Press Release: AJF Calls for Action to Safeguard Democracy

The Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom is joining the launch of the Democracy Counts campaign in Canberra on Thursday July 2, to support public interest journalism in Australia.

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“In a world of digital, legal and economic disruption, Australian journalism is increasingly losing its capacity to hold politicians accountable, and support healthy public debate,” said the AJF’s Executive Director Peter Greste. “Journalism has always been a fundamental pillar of a functioning democracy, yet the laws and regulations that support press freedom in Australia have not met the digital moment.”

Australia is the only liberal democracy that does not have press freedom written into a bill of rights, and at the same time, the digital revolution had undermined its financial model and public confidence.

“It’s important to remember that the reason we privilege press freedom is because we all need good, reliable, independent sources of information, and people who can hold the government accountable. Without them, we can’t have good public debate or make healthy democratic choices,” he said. “But between crashing finances, creeping national security legislation and social media companies that fail to support journalists, we are losing one of the key things that has made our democracy one of the world’s most successful.”

Professor Greste will be joining the launch of the new, cross-party, Parliamentary Friends of Democracy group on the morning of July 2, followed by a news conference alongside key members of the Democracy Counts campaign. The campaign has identified support for public interest journalism as one of its central themes, alongside reforms to electoral funding and lobbying, increased independence of the public service, boosted civics education and media reforms to ensure Australians get the facts about what truly matters.

Democracy Counts is a non-partisan alliance of 35 organisations with diverse interests, but a shared commitment to   safeguarding democracy.

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In a show of support for the government's News Bargaining Incentive, Democracy Counts research found 64% of Australians support a tax on large social media companies to fund public interest journalism and re-establish regional media where it has been lost.

PRESS CONFERENCE: DEMOCRACY COUNTS CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
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10:45am, Thursday 2 July 2026

Mural Hall, Australian Parliament House  

●       Tom Mooney, Democracy Counts

●       Dai Le, Independent MP for Fowler

●       Peter Greste, Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom

●       Lizzie O’Shea, Digital Rights Watch  

●       Claire Stutchbury, Local and Independent News Association

●       Holly Rankin, advocate and recording artist (Jack River)

For more information about the Democracy Counts campaign, visit www.democracycounts.org.au