add that from the viewpoint of media freedom this huge dominance of public broadcasters drowns out other media voices with a consequential chilling effect on media freedom because other media outlets simply cannot compete with their funding which gives them free rein to do what they like effectively without commercial (or political) consequences.

These was also an ancillary issue which is of concern to me - an issue that was NOT mentioned which concerns political correctness, compelled speech etc. We have in Australia the infamous s18c of the Racial Discrimination Act which has been used to punish and silence journalists - Bill Leak being a prime example - for "offending" certain people who want to silence them. In Leaks case there was clearly no 'hate speech" involved and the case was eventually dropped but he was hounded - many believe to an early death. He is much missed. There was no question at all regarding this crucial issue and is separate and equal in importance to some issues that were raised like protections for whistle blowers, freedom of information etc.

On the whole therefore, I am of the view that this is not a worthwhile survey. It is a survey that appears to me to be designed to produce a particular outcome by ignoring some issues that might be politically inconvenient to raise. It is therefore better to ignore the survey or better yet for any who agree with me to make our voices heard .

Sorry Lynn but that is how I feel. No disrespect to you.

 

[lynnb]

Peter, no disrespect taken! There is truth in both the points you raised.

kind regards,

 

[jmilkins]

Thank you for posting this Lynn.

Press freedoms, or their abrogation, remain an important issue in Australia - perhaps not so blatantly trampled as in some countries, but IMHO there is still an insidious and underhand eroding of this fundamental principle of democracy.

Perhaps I have a bit of a personal bias, based on a deep, ongoing disappointment with successive Australian governments who have perpetuated the cover up of the murder of the Balibo Five and Roger East in Timor Leste in 1975. An attack on press freedoms that has not been given justice to this day.

I have a personal link to this story, and addressed the inaugural Press Freedoms Dinner in Melbourne a few years back, to highlight my concerns with the erosion of press freedoms around the world.

As I noted in this address on my own story, press freedoms are a fundamental freedom, but also a great responsibility.

Balibo Press Freedoms

 

[coogee]

I can’t say that i share your views Peter. You definitely don’t speak for me.

 

[peterm1]

I can’t say that i share your views Peter. You definitely don’t speak for me.

Coogee That's fine by me. You are entitled to your views and I am happy for you to argue them.

But what bothers me is that there are so many in society at the present who try to suppress free speech and abrogate my right to hold and express my views. Including some, sadly in the media especially in public broadcasting where you only seem to hear one side of the debate and where people are demeaned and belittled for expressing a differing view.

 

[lynnb]

I think under-funding (of public broadcasting) and claims of bias are tactics employed by conservatives to put political pressure on ABC/SBS. However I've seen people from the right of politics not given the same opportunity to put their views on ABC discussion panel programs as people from the left. I see this as bias, and ultimately counter-productive. In this, I agree with Peter.

 

[peterm1]

I think under-funding (of public broadcasting) and claims of bias are tactics employed by conservatives to put political pressure on ABC/SBS. However I've seen people from the right of politics not given the same opportunity to put their views on ABC discussion panel programs as people from the left. I see this as bias, and ultimately counter-productive. In this, I agree with Peter.

Thank you Lynn. I should add that I am not a long term conservative. I am a recovered leftie :^). The truth is being a bit left of centre espeically on social issues was a perfectly reasonable position until quite recently. Though I was always a bit to the right on economic issues as socialism destroys wealth creation. But somehow that has changed - the Left has taken a sharp turn further left and is too often supporting bizarre positions that seem not so much to be to improve society but to destroy it under the banner of post modernism. (IMHO).

In this sense I feel that I did not leave the Left - the Left left me.

 

[coogee]

Coogee That's fine by me. You are entitled to your views and I am happy for you to argue them.

And likewise to you of course, you’ve expressed your views politely and we’re all bonded by a love of photography here.

<snip>

I did do the Survey fwiw, I do agree it seemed heavy-handed, lacking ‘don’t know’ or ‘won’t say’ options for what seemed potentially loaded questions.

 

[peterm1]

And likewise to you of course, you’ve expressed your views politely and we’re all bonded by a love of photography here.

With the ABC, all I’ve seen personally is a sharp decline in funding, increased political interference in the Boardroom and in Parliament despite several independent audits finding no evidence of bias.

I find Australia a very depressing place to live politically. Despite huge wealth imbalance where i live, i still find myself hearing these narratives about lunatic Leftism as people drive by in their Maseratis and houses get flipped so regularly i no longer know any of my neighbours.

I watched the last remaining untouched house on my street being demolished to be rebuilt for ‘wealth creation’ this morning with my 8yr old daughter and I struggle to think what to tell her as to why or what that’s all about as the digger squashed our favourite Frangipani.

I don’t recognise what i would call left wing politics as exisiting here at all in any meaningful way. It seems to be solely used as a straw man argument on ‘social issues.’

I think contemporary politics sucks! Get out with a roll of film instead! I did do the Survey fwiw, I do agree it seemed heavy-handed, lacking ‘don’t know’ or ‘won’t say’ options for what seemed loaded questions.

I wish you all well, whatever your views, i just felt compelled to retort. Honestly I’d rather agree to disagree, sink a beer and shoot a roll...

I certainly agree with you about contemporary politics sucking. Throughout the world we seem to have seen a ruling class of professional politicians rise up take control and do their best to ignore voters and impose their own agenda when they come to power. On all sides of politics. (Which of course is why Trump came to power. You may disagree with him (I certainly do on some things) but he is not a career politician and that is a good thing).

But where I disagree with you is on the issue of equality. I believe "inequality" is 180 degrees the wrong issue. You are focused on equality of outcomes. I believe the real issue of concern is equality of opportunity. This is one reason I left the Left. It used to be concerned with equality of opportunity and I find that an easy philosophy to agree with. Then the Left started demanding equality of outcomes. The only way you get this is by removing freedom to succeed and by dragging everyone in society down to the level of the level of the slowest runner. That then not only destroys individual freedom it destroys wealth, opportunity, incentive and social outcomes. That is what used to happen in soviet Russia when Engineers and Doctors (my wife is Russian - she is a Doctor so I know) got paid much the same as the guy digging the ditch. The only people who got rewarded were the political class and party members.

Everyone else gave up and drank vodka instead. That is why you end up with disasters like Chernobyl. I am being a little rhetorical here, but my point is serious - it makes society fail - just look at Venezuela where outcomes are very equal - no inequality in Venezuela but it was once a rich country where now everyone is eating their pets and digging in garbage cans for food. And its also why countries like Soviet Russia put up border walls - to keep their citizens from fleeing all that wonderful equality.

The thing is I do not mind other people having Maseratis. So long as others have the opportunity to legally earn the money to have one too if the are up to it and that is what they want though I think there are better things in life to pursue. I am pleased in short that we live in a free society where we can succeed or fail on our own terms - or just take photos and say "bugger the politicians" without risking going to jail or having some politician tells us we are being politically incorrect and must therefore toe their line.

Anyway enough politics, bugger the politicians, lets take photos. Cheers.