Advocacy & Action

The Atlantic: This Is How Democracy Dies   The Atlantic published an article in the wake of the court's decision that found Maria Ressa guilty of cyber-libel 'for an article she did not write, edit, or supervise, of a crime that hadn’t even existed when the story was published.'   The piece explains the subtle but constant whittling away of…

In response to the cyber-libel court case in which Maria Ressa has been found guilty, AJF’s Peter Greste can be quoted as saying the following:   “This ruling sets an extraordinarily damaging precedent for press freedom in the Asia–Pacific region, and the world. “To suggest there was no political pressure in this case would be incredibly naïve. The Philippine government…

AJF joins the CPJ in condemning the targeting of journalists in the US riots   The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom stands in solidarity with our US colleagues. The targeting of journalists covering the demonstrations across the US is an extraordinary step backwards for their democracy, and global democracy. The Committee to Protect Journalists have released the following statement. We stand…

Why we need a Media Freedom Act The ABC has made the decision not to appeal the Federal Court ruling that the AFP’s warrant to conduct a raid of the ABC’s Ultimo offices was valid. It has decided it can’t litigate its way to reforming fundamentally bad laws. This further stresses the need for a Media Freedom Act. “The principle…

The Federal Court recently ruled that the AFP raids on ABC offices in Ultimo were valid. The ABC have today announced they will not lodge an appeal. This decision is unsurprising, and comes as a result of the current legislative landscape. Once again, another sign we need a Media Freedom Act. ABC's Managing Director, David Anderson, said "This outcome demonstrates…

A free press is not about special treatment for the media, but ensuring our governments are held to account, writes Professor Peter Greste. The ABC’s failed court bid is yet another blow — and we should all be worried.   On Monday, the Federal Court issued a judgment that I suspect will come to be seen as a pivotal moment…

Media Release: Federal Court judgement confirms the need for a Media Freedom Act   In a major blow to press freedom in Australia, the Federal Court has ruled that the search warrants the Australian Federal Police used to raid the ABC last year were valid. The AJF believes the case underscores the urgent need for a Media Freedom Act, to…