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How far has News Digital come in 20 years?
(L-R: News Digital’s founding editor Bob Johnston in the newsroom named after him with current Managing Editor Stuart Watt and Director of News Gaven Morris - Photo: Tim Leslie)
At a recent function to mark the 20th anniversary of ABC News Digital, the Brisbane headquarters of the service was renamed the ‘Bob Johnston Newsroom’. As current Managing Editor Stuart Watt writes, it’s a fitting tribute to News Digital’s founding editor.
By Stuart Watt
It’s fair to say Bob Johnston played a key role in shaping the ABC News division we know today.
Bob was a pioneer of digital news in Australia. He launched ABC News Online – now known as ABC News Digital – 20 years ago, when the world wide web was first taking hold in popular consciousness.
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VIDEO: This video produced in 1998 explains the News Online operation in the early days, followed by a video outlining the scale of News Digital today.
Bob would be the first to admit he had no idea what lay ahead. But there’s a reason for that – no-one did. When we established News Online’s first newsroom, just six of us in a converted underground carpark on the ABC’s old Toowong site in Brisbane, we had an inkling that the internet could become quite important. But we had no idea it would be such a dominant force for societal change, or that it would shake-up the news business forever.
In those days, broadband was a distant dream. Access via a 56k modem (remember that sound!) was the “information superhighway”. I remember the buzz around the office the first time we added a photo to a story. Where would this technical wizardry end? We have come so far in the intervening two decades. And much of the credit for that progress can be sheeted home to Bob.
(Bob’s surprise when he saw the sign ‘Bob Johnston Newsroom’ unveiled - Photo: Tim Leslie)
These days we all accept digital is an important part of the news mix. For younger Australians, it’s the primary platform for news consumption. But 20 years ago, it was little more than a distraction. Why would we invest time, effort and (heaven forbid) money in what was clearly a novelty? Surely in TV and radio, we had pure news media. This internet thing would never catch on. When we suggested segmenting stories from the 7pm news to distribute online, we were lectured on the “synergy” of the 7pm bulletin. “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” we were told.
A lesser man would have folded in the teeth of what varied from ambivalence to outright hostility. But not Bob. It’s due to his tenacity that News Online was able to grow. From six people to eight, eight to 12, then to 18, 20 and beyond. Today, there are more than 100 people in digital roles across the News division.
(L-R: Stuart Watt, Bob Johnston and Bob’s son Nathan - Photo: Tim Leslie)
So what kind of a leader was Bob? First and foremost, he was a journo’s journo. Bob has a great nose for a story. He started his career in newspapers in Townsville, before joining the ABC bureau as a radio reporter there. Eventually he came to Brisbane where he reported on politics for radio news. He moved into management, serving as the Queensland Radio News Editor until that post, and its TV equivalent, were merged after the 1996 Federal Budget.
While no luddite, Bob was never quite on the cutting edge of new technology. But he was a great champion for those who were. He fostered a great spirit of experimentation in the News Online newsroom, never afraid to try something new. In his time at the helm we racked up an impressive list of firsts – the first rolling, online breaking news service in Australia, first with “read for the web” audio bulletins, first to post regional news online, first with TV-style video news – even at a time when only a handful of Australians could view such a service, so appalling were dial-up speeds.
(Stuart Watt and his Digital team celebrate 20 years - Photo: Tim Leslie)
To do all this Bob had to win the funding argument with people who thought he was speaking a different language. He cajoled, begged, pleaded and threatened to win resources. And he was cunning – in a good way, of course. If there has been a better “operator” in the ABC in the past 20 years, I’d like to shake that person’s hand.
Bob also had a great capacity to inspire people, to lay out the vision and to win from them complete buy-in. This was vital for our survival. From the very start, News Online recruited young go-getters with very little experience. But Bob also had to convince experienced broadcast journos to leave the safety of radio and TV and take a punt on us. That so many of them did is a credit to their professional bravery, and to Bob’s ability to sell them the fairytale.
