Journalist and Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom executive director Peter Greste is calling for stronger legal protections for media freedom in Australia.
In an opinion article for The Guardian, Greste argues that recent restrictions on journalists in the United States, along with actions by Australia’s One Nation party, highlight the limits of Australia’s existing protections for press freedom.
US President Donald Trump recently barred journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House. The organisations have challenged the decision in federal court, while major US television networks have suspended shared White House press-pool coverage in response.
Greste contrasts the US system with Australia, which does not have an express constitutional right to freedom of the press or freedom of speech. Australia instead has an implied constitutional freedom of political communication.
The Parliamentary Library says the High Court established that implied freedom in 1992. It is not a personal right, but a constitutional limit on legislative and government power, and laws can remain valid where a burden on political communication is considered proportionate to a legitimate policy goal.
Greste points to the 2019 Australian Federal Police search of the ABC in connection with its Afghan Files reporting as an example of the limits of relying on the implied freedom alone.
He says the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom is advocating a proposed media freedom bill that would recognise media freedom in Australian law and require courts and parliament to take the public interest in journalism into account when applying existing laws.
The proposed legislation has not yet been introduced into the Australian Parliament. Greste says the organisation expects to publish its proposed bill later in 2026.
Greste’s article is an opinion argument for legislative reform. It does not represent an existing Australian government bill or current law.
Australia By Aussie recently reported on the separate US dispute after Trump barred CNN, MS Now and Politico from White House access. US TV networks halt White House coverage after Trump ban.
Source: The Guardian and Parliamentary Library.
