Peter Greste - Alliance for Journalists' Freedom

Gaza is the worst of it, but across the world, journalism is under unprecedented assault.

If we criminalise, dismiss or sideline journalism that tells inconvenient truths, we will destroy our capacity for sensible public debate. As I write, the grim count of journalists killed in Gaza since last October has reached 97. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) puts the number slightly higher at 108. In the first 50 days of the conflict, journalists were being killed…

Peter Greste In News

How will Meta’s refusal to pay for news affect Australian journalism – and our democracy?

When we speak of media freedom, we generally mean it in terms of freedom from unnecessary legal restrictions, so journalists and their sources are not threatened with prosecution for exposing the misdeeds of governments. But yesterday’s announcement by Meta (Facebook’s parent company) that it will stop paying for Australian news content poses a different kind of threat to media freedom.…

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Media Releases, News

Australia’s secrecy laws include 875 offences. Reforms are welcome, but don’t go far enough for press freedom

In 2019, the New York Times declared that “Australia may well be the world’s most secretive democracy”. The Times published the piece shortly after the Australian Federal Police raided journalists from two news organisations, searching for evidence of sources for stories that were embarrassing to the government. Four years on, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus today released a comprehensive review of secrecy…

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Interviews, News

National security requires strong journalism and whistleblowing

It’s more than eight years since the heady days that followed my release from Egypt on terrorism charges back in 2015. At the time, I was hugely relieved to be at home, in a country that seemed committed to media freedom. You’ll appreciate that after Egypt, that mattered a lot to me. As the dust settled, I began to think…

Peter Greste In News

More than one journalist per day is dying in the Israel-Gaza conflict. This has to stop

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Gaza-Israel war has been the deadliest conflict for media workers since the organisation began counting statistics in 1992. At the time of writing, the committee said at least 39 journalists and media workers had been killed in the month since the war began. Reporters Without Borders put the number slightly higher at…

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

Journalists and security agencies need to talk to each other

AJF’s idea for a National Working Group is designed to help maintain the integrity of Australia's security, while protecting press freedom.

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

Have we learnt nothing from Bjelke-Petersen era?

If there is a time in a democracy when freedom of the press matters most, it’s during an election. That’s when we really think about the character and integrity of the people seeking our support in their campaign for public office. It’s not always pretty or dignified, but it is an essential part of how our democracy works. It’s also…

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Feature

Ressa’s conviction matters for the region

Maria Ressa’s conviction should matter to everyone who cares about democracy The media - in the Philippines and elsewhere - forces those in power to answer for the consequences of their policies. We can’t stand by while it is assaulted. By almost any measure, the conviction of Maria Ressa and her former colleague, researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr, will have serious…

Peter Greste In Feature, News

The crucial role & responsibility of the free press in a crisis

Sometimes it takes deeply shocking events to remind us why we need certain social institutions to work freely and effectively. We’re now not just having a pandemic, but we've also had a drought and a catastrophic bushfire season to underscore – in red ink – just how important it is to have a well-resourced and genuinely free media that does…

Peter Greste In Advocacy & Action, Feature, News

Peter Greste: ABC raid judgment is a danger for democracy

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…