Once you were on the News Online team, it was easy to give Bob 100 per cent loyalty. We knew he would go to the barricades and stare down the guns for us, even when we were in the wrong. In return, he demanded our best, every shift, every week. And he wasn’t above giving a bollocking. The unfortunate person would be summoned to his office, the door would shut, the venetian blinds would be twisted shut and a sombre silence would descend on the newsroom until the victim emerged. He was always fair, but Bob could be hard when he had to be.
(Director of News Gaven Morris talks about the significance of the phone in journalism today - Photo: Tim Leslie)
Almost everything we do in digital spaces at ABC News today owes its origins to Bob, but his greatest legacy is less tangible. In his time as News Online’s editor, Bob built a team with an amazing culture. It’s tough being the digital disruptor in a broadcast organisation. It would be easy to wallow in self-pity. But Bob wouldn’t allow that. Our approach was to strive for continuous improvement, to pull together – one cohesive unit striving to serve our audience as well as possible every day. It’s a culture that has built incredible resilience and seen the team punch above its weight to this day. There is nothing the News Digital team cannot cope with. And that’s due to the traits Bob instilled in the team from its earliest days.
For 13 sometimes difficult years Bob battled every day to build the service that more than 4 million Australians now use every month. He’s done it with great integrity and with his own brand of self-deprecating humour. He’s been a great mentor and friend through some incredibly difficult times for many.
This month we recognised that contribution by naming the Brisbane HQ of News Digital the Bob Johnston Newsroom. It’s a fitting tribute to a great news man.
(Bob Johnston with some members of the original News Online team - Photo: Tim Leslie)
More stories about ABC News Digital here.
Click here to return to the Back Story home page or catch up on stories from the past four years on our archive page.
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Tech platforms 'pretty happy' with news media bargaining code, suspects Gaven Morris
Tech platforms ‘pretty happy’ with news media bargaining code, suspects Gaven Morris
Former director of news at the ABC and newly appointed CEO at Bastion Transform, Gaven Morris has warned that a mixed-modeling approach to publicly-funded journalism could become a “slippery slope”.
Speaking on this week’s Mumbrellacast, to be released tomorrow, Morris said “I think we’ve got to be really careful to be honest because you’ll see some of the big tech and digital platform stamping…
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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/australian-journalists-flown-out-of-china-amid-diplomatic-standoff/
Australian journalists flown out of China 'amid diplomatic standoff'
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media caption‘This was a whirlwind and it’s not a particularly good experience’
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The last two reporters working in China for Australian media have flown home after a five-day diplomatic standoff.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review’s Mike Smith landed in Sydney on Tuesday.
Chinese authorities questioned both men before their departure. The ABC reported Birtles was “not asked about his reporting or conduct in China”.
Relations between Australia and China have deteriorated in recent years.
There had been allegations of Chinese interference in Australian society in the past, but ties worsened after Canberra backed an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
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a record 17 foreign journalists were expelled from the country in the first half of 2020.
Australian Foreign Minister (AFR) Marise Payne said consular officials had assisted the pair in returning home.
“I also want to note that Australia is of course a strong supporter of media freedom, freedom of the press, and that it is disappointing that after many years, Australia will not have a media organisation present in China for some period of time,” she added in a statement on Tuesday.
The AFR reported that Chinese authorities had questioned the journalists about Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist for Chinese state media who has been detained since last month.
In their first comments on the detention, the Chinese foreign ministry said she was being held on “national security grounds”.
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What happened to the pair?
The ABC reported that Australian diplomats advised Mr Birtles and ABC management last week that he should leave China. He was then booked on a flight due to leave Beijing last Thursday.
But the situation escalated last Wednesday at midnight when seven Chinese police officers visited the reporter’s apartment as he held farewell drinks with friends, the ABC reported.
The officers told Mr Birtles he could not leave the country and would later be questioned over a “national security case”, the report said.
He immediately contacted Australian consular officials, who collected him and took him to the Australian embassy, where he spent the next four days.
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image copyrightABC
image captionMike Smith and Bill Birtles departed from Shanghai on Monday
During that time, he was interviewed by Chinese police in the presence of Australia’s ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher.
