Media & Journalism
Pacific groups highlight role of media in addressing climate crisis
Journalists raised awareness about media suppression in the Pacific
Originally published on Global Voices
Journalists discuss the state of media in the Solomon Islands. Screenshot from the YouTube video of MASI: Media Association of Solomon Islands posted in May 2022. Fair use.
Media groups, heads of state, and free speech advocates across the Pacific marked World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 3, by emphasizing the role of upholding the right to information in addressing the impact of the climate crisis in the region.
The theme of WPFD this year, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis,” resonates with the work being done by media groups in the Pacific. The statement of the Palau Media Council reflects the WPFD theme:
A free press is vital to informing our communities about the environmental challenges we face and holding all accountable for protecting our precious environment.
We celebrate the courageous work of journalists and recommit ourselves to defending press freedom, ensuring a strong and independent media that serves the people of Palau.
Moving forward, we pledge to prioritize climate crisis stories, ensuring they take center stage in our coverage. We will amplify important voices advocating for environmental protection.
Robert Iroga, chair of the regional media watchdog Pacific Freedom Forum, underscored the need for media coverage and inclusion of Pacific journalists at global climate conferences.
If there is work to be done by journalists in the Pacific, it is to urge and encourage global awareness of climate change's impacts and hold wealthy polluters accountable.
Pacific Islands News Association President Kora Nou asserted that journalists should have an active role in implementing initiatives that seek to address the harsh impact of climate change.
Journalists must be included in projects not merely as observers but as active participants, providing independent and objective coverage that uncovers the truth, expose wrongdoing, and amplify the voices of marginalised communities.
Fiji Media Association General Secretary Stanley Simpson has a reminder for fellow journalists.
Ethics must guide our industry; our code of ethics must guide us. We must serve the people with integrity; our articles must have integrity, balance, fairness, and accuracy.
The Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI), in partnership with the @bbcmediaaction, held a breakfast event today at Heritage Park Hotel to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day 2024. Thanks to all our distinguished guests for availing your time to commemorate this event. pic.twitter.com/XXsx1ifXFl
— MASI (@solsmasi) May 3, 2024
Media groups also highlighted the various challenges they face in fulfilling their work. Some countries like Fiji saw an improvement in their media landscape after the parliament annulled repressive media laws; but there are also countries like Papua New Guinea where journalists are being threatened with stricter media regulations. Meanwhile, a “word war” recently created tension between some media outlets and a minister in New Zealand’s new government.
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Federal President Karen Percy cited the weaponization of laws that undermine the work of media in Australia:
When whistleblowers are prosecuted for revealing wrongdoing by governments and corporations; when defamation is weaponised to prevent scrutiny; when information that should be publicly available is inaccessible or wrongly marked top secret; and when the basic role of journalism is criminalised on ‘national security grounds’ – then it is the public who loses out.
In the French overseas territory New Caledonia, a union conducted a sit-in protest in solidarity with Kanak Indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia who was criticized by pro-France forces for her reporting on pro-independence protests. Sonia Togna of New Caledonia’s Union of Francophone Women in Oceania said in a media interview:
We are here to sound the alarm bell and to remind our leaders not to cross the line regarding freedom of expression and freedom to exercise the profession of journalism in New Caledonia.
National broadcaster axes Australian journalist Antoinette Lattouf over Gaza social media post
Staff threatened to strike over management's decision
Originally published on Global Voices
Antoinette Lattouf – Screenshot: TedX Talks YouTube video ‘Reverse Discrimination? It doesn't exist…but ‘tokenism’ does’ October 2022. Fair use.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has caused a furore down under after firing Lebanese Australian journalist Antoinette Lattouf on December 20, 2023 for sharing a post on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Her employment as a short-term radio host was abruptly ended for allegedly breaching social media policy by reposting a Human Rights Watch (HRW) video on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Lattouf added the comment: “HRW reporting starvation as a tool of war.” The ABC justified their decision, saying that “she failed or refused to comply with directions that she not post on social media about matters of controversy.” The ABC itself covered the HRW claim on TV News.
