We run very lean. We have one full-time executive director. We rent one desk in the CBD with resources donated by Wilkinson Butler and Gilbert + Tobin.

Our activities include:

• Leading the conversation on reform. Our White Paper, developed with Gilbert + Tobin, has set the agenda for the reform of news and media in Australia. We also contribute to parliamentary inquiries by writing submissions and attending hearings when required.
• Calling for a Media Freedom Act. Australia is the only liberal democracy without explicit protections for media freedom. We are writing a draft Act that fills that badly needed void. Our draft includes a new approach to defining journalism as a process rather than a particular class of individual.
• Calling for a professional journalists’ association. Unlike most other professions such as engineering, surgeons and accountants, there is no association for journalists in Australia to uphold ethics and standards. We are developing a model association to meet that need.
• Developing relationships in Canberra. This includes advancing a national dialogue that brings together security forces, government, publishers and journalists to develop common goals that strengthen democracy.
• Contributing to public awareness. We aim to be amongst the first to comment on issues related to media freedom, with a nimble response led by our spokesperson, Professor Peter Greste.
• Building relationships. We work with leading companies and individuals in the industry and are always seeking opportunities for partnerships and collaborations that benefit the future of journalism.
• Coordinating and developing the AJF’s Major Projects.