Mr Smith, who is based in Shanghai, also received a visit by police – prompting him to go to the Australian consulate there. Both men were questioned over Ms Lei, the AFR reported.
They were allowed to leave the country in exchange for agreeing to be interviewed by police.
What’s been the reaction?
“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances,” Mr Birtles said in Sydney.
“It’s a relief to be back in the country with genuine rule of law. But this was a whirlwind and it’s not a particularly good experience.”
The AFR’s editors, Michael Stutchbury and Paul Bailey, said they were glad both journalists were safe.
“This incident targeting two journalists, who were going about their normal reporting duties, is both regrettable and disturbing and is not in the interests of a co-operative relationship between Australia and China,” they said in a joint statement.
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By anyone’s standards, what happened with these two journalists is a worrying development.
Bill Birtles and Mike Smith were the last correspondents for Australian media working in China. Their evacuation means for the first time since the mid-1970s, there are no accredited Australian journalists in the country.
China is not only Australia’s key trading partner and the biggest customer for its coal and iron ore, but it’s also one of its most important stories to cover. As tensions rise between Beijing and Canberra, the need for journalists on the ground in China becomes ever more crucial.
The ABC’s news director, Gaven Morris, said: “The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians and we want to continue having our people on the ground to cover it.”
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But as both countries continue to exchange political and diplomatic jabs – and with China’s broader crackdown on Western journalists – it’s hard to see when Australian reporters will be allowed back.
This development is not only a critical marker in the relationship between the two countries, it will no doubt affect Australian media coverage of this important story.
Why are Australia-China ties strained?
The countries rely heavily on each other for trade, but their relationship has soured in recent years, amid allegations of Chinese interference in Australian society.
Ties have deteriorated further this year after Canberra backed an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.
In actions widely viewed as retaliatory, Beijing has since imposed restrictions on Australian exports such as beef, barley and wine. It has also warned Chinese tourists and students about racism in Australia.
In July, Australia warned its citizens they may face “arbitrary detention” in China – a travel warning that remains in place.
Canberra has also expressed concerns about human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and urged China to release detained Australians such as Yang Hengjun, a democracy activist who has been held for 19 months without trial.
The case of Ms Lei – made public last week – has been shrouded in secrecy.
The Melbourne-raised presenter for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN is being held in a secret location for unknown reasons, according to Australian officials.
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Australia
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Australian police raids force debate over protections for media and leakers
MELBOURNE, Australia — It was a scoop that shook Australia’s political and military worlds to the core: a leaked report in 2017 about possible unlawful killings by soldiers in Afghanistan.
Two years later, the story and its fallout are part of a case that has ignited a furious debate in Australia about media freedom, protections for whistleblowers and the extent of laws that claim to safeguard national security.
“It’s not just about the media,” said John Lyons, the executive news editor at the Australian Broadcasting Corp., the country’s main public television and radio outlet.
“It’s about any person out there who wants to tell the media about a bad hospital, or a school that’s not working, or a corrupt local council. The message from the [Australian Federal Police] to all of those people is: Watch out, because we will be able to find out who you are and we will come after you.”
Lyons made the comments shortly after police raids last week on the home of Annika Smethhurst, an Australian political journalist, and the offices of the public broadcasting network, known as ABC.
The police say the investigations include efforts to trace the leaks that led to ABC’s report about the Afghanistan killings, and Smethurst’s report last year on plans to extend powers to spy on Australians.
Gaven Morris, director of news at ABC, is pictured outside the main entrance of the ABC building on June 5. (David Gray/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Smethurst’s home in Canberra was searched for seven hours. At ABC’s suburban Sydney’s headquarters, police took away an estimated 9,000 documents.
It was unclear whether prosecutions could follow.
But the reaction to the raids was widespread and instant — examining the lengths authorities can go in Australia to potentially punish journalists and officials for exposing uncomfortable truths.