The corporation is a government-funded national broadcaster, which has independence within a legislated charter. Its board and chair are appointed by the government.
Subsequently, ABC journalist Nour Haydar resigned over the broadcaster’s coverage of the Gaza conflict and treatment of culturally diverse staff. She posted on X (formerly Twitter):
Does this mean all ABC employees can’t share info from @hrw?
What if it’s about the treatment of Uyghurs in China or protestors in Iran?
Does this rule exist exclusively for findings that are critical of Israel?
Did this directive apply only to @antoinette_news and why? https://t.co/vqsb3ocW82
— Nour Haydar (@NourHaydar) January 16, 2024
Haydar also has Lebanese heritage.
Mastodon user MilennialZero posed a question that was concerning many people on social media:
Artemis went further in their response:
Journalists at the ABC threatened to take strike action. Their union, the MEAA (Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance) has given Lattouf strong backing:
The decision to sack Antoinette Lattouf from her role as an ABC radio presenter over sharing a social media post from a reputable human rights organisation is incredibly disturbing. Read the full statement: https://t.co/B1IAkQkl3W #MEAAmedia pic.twitter.com/a2Xt7wyft3
— MEAA (@withMEAA) December 21, 2023
There were accusations that the ABC management was influenced by a campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists via a WhatsApp group called Lawyers for Israel.
Antoinette has taken an unlawful termination case to the Fair Work Commission. However, mediation talks between Lattouf and the ABC have failed to resolve the issue. Lattouf posted a video response on X. She not only raised the question of free speech but said that her dismissal involved racism:
Some words following my Fair Work Commission conciliation with the ABC today.
This is such an important case because it is not just about me.#NoFearNoFavour pic.twitter.com/gDqlH89CkI— Antoinette Lattouf (@antoinette_news) January 18, 2024
Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Advancing Journalism, canvassed some of the issues at The Conversation:
One is the issue of how to deal with journalistic staff posting on social media about issues in the news. Another is whether it has the backbone to protect its journalists and presenters from external attack. A third is whether the organisation is culturally capable of respecting and supporting staff from diverse backgrounds.
Veteran Australian journalist and TV news presenter Mary Kostakidis spoke out in the strongest terms on public policy website Pearls and Irritations:
The Lattouf story shows that the same level of white colonial supremacist attitudes that have forged the bond of western leaders on the Middle East issue permeates the leadership of public broadcasting.
… A one sided narrative in the media cultivates ignorance in the public and enables our leaders to maintain unquestioned entrenched support for Israel, not only with words but with supplies and intelligence, and possibly with armed forces should they see fit to do so. Attempts to interfere and prevent the interrogation of our foreign policy are anti democratic.
The ABC managing director, David Anderson sent an email to all staff, denying Lattouf's claims and rejecting any influence by external pressure.
At the Fair Work Commission mediation, the ABC denied that race or political opinion were part of their decision to terminate her contract.
There is a GoFundMe fundraiser for her legal fees, plus a couple of online petitions calling on ABC to rehire Lattouf.
In the latest twist, the ABC is now claiming that it did not sack Lattouf, according to a Guardian report:
In its submission, the ABC wrote it decided “not to require” Lattouf to perform the last two of her five shifts as a casual presenter of Sydney’s Mornings because she had “failed or refused to comply with directions that she not post on social media about matters of controversy during the short period she was presenting”.
On X, Lattouf mocked what she called the use of a euphemism:
“If I wasn’t sacked what was it? I’m keen to hear all the creative euphemisms that will be used to try and explain this backflip to me, ABC staff and Australians who are very concerned about their public broadcaster. Was I unshackled? Liberated? Untied?”
