(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is an MEAA media release: Using criminal procedure to uncover journalists’ sources is unacceptable, says Media Alliance Australia’s media union condemns today’s police raid on independent newspaper the National Indigenous Times (NIT) to seize leaked departmental and cabinet documents. Just after 8:30 a.m. this morning, five Australian Federal Police raided the […]
(MEAA/IFEX) – The following is an MEAA media release:
Using criminal procedure to uncover journalists’ sources is unacceptable, says Media Alliance
Australia’s media union condemns today’s police raid on independent newspaper the National Indigenous Times (NIT) to seize leaked departmental and cabinet documents.
Just after 8:30 a.m. this morning, five Australian Federal Police raided the premises of the indigenous paper.
They carried a warrant to seize two documents but left with six. The leaked cabinet in confidence documents were the basis of a series of stories about government welfare reforms in Aboriginal communities.
The documents reveal a number of tougher government initiatives to promote ‘good behaviour’ in indigenous communities. The Australian Financial Review (AFR) picked up the story yesterday and attributed NIT with possession of the leaked documents.
“Authorities cannot use criminal procedure to attain the identities of journalists’ sources – which is clearly what they attempted to do today,” said Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance federal secretary Christopher Warren.
“The foundation of our democracy relies on journalists’ ability to report matters of public interest. To do this they rely on the good faith of their sources,” said Warren.
The paper has received confirmation from other media outlets that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet ordered the search warrant.
“The Government’s attempt to intimidate this small publication is an absolute disgrace,” said Warren.
“In matters of social responsibility and welfare those in authority need to be held accountable. This can’t happen if media outlets, big and small, continue to be suffocated,” said Warren.
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance is the union representing over 10,000 journalists and media workers across Australia.