[Opinions: Australia is at war with journalists]
Australia has no constitutional protection for freedom of speech. There is, however, a deterrent to whistleblowers and other sources. It is known as Section 70, which makes it a crime for any public official to share information without lawful authority.
The logo for Australia’s public broadcaster ABC is pictured at its head office building in suburban Sydney on Sept. 27, 2018. (Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images)
“This would not have been able to happen in the U.S. under the Constitution, and my question is why is this allowed to happen in Australia in 2019?” Lyons said.
But it also reflects wider attacks on the media and pressure on leakers in Western democracies, sometimes retooling old espionage laws or using antiterrorism and security provisions set after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
In places with greater protections for journalists such as the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists noted an increase in attempts to prosecute leakers and other sources. At the same time, public trust in journalism has been under attack by President Trump’s denunciations of “fake news” and branding journalists “the enemy of the people.”
Last year, Australia expanded data surveillance powers and passed a new set of secrecy offenses that sparked concern about the future of public-interest and investigative journalism in Australia.
Johan Lidberg, a journalism professor at Monash University in Melbourne, told The Washington Post that the raids had been coming for some time.
“It’s an international disgrace and an embarrassment, but this did not happen all of a sudden,” he said. “This activity has been building since 9/11 with the introduction of hyper security legislation and anti-terror laws.”
Peter Greste, director of the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, called it “a message to whistleblowers.”
“It has a very serious chilling effect on the prospects of anybody who is considering blowing the whistle on similar cases and also for journalists,” he said.
The raids have stirred calls for a legislative overhaul of security and antiterrorism laws in Australia to protect media freedom and whistleblowers.
On Tuesday, top ABC executives met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to discuss possible changes to laws governing journalism, but no clear proposals were made public.
Changes are unlikely to be easy. Australia has more national security laws than any other nation, said Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, senior lecturer at the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland.
“One of the most disturbing outcomes is not prosecutions or even the raids themselves, but the chilling of public interest journalism,” she wrote in an article for the Conversation, an online news site.
“Sources are less likely to come forward, facing risk to themselves and a high likelihood of identification by government agencies,” she added. “And journalists are less likely to run stories, knowing the risks posed to their sources and perhaps even to themselves.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR ABC NEWS? DIRECTOR GAVEN MORRIS OUTLINES HIS VISION AT THE MELBOURNE PRESS CLUB
(Director of ABC News Gaven Morris addresses the Melbourne Press Club lunch - Photo: MPC)
In an address to the Melbourne Press Club in March, ABC News Director Gaven Morris has spoken about the future of journalism in the digital age and his vision to ensure television and radio stories have an ‘equal digital life’ and reach new and broader audiences.
“A big story told well with a trusted brand can reach bigger audiences than we ever imagined when we [only] had radio and television. If you’ve got a taxpayer funded service to provide trusted news and information, our task has got to be to at least try our very hardest to be as relevant as we possibly can to the broadest cross-section of the community. That doesn’t mean that everything we do must be relevant to every single person, but we have got to be trying our hardest to show every Australian value for every dollar they’ve invested in us.”
Watch the speech in full here.
(Gaven Morris with Michael Rowland, News Breakfast host and Melbourne Press Club President and Barrie Cassidy, Insiders host - Photo: MPC)
#gaven morris#equal digital life#melbourne press club#mpc#barrie cassidy#michael rowland#journalism#news talk
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ABC says Natasha Exelby won't be fired over TV blooper, but is off air
ABC says Natasha Exelby won’t be fired over TV blooper, but is off air
Freelance journalist spoke the riot act by bulletin administration after sequence of gaffes and offered more prepare, but will remain in informal creation role
A informal journalist at the ABC, Natasha Exelby, has been taken off air after she missed her cue on live TV and video of her spectacular reaction croaked viral.
The ABC director of bulletin, Gaven Morris, has revoked Exelby is being…
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New top story from Time: ‘It’s So Good to Be Home.’ Journalists Working for Australian Media Leave China After Sheltering in Diplomatic Compounds
(CANBERRA, Australia) — The last two journalists working for Australian media in China have left the country after police demanded interviews with them, the Australian government and their employers reported on Tuesday.
Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s Michael Smith landed in Sydney after flying from Shanghai on Monday night, both news outlets reported.
Both had sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds in recent days.
The journalists left after Australia revealed last week that Australian citizen Cheng Lei, business news anchor for CGTN, China’s English-language state media channel, had been detained.
Australian embassy officials in Beijing told Birtles last week that he should leave China, ABC reported.
Birtles was due to depart Beijing on Thursday and was holding a farewell party on Wednesday when seven police officers arrived at his apartment and told him he was banned from leaving the country, ABC said.
Birtles was told he would be contacted on Thursday to organize a time to be questioned about a “national security case,” ABC said.
Birtles went to the Australian embassy where he spent four days while Australian and Chinese officials negotiated.
Birtles agreed to given police a brief interview in return for being allowed to leave the country.
Smith had similarly holed up at the Australian consulate in Shanghai.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed that her government had provided consular support to the two journalists to assist their return to Australia.
“Our embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Shanghai engaged with Chinese government authorities to ensure their wellbeing and return to Australia,” she said.
Australia’s travel warning of the risk of arbitrary detention in China “remains appropriate and unchanged,” she added.
ABC news director Gaven Morris said Birtles was brought back to Australia on the Australian government’s advice.
“This bureau is a vital part of the ABC’s international newsgathering effort and we aim to get back there as soon as possible,” Morris said.
“The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians and we want to continue having our people on the ground to cover it,” he added.
The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury and editor Paul Bailey described the situation as “disturbing.”
“This incident targeting two journalists, who were going about their normal reporting duties, is both regrettable and disturbing and is not in the interests of a co-operative relationship between Australia and China,” they said in a statement.
Relations between China and Australia were already strained by Australia outlawing covert interference in politics and banning communications giant Huawei from supplying critical infrastructure. They have worsened since the Australian government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of and international responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Birtles told reporters at Sydney airport that his departure was a “whirlwind and … not a particularly good experience.”
“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a c country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.
Smith told his newspaper: “The late-night visit by police at my home was intimidating and unnecessary and highlights the pressure all foreign journalists are under in China right now.”
Smith said at the airport he had felt “a little bit” threatened in China.
“It’s so good to be home, so happy, I can’t say any more at the moment, it’s such a relief to be home, so really happy,” Smith said.
“It was a complicated experience but it’s great to be here,” he added.
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(CANBERRA, Australia) — The last two journalists working for Australian media in China have left the country after police demanded interviews with them, the Australian government and their employers reported on Tuesday.
Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s Michael Smith landed in Sydney after flying from Shanghai on Monday night, both news outlets reported.
Both had sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds in recent days.
The journalists left after Australia revealed last week that Australian citizen Cheng Lei, business news anchor for CGTN, China’s English-language state media channel, had been detained.
Australian embassy officials in Beijing told Birtles last week that he should leave China, ABC reported.
Birtles was due to depart Beijing on Thursday and was holding a farewell party on Wednesday when seven police officers arrived at his apartment and told him he was banned from leaving the country, ABC said.
Birtles was told he would be contacted on Thursday to organize a time to be questioned about a “national security case,” ABC said.
Birtles went to the Australian embassy where he spent four days while Australian and Chinese officials negotiated.
Birtles agreed to given police a brief interview in return for being allowed to leave the country.
Smith had similarly holed up at the Australian consulate in Shanghai.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed that her government had provided consular support to the two journalists to assist their return to Australia.
“Our embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Shanghai engaged with Chinese government authorities to ensure their wellbeing and return to Australia,” she said.
Australia’s travel warning of the risk of arbitrary detention in China “remains appropriate and unchanged,” she added.
ABC news director Gaven Morris said Birtles was brought back to Australia on the Australian government’s advice.
“This bureau is a vital part of the ABC’s international newsgathering effort and we aim to get back there as soon as possible,” Morris said.
“The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians and we want to continue having our people on the ground to cover it,” he added.
