UpdateDecember 2019 Vol 27, No. 3 Thrice Yearly Newsletter ABC Friends meets the Minister BC Friends met with Annual ABC Friends Lecture in Parliament responded to the demands of a complex Communications Minister Paul House in 2020 and looked forward to media climate and offered greater AFletcher on 27 November to discuss hearing his priorities for Australian public opportunity for forward planning. ABC funding, Media Freedom and the broadcasting. In particular ABC Friends emphasised need for whistleblower Julian Assange to Vice-president Ed Davis highlighted the the vital role of emergency services receive urgent Australian consular support loss of ABC funding by a number of broadcasting, when communities so while held in a UK prison. governments over the last thirty years and relied on the ABC for essential up to National President Margaret Reynolds suggested it was time for consideration date warnings. invited Minister Fletcher to give the special of new funding models, which better Ed Davis, Paul Fletcher and Margaret Reynolds. Inside Update Kate Reid, ABC Friend 8 Police raids on journalists not new 14 Ita Buttrose pitches ABC as ‘key AFP Raids: Implications for ABC Friends Meets David Anderson soft power asset’ 9 Australian Democracy 15 Managing Director 3 Matt Peacock, broadcaster par Reporting Fitzgerald Keynote Truth, Power and a Free Press 3 excellence 10 ABC Friends (Qld) 16 Heather Ewart Speaks at Vic Annual Ongoing threats to Media ABC Friends National Annual Dinner 4 Freedoms and nobbling the ABC 11 Report 2018-2019 18 Launch of a new ABC Friends Branch 5 Peter FitzSimons’ Andrew Olle Somerville cartoon 19 Ita and Friends 6 lecture on press freedom infringements 12 State News 20 Media bosses ‘encouraged’ by press freedom negotiations 7 It’s a dark day for media freedom 13 NSW Branch News 28 Update Publication Information From the Editor Update is published three times a year by ABC Friends National Inc. PO Box 3620 Manuka ACT 2603 Print Post approved: PP245059/00002. s 2019 draws to a close, ABC conserving and increasing the public’s right Extracts from newspapers and other Friends National can look back to know.” A full report on the Tasmanian publications appearing in Update do upon a year of unprecedented forum may be found in the State News not necessarily reflect the views of the A growth in activity and engagement with section of Update. members of ABC Friends. the public on a range of issues vital to Update is distributed to all members of ABC Friends as part of the membership the survival of public broadcasting in Branch Activities Grow Australia. In her Friends National Annual fee. Update is also supplied to I encourage readers to turn to the later journalists, politicians and libraries report, President Margaret Reynolds pages of Update, where they will read across Australia. highlights the involvement of Friends of various State and Regional Branch Update is edited and produced in in the Federal election campaign activities, many involving current and Sydney and contributions are welcome and, following the AFP raids on ABC from state and regional branches. Email former ABC staff, engaging with Friends headquarters, the Defend Media your contribution (in Microsoft Word) to and a wider audience on the issues [email protected] or Freedom Campaign. The ABC was which are vital to the future health of our post to address below brought into focus as a major election public broadcaster. Branches are to be Material may be quoted or reproduced issue, especially in marginal seats, and it commended for their commitment to from Update provided the source is is most likely that the Friends’ campaign acknowledged and reproduction is sent engaging with the community through influenced the result in some of those to the Editor at the above email or postal different community gatherings, taking seats. address. every opportunity to share with others the truth that an adequately funded public Would you like to receive Defend Media Freedom Update newsletter broadcaster is vital to the health of our Campaign democracy. An example is the recent electronically? The actions of the AFP against the ABC gathering of NSW Friends to honour Matt Save the planet’s trees and ABC Friends’ printing and postage costs and read and News Corporation journalist Annika Peacock for his distinguished career in Update on your tablet or computer. When Smethurst, as well as the constant journalism, especially his long campaign to Update is published, you will receive an criticism of the ABC by some members expose the dangers of asbestos. email with a link to the latest issue (each of the Federal government, have raised newsletter is a 2-3MB PDF). serious concerns about real threats to Friends Meet ABC Leadership You can try this now by going to www.fabcnsw.org.au and clicking on media freedom in Australia, and have President Margaret Reynolds and Vice- “Newsletter”. If you prefer this delivery produced a significant