A shocking police raid on the headquarters of Australia's public broadcaster, the Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in the week has been condemned by the media in Australia, as well as by international media and other public broadcasters, South Africa excluded.
On Wednesday Australian police carried out a shocking raid on the headquarters of Australia's ABC in Sydney, claiming that that country's broadcaster had allegedly published classified information in a 2017-series on alleged abuses by Australian special forces in Afghanistan.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) along with three IT-specialists spent 8 hours combing through the computers inside the ABC in search of the so-called "Afghan Files".
Ita Buttrose, ABC board chairperson, says the ABC will fight any attempt to muzzle the broadcaster and that the police raid was "designed to intimidate" as "a blunt signal of adverse consequences for news organisations who make life uncomfortable for policy makers and regulators by shining lights in dark corners and holding the powerful to account".
"While there are legitimate matters of national security that the ABC will always respect, the ABC Act and charter are explicit about the importance of an independent public broadcaster to Australian culture and democracy."
"Public interest is best served by the ABC doing its job, asking difficult questions and dealing with genuine whistle-blowers who risk their livelihoods and reputations to bring matters of grave import to the surface. Neither the journalists nor their sources should be treated as criminals."
"In my view, legitimate journalistic endeavours that expose flawed decision-making or matters that policy makers and public servants would simply prefer were secret, should not automatically and conveniently be classed as issues of national security."
"The onus must always be on the public’s right to know. If that is not reflected sufficiently in current law, then it must be corrected," says Ita Buttrose.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) condemned the raid on the ABC in a statement, saying "The police raid against our partners at ABC is an attack on press freedom which we at the BBC find troubling".
"At a time when the media is becoming less free across the world it is highly worrying if a public broadcaster is being targeted for doing its job of reporting in the public interest."
Canada's Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) condemned the raid on the ABC in a statement, saying "it's an attack on basic journalistic freedoms that are part of a democratic system".
"We also feel the public at large need to be concerned as well," says Jennifer McGuire, editor-in-chief and general manager of CBC News, in a statement.
"Protecting and defending a free press and its ability to report on institutions and governments without fear of reprisals is a foundational principle and a key to an open society."
New Zealand's Media Freedom Committee representing New Zealand media outlets like TVNZ, NZME, Mediaworks, RNZ and Allied Press says in a statement the raid on ABC is "part of a disturbing worldwide trend of security organisations targeting journalists for simply doing their job, an attack on press freedom, and an attempt to deter Australian journalists from doing their vital job".
"It's not unusual to hear of these sorts of media crackdowns in police states and authoritarian regimes, but it's unusual and extremely disturbing to see it happening in Australia. Journalism is not a crime and journalists should not be subjected to this sort of pressure for rightfully carrying out their work."
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was asked if it has any comment about the police raid on the ABC but has remained silent with SABC spokesperson Vuyo Mthembu who didn't respond to a media enquiry seeking comment.
