Press coverage of Scott Morrison’s secret ministries has, understandably, largely focused on the actions of the former prime minister. Apart from Matthew Ricketson’s sharp analysis in the Conversation, there has been little commentary on the conduct of Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers, the journalists who broke the news in the Weekend Australian in advance of publishing a book giving the ‘inside story’ of the Morrison government’s handling of the pandemic. Ricketson focuses on the question of the influence that insider access can have on the story that is told. But apart from the issue of objectivity, there is Benson’s and Chambers’ decision to keep the news from the public for two years until Morrison had left office and they had finished the book. This decision raises ethical questions that go to the very heart of journalism’s role in a democratic society.
The solicitor-general’s advice on the matter averred that Morrison’s failure to inform the public and the parliament of his appointments ‘fundamentally undermined’ the ‘principles of responsible government’. The question becomes: Is there a similar principle of responsible journalism that applies when the media have access to information that is not public knowledge? Do journalists have a duty to inform the public? As it happens, such a duty can be found in many professional journalistic codes. Standard 1 of Australia’s professional journalistic code, the MEAA Code of Ethics, states, ‘Report and interpret honestly, striving for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts. Do not suppress relevant available facts, or give distorting emphasis.’ The Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists states that ‘Respect for the facts and for the right of the public to truth is the first duty of the journalist.’ And the preamble to the USA’s Society of Professional Journalists’ code reads, ‘… public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough.’
In their articulation of this principle, journalistic codes show that there is an important link between freedom of the press and the public’s right to know. The first arises from the second. This is why, in being granted the privilege of access and the freedom to uncover and speak the truth, the press also has a duty to inform. Perhaps ironically, this link is made clear in the messaging of the Right to Know media coalition, which counts Benson’s and Chambers’ employer, News Corp, among its members.
Michael Davis, CMT Research Fellow
This article was featured in our newsletter of 2 September 2022, read it in full here.
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