international President Ed Davis have met with ABC option for future Updates please contact reaction. Leaders of major media Chair Ita Buttrose and Managing Director your local state branch (see back page). organizations have united under the David Anderson, as reported in this “Australia’s Right to Know” coalition, and Who to write… Update, and both have acknowledged recent negotiations with the government the importance of the work of Friends, Anyone seeking basic information about have been directed at reforms to writing to persons of influence might find expressing gratitude for Friends’ support it helpful to go to www.fabcnsw.org.au restrict government secrecy and protect in these difficult times. Ita Buttrose was where there are some menu items journalists and whistleblowers. ABC a popular guest speaker at the NSW under “Be Active” leading to pages of Friends joined with ABC Alumni to information: Who can I write to? What Friends’ annual dinner, and impressed publish an open letter in the Saturday can I say? the audience with her obvious passion Paper. Veteran ABC journalist Peter for the ABC. Update’s front page reports Update Editor - Mal Hewitt George, addressing a Tasmanian on the recent meeting in Canberra with PO Box 1391 North Sydney 2059 Friends’ Forum, spoke for all of us: Communications Minister Fletcher. [email protected] “Public broadcasting, independent of political interference, is a jewel in the Assistant Editor - Regional Relations crown of a democracy. For all its flaws, Angela Williamson its perceived biases, its often narrow Friends will read with much concern the [email protected] cultural focuses, institutions like the ABC account by Dan McGarry, editor of the Proofreader – Dr Diana Wyndham are society’s lynchpins with imperatives Vanuatu Daily Post, as he describes the Cartoonist - Phil Somerville that are not driven by commercial or actions of the Vanuatu government against him and his family, clearly in retaliation Phil currently runs an online topical political considerations. These are cartoon by paid subscription called Line shrinking but precious institutions, for his paper’s criticism of the growing of Thought. Enquire at phil.somerville@ under increasing attack globally and influence of China in Vanuatu. Such events somervillecartoons.com increasingly in danger of disappearing. again raise questions about the wisdom of Layout Artist - Paul Martens Organisations like ABC Friends play a the government’s decision in 2014 to shut [email protected] truly important role not just in preserving down ABC TV broadcasts to the Pacific public broadcasting in Australia but in and Asia through Australia Network, and Page 2 the shortwave service through Radio NSW Friends’ Awards Night, in which lifetime of experience in the media, Australia. Their value as “soft diplomacy” she outlines the issues raised by the AFP journalism and publishing, as well as his was beyond question, as China moved raids on the ABC, and reminds us of the passion for a strong, well-funded and quickly to fill the gap on those same short importance of a free media in a healthy independent ABC. He has shared most wave bands with its English-language democracy generously with Friends his experience, broadcasts to the Pacific. his wisdom and his time, and I have Thank You, Ranald Macdonald valued his support, his friendship, and A Welcome Younger Voice As Ranald steps down from the position of his many contributions to Update. Best We welcome to the pages of Update National Media Adviser, we acknowledge wishes and our gratitude, Ranald, for all Georgia Toohey, student in Journalism the vital contribution he has made you have given ABC Friends. at the University of Technology, Sydney, throughout the early years of ABC Friends Mal Hewitt OAM with the text of her recent address to the National. He brought to the position a ABC Friends Truth, Power and a Free Press Margaret Reynolds and Ed Davis with David Anderson. That’s the title of a wonderful new exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House Canberra. Produced with support ABC Friends Meets David from SBS, the ABC and other media organisations, this varied and highly Anderson Managing Director interactive exhibition illuminates Australian media history and the current BC Friends welcomed the opportunity to meet with David Anderson to issues we are facing. Adiscuss challenges facing the public broadcaster at a time of serious See the letters Peter Greste had budgetary constraints and concerns about media freedom. smuggled out of his Egyptian prison. In particular ABC Friends wants to work with the new government and Hear respected journalists talk about parliamentarians to recognise increased ABC regional programming and what their work means to them and augmented news services. why it is important. Test your ability to pick out fake news and media The morning visit to the ABC was also an excellent opportunity to meet Board distortion.