The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury and editor Paul Bailey described the situation as “disturbing.”
“This incident targeting two journalists, who were going about their normal reporting duties, is both regrettable and disturbing and is not in the interests of a co-operative relationship between Australia and China,” they said in a statement.
Relations between China and Australia were already strained by Australia outlawing covert interference in politics and banning communications giant Huawei from supplying critical infrastructure. They have worsened since the Australian government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of and international responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Birtles told reporters at Sydney airport that his departure was a “whirlwind and … not a particularly good experience.”
“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a c country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.
Smith told his newspaper: “The late-night visit by police at my home was intimidating and unnecessary and highlights the pressure all foreign journalists are under in China right now.”
Smith said at the airport he had felt “a little bit” threatened in China.
“It’s so good to be home, so happy, I can’t say any more at the moment, it’s such a relief to be home, so really happy,” Smith said.
“It was a complicated experience but it’s great to be here,” he added.
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Last two Australian journalists leave China after local police demands interviews
Canberra: The last two journalists working for Australian media in China have left the country after police demanded interviews with them, the Australian government and Australian Broadcasting Corp reported on Tuesday.
ABC's Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review's Michael Smith landed in Sydney after flying from Shanghai on Monday night, ABC reported.
Both had sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds in recent days.
Chinese police arrived at Birtles' doorstep last week, demanded he submit to questioning and told him he was banned from leaving the country, the ABC reported.
Australian and Chinese officials negotiated for the travel ban to be lifted if Birtles spoke to police.
The journalists left after Australia revealed last week that Australian citizen Cheng Lei, business news anchor for CGTN, China’s English-language state media channel, had been detained.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed that her government had provided consular support to the two journalists to assist their return to Australia.
“Our embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Shanghai engaged with Chinese government authorities to ensure their wellbeing and return to Australia,” she said.
Australia's travel warning of the risk of arbitrary detention in China “remains appropriate and unchanged,” she added.
ABC new director Gaven Morris said Birtles was brought back to Australia on the Australian government's advice.
“This bureau is a vital part of the ABC’s international newsgathering effort and we aim to get back there as soon as possible,” Morris said.
"The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians and we want to continue having our people on the ground to cover it, he added.
Relations between China and Australia were already strained by Australia outlawing covert interference in politics and banning communications giant Huawei from supplying critical infrastructure. They have worsened since the Australian government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of and international responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Birtles told reporters at Sydney airport that his departure was a “whirlwind and ... not a particularly good experience.”
“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.
Smith said at the airport he had felt “a little bit” threatened in China.
"It’s so good to be home, so happy, I can’t say any more at the moment, it’s such a relief to be home, so really happy,” Smith said.
"It was a complicated experience but it’s great to be here,” he added.
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(CANBERRA, Australia) — The last two journalists working for Australian media in China have left the country after police demanded interviews with them, the Australian government and their employers reported on Tuesday.
Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s Michael Smith landed in Sydney after flying from Shanghai on Monday night, both news outlets reported.
Both had sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds in recent days.
The journalists left after Australia revealed last week that Australian citizen Cheng Lei, business news anchor for CGTN, China’s English-language state media channel, had been detained.
Australian embassy officials in Beijing told Birtles last week that he should leave China, ABC reported.
Birtles was due to depart Beijing on Thursday and was holding a farewell party on Wednesday when seven police officers arrived at his apartment and told him he was banned from leaving the country, ABC said.
Birtles was told he would be contacted on Thursday to organize a time to be questioned about a “national security case,” ABC said.
Birtles went to the Australian embassy where he spent four days while Australian and Chinese officials negotiated.
Birtles agreed to given police a brief interview in return for being allowed to leave the country.
Smith had similarly holed up at the Australian consulate in Shanghai.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed that her government had provided consular support to the two journalists to assist their return to Australia.
“Our embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Shanghai engaged with Chinese government authorities to ensure their wellbeing and return to Australia,” she said.
Australia’s travel warning of the risk of arbitrary detention in China “remains appropriate and unchanged,” she added.
