Almost exactly two years ago, the Australian Federal Police executed a search warrant at the ABC’s headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney. That raid, and the search the day before of News Corp reporter Annika Smethurst’s home, produced an outcry. But what has happened since? Two inquiries, two reports, and precious little else, reports ABC Alumni’s press freedom spokesperson Jonathan Holmes. Australia still suffers from ‘excessive and unnecessary secrecy’.(A shorter version of this article was publishe...

By Jonathan Holmes / 14 June 2021 It’s a cliche to say that we all inhabit news silos these days but people pay to read stories that reflect and reinforce their views The other day I got angry enough about an editorial in the Australian newspaper – which castigated in vicious terms two of the ABC’s most accomplished journalists – that I wrote a letter to the editor. A waste of time, of course: the letter wasn’t published. So I posted it on Twitter, where it got thousands of likes, replies and r...

By Jonathan Holmes / 14 June 2021 It’s a cliche to say that we all inhabit news silos these days but people pay to read stories that reflect and reinforce their views The other day I got angry enough about an editorial in the Australian newspaper – which castigated in vicious terms two of the ABC’s most accomplished journalists – that I wrote a letter to the editor. A waste of time, of course: the letter wasn’t published. So I posted it on Twitter, where it got thousands of likes, replies and r...

In Part 2 of this essay on issues surrounding defamation law (see Part 1: ‘Ghosts Can’t Sue’), Jonathan Holmes looks at the Federal Court, which has become the forum of choice for defamation plaintiffs, including Ben Roberts-Smith and Christian Porter.  Why?  Largely because trial by jury is not available in the Federal Court.  Almost two years ago, the Council of Attorneys-General agreed that this should change.  So far, it has not.By Jonathan Holmes / 28 May 2021, updated 1 June 2021 What do ...

In Part 2 of this essay on issues surrounding defamation law (see Part 1: ‘Ghosts Can’t Sue’), Jonathan Holmes looks at the Federal Court, which has become the forum of choice for defamation plaintiffs, including Ben Roberts-Smith and Christian Porter.  Why?  Largely because trial by jury is not available in the Federal Court.  Almost two years ago, the Council of Attorneys-General agreed that this should change.  So far, it has not.By Jonathan Holmes / 28 May 2021, updated 1 June 2021 What do ...