The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom and the media union have defended an ABC Four Corners crew after they were criticised for filming a protest action at the home of the Woodside chief executive, Meg O’Neill.
The Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, has written to the ABC chair, Ita Buttrose, to complain about the “morally wrong” attendance, the West Australian reported.
The front page of Friday's The West Australian. pic.twitter.com/PpQEWn1zoQ
— The West Australian (@westaustralian) August 3, 2023
The West Australian newspaper targeted the ABC and the protesters on its front page on Friday and News Corp outlets have been critical of the ABC for attending the protest.
EXCLUSIVE: Roger Cook has penned a withering letter to ABC chair Ita Buttrose, blasting the public broadcaster over its “morally wrong” attendance at the home of Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill as it was descended on by climate protesters. https://t.co/YXC1R9Byle
— The West Australian (@westaustralian) August 3, 2023
The executive director of the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom and professor of journalism at Macquarie University, Peter Greste, said he was surprised the ABC had been attacked for doing something routine like reporting on a protest.
“There’s no suggestion that they were supportive of the protesters,” Greste said. “What they’re doing was simply covering the protests. That’s legitimate journalism.”
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance deputy chief executive, Adam Portelli, said no one should restrict access to journalists covering a protest.
“News reporters receive tip-offs about protests and other events all the time and have a clear right to attend them for the purpose of providing public interest journalism,” Portelli said.
“It would be unacceptable for governments or police to restrict journalists’ access to events of this type.”
Greste, a former Al Jazeera correspondent who was sentenced to seven years’ prison by the Egyptian authorities, said the ABC did nothing unusual in attending the protest. Greste was released in 2015 after serving 13 months in jail.
“If the ABC didn’t incite the protest, and there’s no suggestion that they did, and they didn’t trespass, and there’s no suggestion that they trespassed, and they didn’t disrupt the police, then I fail to see what the problem is,” Greste said.
“And I think we can say that, if the ABC didn’t show up, then there could equally be justifiable criticism of censoring.”
The ABC said the Four Corners team attended the protest action to gather material for a potential report later this year.
“Just prior to the action the team received a tip to go to an address, they had no knowledge what was at the address or that it was someone’s house,” a spokesperson said.
“They had no knowledge of what action was going to occur there.
“When they arrived the police were already in attendance, in numbers.
“The ABC team remained on public land observing what was happening and getting some vision, as journalists do.
“They at no time went on to private property or had any involvement in what was happening.
“The ABC team in no way colluded with the activists.”