ABC news director Gaven Morris said Birtles was brought back to Australia on the Australian government’s advice.
“This bureau is a vital part of the ABC’s international newsgathering effort and we aim to get back there as soon as possible,” Morris said.
“The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians and we want to continue having our people on the ground to cover it,” he added.
The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury and editor Paul Bailey described the situation as “disturbing.”
“This incident targeting two journalists, who were going about their normal reporting duties, is both regrettable and disturbing and is not in the interests of a co-operative relationship between Australia and China,” they said in a statement.
Relations between China and Australia were already strained by Australia outlawing covert interference in politics and banning communications giant Huawei from supplying critical infrastructure. They have worsened since the Australian government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of and international responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Birtles told reporters at Sydney airport that his departure was a “whirlwind and … not a particularly good experience.”
“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a c country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.
Smith told his newspaper: “The late-night visit by police at my home was intimidating and unnecessary and highlights the pressure all foreign journalists are under in China right now.”
Smith said at the airport he had felt “a little bit” threatened in China.
“It’s so good to be home, so happy, I can’t say any more at the moment, it’s such a relief to be home, so really happy,” Smith said.
“It was a complicated experience but it’s great to be here,” he added.
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Thanks for the fun feedback.In 2008, Oudyn replaced Kathy Bowlen as the weekend presenter of ABC News Victoria.The 41 year old has also hosted Stateline Victoria and filled in on News Breakfast.Higgins is best known as the regular weather presenter on the Victorian bulletin.ABC news director Gaven Morris paid tribute to Henderson smooth presentation.knows the 7pm and understands how to speak to them, Morris said.a result, viewers have a unique connection with him and they miss him on their screens as we will miss him in the newsroom. Joined the ABC in 1980. He was ABC Europe correspondent for four years as well as a state political and industrial reporter.. Taking advantage of the fog, Sly waited for the race to begin, then let the rest of the pack to run off into the fog. He stopped, then just waited for the other racers to come around the track behind him. At that point he sped up and and left the other racers in his dust..
Recent Listening: van Nuis And Luxion Petra van Nuis Dennis Luxion, Because We Night People (Petra Sings) Singer van Nuis and pianist Luxion may not be household names outside of Chicago, but their taste and wide range . Read moreThe New York City Ballet Enters a New EraThe New York City Ballet presents its annual Fall Michael Kors Handbags Sale Clearance Gala Members of the New York City Ballet Jordan Release 2020 gather while Teresa Reichlen addresses the audience at the company Fall Fashion Gala. Photo: Yeezy 350 Release Date Erin Baiano The crowd . Read moreTax Cheat Circus KingA poem received from an unnamed source with an illustration from the NY Times. America top shitholer goes whole hog at the public trough, and never mind the rest of us, because that is the . Read moreSo you want to see a showHere my list of recommended Broadway, off Broadway, and out of town shows, updated weekly..
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'A chilling effect': Media companies forced to keep stories off Facebook
‘A chilling effect’: Media companies forced to keep stories off Facebook
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Media industry publication Mumbrella decided to stop sharing news stories on Facebook altogether in July, telling readers the risk outweighed the reward.
The ABC’s director of news Gaven Morris said: “We do choose not to publish some stories on Facebook and social platforms because we can’t ourselves control the comment streams that follow it.”