— Antoinette Lattouf (@antoinette_news) January 22, 2024
A meeting of ABC journalists overwhelmingly passed a motion of no confidence in Managing Director David Anderson. The resolution included:
Winning staff and public confidence back will require senior management:
1. Backing journalism without fear or favour.
2. Working collaboratively with unions to build a culturally informed process for supporting staff who face criticism and attack.
3. Take urgent action on the lack of security and inequality that journalists of colour face.
4. Working with unions to develop a clearer and fairer social media policy.
5. Upholding a transparent complaints process, in which journalists who are subject to complaints are informed and supported.
According to Mediaweek, ABC Global Affairs Editor John Lyons spoke forcefully in favor of the motion. Lyons has been reporting from the Middle East on the Gaza conflict for the ABC.
David Anderson has agreed to meet with staff in the coming weeks to discuss their concerns.
Meanwhile, Pedestrian TV has reported claims of another coordinated lobbying campaign against Lattouf on WhatsApp group J.E.W.I.S.H. Australian creatives and academics. Australian researcher and journalist Claire Connelly posted:
‘Screenshots show a coordinated letter campaign that encouraged the group’s 628 members to complain to Buttrose, ABC Managing Director David Anderson and Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland over the ABC’s hiring of Lattouf.’ pic.twitter.com/hSj831HGKQ
— Claire Connelly (@_ClaireConnelly) January 22, 2024
An emergency ABC board meeting on January 23, passed a unanimous vote of confidence in the managing director.
The dispute is ongoing for now. In the meantime, the satirical website The Shovel has a lighthearted take:
The ABC says it is simply adhering to its charter by ending journalist Antoinette Lattouf’s employment, but also not sacking her.
“It is incumbent on us to provide both sides of the story,” an ABC spokesperson said. “So while some may say Ms Lattouf has been fired, others would say she has been freed up to pursue other opportunities. Some will say she has been let go, others will say has been de-hired. All of those views deserve to be heard.
A New Zealand Minister’s ‘war’ with the media
He described state-funded journalism as ‘bribery’
Originally published on Global Voices
Minister Winston Peters being interviewed by the media. Screenshot from the YouTube video of Newshub
New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said he is at “war” with the media and has accused public broadcasters of lacking independence.
Peters, currently serving as Deputy PM under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, is the founder and leader of the populist and nationalist New Zealand First party. He began his tenure by publicly chided the media just days after the country’s new government was formed on November 27, 2023. He questioned, in particular, the USD 55 million public interest journalism fund set up by the previous government during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which he claimed was used to “bribe” the media.
He asked journalists to stop being “mathematical morons,” and, at one point during a Cabinet meeting, he dared journalists to be “transparent”:
Before you go, can you possibly tell the public what you had to sign up to to get the money? Before you ask one more question, tell the public what you signed up to to get the money.
Peters is a veteran politician whose party lost in the 2020 election. During the October 2023 campaign period, he lambasted some journalists for being “corrupt” and “dirt merchants.” He repeated his charge about the media being biased during a parliamentary session during the first week of December.
Three conservative parties, including Peters’ New Zealand First party, formed a coalition to form a government. The new government has pledged to lower taxes, reduce bureaucracy, train more police, and ease inflation. They dislodged the former ruling Labour Party, which was globally praised for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic but faced local criticism for the rising cost of living.
In his rebuke of the public interest journalism fund, Peters didn't mention that it aimed to support local media companies that lost advertising revenue during the pandemic. The fund was managed by New Zealand on Air, an independent body. Andrew Shaw, a board member of the body, described Peters’ statement as “malicious” and “not truthful.” He subsequently resigned from his position since his statement undermined the impartiality of the body.
Sir Ian Taylor, founder and managing director of Animation Research and also a former board member of New Zealand on Air, wrote that Peters should apologize for his remarks. He also defended the credibility and independence of the body.
The only way journalists could access those funds was to have their applications approved by the New Zealand on Air board, a completely independent organisation. By making the claim that “you can’t defend USD 55 million of bribery” our Deputy Prime Minister just accused the full board of being complicit in his bribery claim and they, quite justifiably, should expect an apology for such an unwarranted, and potentially defamatory, claim. He certainly deserved much more than the slap over the wrist he got.
