Journalism Advocates Can Shine A Light On Injustice

Michael Hedges March 22, 2021 - Follow on Twitter

Professional organizations offer valuable cohesion for those who toil in the media sphere. This goes beyond the usual newsletters and awards ceremonies. Advocacy is no longer reserved for unions. These groups identify with specific interests and no longer shy away from difficult or controversial positions. After all, the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic malaise threatens each. And, too, don’t forget the dictators.

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) is reconsidering alignment with the Australian Press Council, said a statement (March 19) by organization vice president Karen Percy appealing for member feedback. “Members have raised concerns about the lack of financial transparency at the Press Council and rulings that are increasingly out of step with community expectations,” she prefaced the question. The expectation is “genuine redress in lapses” in standards.

The MEAA, referred to as The Alliance, is a labor union and professional organization representing the broad expanse of artists and entertainers to technicians and, even, advertising people. Ms Percy heads the organization’s media sector that includes broadcasting and publishing workers. MEAA absorbed the Australian Journalists Association in 1992.

The Australian Press Council (APC) represents publishers. It is the epitome of structural self-regulation promoting standards and practices as well as adjudicating complaints, from workplace issues to fake news and hate speech. At a recent Australian Senate hearing, an official of the United Firefighters Union described the APC as “toothless” when he pursued “corrective justice,” quoted by The New Daily (March 13), against the Melbourne Herald Sun, published by News Corporation, principally owned by the Murdoch family. The APC has not released a report on complaints, reportedly more than 700 a year, since 2019. The MEAA withdrew from the APC in 1986 and rejoined in 2005.

UK Society of Editors (SoE) executive director Ian Murray resigned earlier this month. His position became untenable after dismissing Prince Harry’s observation - in that famous Oprah Winfrey interview - that the “UK press is bigoted, specifically the tabloids.” Racism, systemic and institutional, was intentionally or not the crux of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ TV interview. Racism then became the whole of the UK news cycle.

“The UK media is not bigoted and will not be swayed from its vital role holding the rich and powerful to account following the attack on the press by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” said Mr. Murray to BBC News (March 10). This led to a storm of criticism from much - but not all - of the UK media sector. SoE is a trade lobbyist for UK national and regional media organizations. Board members were “furious” at being caught off guard by Mr. Murray’s statement. Subsequent statements by SoE president Alison Gow were dismissed as “tone deaf.”

On the other side, Mr. Murray was “hounded out of his job,” offered former Sun executive editor Fergus Shanahan. The UK tabloids had “bent over backwards to give Meghan a warm welcome,” he continued, and “bent over backwards to indulge whining Harry.” The tabloid Sun is published by News UK, principally owned by the Murdoch family.

More than 100 member organizations made clear their displeasure. Scheduled hosts and award nominees for the SoE’s National Press Awards, planned for March 31st, withdrew from participation. A week later the organization “decided to postpone the National and Regional Press Awards until later this year,” reported PressGazette (March 19).

Meanwhile, where lives are on the line. the Belarus Association of Journalists (BAJ) remains a fierce advocate for press and media freedom. Through a global network of supporters the BAJ does the next most important job: keeping up pressure. The BAJ brought attention to the “politically motivated” jail terms recently handed out to TUT.BY and Belsat reporters. Security services raided the BAJ Minsk offices in February, detaining chairperson Andrei Bastunets and others. Three days later the US Department of State applied sanctions to two dozen Belarusian officials, citing the BAJ raid.

“Wearing a journalist vest in Belarus doesn’t protect you, you a target,” said Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya to European Union diplomats, quoted by Euractiv (March 8) “Belarussian reporters are taking risks every day to provide the audience with objective information, thanks to them the world knows the truth about what’s happened in our country.”

See also...

• Hot Topics - Journalist Unions and Associations

• Hot Topics - Media in Australia

• Hot Topics - Media in the UK

• Hot Topics - Media in Belarus