Professor Derek Wilding, co-director of…
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ABC’s Sydney headquarters raided by Australian federal police – video
AFP officers have raided the ABC’s Ultimo headquarters over reporting from 2017 looking into the clandestine operations of Australian special forces in Afghanistan. ABC news presenter Joe O’Brien was live on air as the the AFP entered the building. ‘There’s a raid happening right here at the ABC … just 100 metres or so that way,’ he said to camera while pointing over his shoulder. The ABC warrant names the broadcaster’s national reporting team reporters Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, as well as ABC news boss Gaven Morris. The raid on the national broadcaster comes less than 24 hours after the AFP served News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst a warrant to search her Canberra home, phone and computer, 14 months after she published a story over a top-secret proposal to expand the nation’s domestic surveillance agency’s capabilities
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ABC’s Sydney headquarters raided by Australian federal police – video syndicated from https://instarify.wordpress.com/
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AFP officers have raided the ABC’s Ultimo headquarters over reporting from 2017 looking into the clandestine operations of Australian special forces in Afghanistan. ABC news presenter Joe O’Brien was live on air as the the AFP entered the building. ‘There’s a raid happening right here at the ABC … just 100 metres or so that way,’ he said to camera while pointing over his shoulder. The ABC warrant names the broadcaster’s national reporting team reporters Dan Oakes and Sam Clark, as well as ABC news boss Gaven Morris. The raid on the national broadcaster comes less than 24 hours after the AFP served News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst a warrant to search her Canberra home, phone and computer, 14 months after she published a story over a top-secret proposal to expand the nation’s domestic surveillance agency’s capabilities
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(CANBERRA, Australia) — The last two journalists working for Australian media in China have left the country after police demanded interviews with them, the Australian government and their employers reported on Tuesday.
Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s Michael Smith landed in Sydney after flying from Shanghai on Monday night, both news outlets reported.
Both had sheltered in Australian diplomatic compounds in recent days.
The journalists left after Australia revealed last week that Australian citizen Cheng Lei, business news anchor for CGTN, China’s English-language state media channel, had been detained.
Australian embassy officials in Beijing told Birtles last week that he should leave China, ABC reported.
Birtles was due to depart Beijing on Thursday and was holding a farewell party on Wednesday when seven police officers arrived at his apartment and told him he was banned from leaving the country, ABC said.
Birtles was told he would be contacted on Thursday to organize a time to be questioned about a “national security case,” ABC said.
Birtles went to the Australian embassy where he spent four days while Australian and Chinese officials negotiated.
Birtles agreed to given police a brief interview in return for being allowed to leave the country.
Smith had similarly holed up at the Australian consulate in Shanghai.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed that her government had provided consular support to the two journalists to assist their return to Australia.
“Our embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Shanghai engaged with Chinese government authorities to ensure their wellbeing and return to Australia,” she said.
Australia’s travel warning of the risk of arbitrary detention in China “remains appropriate and unchanged,” she added.
ABC news director Gaven Morris said Birtles was brought back to Australia on the Australian government’s advice.
“This bureau is a vital part of the ABC’s international newsgathering effort and we aim to get back there as soon as possible,” Morris said.
“The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians and we want to continue having our people on the ground to cover it,” he added.
The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury and editor Paul Bailey described the situation as “disturbing.”
“This incident targeting two journalists, who were going about their normal reporting duties, is both regrettable and disturbing and is not in the interests of a co-operative relationship between Australia and China,” they said in a statement.
Relations between China and Australia were already strained by Australia outlawing covert interference in politics and banning communications giant Huawei from supplying critical infrastructure. They have worsened since the Australian government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of and international responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Birtles told reporters at Sydney airport that his departure was a “whirlwind and … not a particularly good experience.”
“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a c country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.
Smith told his newspaper: “The late-night visit by police at my home was intimidating and unnecessary and highlights the pressure all foreign journalists are under in China right now.”
Smith said at the airport he had felt “a little bit” threatened in China.
“It’s so good to be home, so happy, I can’t say any more at the moment, it’s such a relief to be home, so really happy,” Smith said.
“It was a complicated experience but it’s great to be here,” he added.
#News Updates#New top story from Time: ‘It’s So Good to Be Home.’ Journalists Working for Australian
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ABC's independence is our most precious asset: Morris
ABC’s independence is our most precious asset: Morris
By Director of News, Analysis and Investigations Gaven Morris
Updated September 26, 2018 18:58:15
Photo: ABC’s Director of News, Analysis and Investigations Gaven Morris. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
Today, the Australian public has asked to be reassured that the ABC’s independence is protected.
It has been and it always will be.
Australia’s public broadcaster acts only in the interests of the…
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