Australia’s government failed to stand up for press freedom after Nauru barred ABC journalist
In this crossposting from The Conversation, La Trobe University’s Tony Walker analyses Malcolm Turnbull’s ‘regret’ over Nauru’s recent banning of an ABC journalist.
In diplomatic-speak, the word “regrettable” is close to the mildest rebuke that can be offered by one country in response to another’s actions.
Thus, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s expression of “regret” over a decision by the government of Nauru to refuse a visa to an ABC journalist for a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in September represents a mild response to an unfortunate decision.
You can be sure that Turnbull’s advisers will have laboured over the best choice of words to describe Australia’s response to Nauru’s challenge to a core Australian value, namely press freedom.
Meanwhile, Newscorp has given an *interesting* response.
The absolute bottom feeders at News Corp are going anyway!
Is there ONE. SINGLE. JOURNALIST left at that pathetic crumbling corporation… Just one with the guts to stand up and say… This is WRONG, this is not what “Media” is about.
PAthetic, its no wonder newspapers are dying
What’s so funny about this overly pompous story by Mr Walker is that it’s not “an ABC journalist” – it’s an ABC camera operator!
The ABC has such a big chip on their shoulder.
Obviously News Ltd’s reporting does not suit some commentators on this site. But to castigate the journalists because they don’t reflect a particular political stance is typical of left wing apologists.
This government has been shutting down freedom of the press and freedom of information for 5 years. Why would anyone expect different now?
The country we live in puts vulnerable civilians (including children) in concentration camps on a remote island. We are not the good guys
Nasser, it appears that Europe is about to do the same thing and in doing so save hundreds of lives from drowning who are at the mercy of people traffickers. So who are the good guys ?
Whataboutery abounds.
If we look further than what “Europe” is “doing” and explore their role in facilitating the conditions that gave rise to this current torrent of human catastrophe in the first place, maybe we’d understand how much of a bad guy we (and them) are