Australia’s newspapers have launched a coordinated advertising and lobbying campaign in support of press freedom — a limp effort that will have no significant impact. Crikey’s Bernard Keane is calling on journalists to instead take industrial action — working to rule — to exert real pressure: “There’s one tactic that will alarm and enrage federal politicians who are eager to deter, and punish, unauthorised leaks: stop reporting authorised leaks. For every unauthorised leak, or act of whistleblowing, that exposes misconduct and failure within government … there’s an authorised leak designed to serve the government. This can include national security information far more damaging than what prompts AFP raids. … Imagine politicians not being able to leak against their enemies — internal or in the opposition. Imagine them being told by a journalist ‘I can’t run that, you’re always insisting leaking damages national security and the ability of government to receive frank and fearless advice, so I best ignore it’.” Imagine…
21 October 2019