Tracy Watkins, editor of the Sunday Star-Times, wrote that Peters is engaging in “misdirection and misinformation” and that he is using his office “to further erode trust and respect in the media.” She also criticized the motives of authorities who echo the baseless claims of Peters about the media:
Why have so many powerful people bought into this argument? Because it muddies the boundary between truth and lies. Because a weakened media is good for them. What politician wouldn’t want that? They don’t particularly like being answerable to the media and they like even less the scrutiny that comes with public office.
Cédric Alviani, the Asia-Pacific bureau director of Reporters Without Borders, urged New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to affirm the government’s support for a free press. He also condemned the statements of Peters:
By making irresponsible comments about journalists in a context of growing mistrust of the New Zealand public towards the media, Deputy Prime Minister Peters is sending out a worrying signal about the newly-appointed government’s attitude towards the press.
Australian journalist pushes back against anti-LGBTQ+ trolls
Media groups expressed solidarity with queer journalist Patricia Karvelas
Originally published on Global Voices
Patricia Karvelas. Screenshot from YouTube video posted by ABC
Prominent TV and radio news anchor Patricia Karvelas was targeted by homophobic trolls after sharing her experience as a queer Australian journalist who had to guard her sexual identity for many years. Media groups expressed solidarity with Karvelas as they condemned the online abuse against the journalist.
Australia’s national broadcaster ABC interviewed several journalists, including Karvelas, who narrated the challenges they faced as LGBTQ+ individuals working in the media industry. After this, Karvelas was viciously trolled on social media. She wrote on X (Twitter):
Trolls target me for hours with vile stuff.
The stuff I’ve read is truly shocking I didn’t even share the worst. Sexualised homophobia it made me sick
My family is really proud of me thanks.
The last line refers to the nasty comments she received alleging that her Greek family is embarrassed about her sexual identity.
ABC news director Justin Stevens defended Karvelas and criticized media outlets that amplified the comments against the journalist.
It is disturbing, saddening and angering that Patricia should find herself the target of online trolling and abuse, much of it sexualised, homophobic and racist, just for speaking publicly about her life.
Media outlets should be combatting dangerous online abuse and gender-based and sexual bullying, and standing in solidarity with peers experiencing it, not disingenuously serving to amplify it.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism urged authorities to investigate the attacks against Karvelas as it highlighted how online harassment can gravely affect the personal and professional lives of journalists.
We strongly condemn the mistreatment she has faced and urge authorities to thoroughly investigate these acts of aggression and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The attacks against Karvelas serve as a reminder of the importance of standing up against online harassment and fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for journalists.
This abuse can have severe professional and personal consequences, leading to self-censorship, avoidance of certain topics, or even departure from the industry, adding to the existing gender disparity.
Karvelas discussed how she hid her sexuality from politicians and even some colleagues who seemed hostile to LGBTQ+ rights in her ABC interview. She said:
I was very careful among my colleagues who I perceived not to be supportive, [and] among politicians who I knew were hostile to gay rights, which were many.
Looking back, she shared her feelings about it.
I think back on those years with a great sense of sadness, that I wasn't able to be my full self at work.
I'm not dead yet so I can be myself now. But I don't think it should have been the case that I didn't get that experience in my youth.
She explained why she didn’t come forward to call out the LGBTQ+ discrimination in her workplace:
People would be surprised by that, because I think I'm well known in the public, and to anyone reading this piece who knows me, as being someone who does stand up and isn't really afraid of people.
But that's not what happens when you're in a social environment where people think gay jokes are funny. You just find it very hard to say anything without, you know, making yourself vulnerable, but also just being considered difficult all the time.
Finally, she acknowledges her role as a public figure and also her right to affirm her “authentic self”:
I don't want people to feel like I'm not their broadcaster. But equally if I'm not my authentic self, I can't do my job well.