Former ABC broadcaster Kerry O'Brien delivered a thunderous speech at the 70th Walkley awards on Thursday, receiving a standing ovation for his warning about the 'clear and present danger' facing independent media. The six-time Walkley winner called on the industry to unite to strengthen press freedom, beginning with a tribute to Palestinian journalists who have 'confronted the world with powerful evidence that has gradually taken on the look and feel of genocide in real time'. He decried the 'outrageous casualty list' of Palestinian media workers in Israel's war on Gaza.
O'Brien criticised the Albanese government for failing to translate its pre-election promises into meaningful improvements in press freedom, whistleblower protection or uniform national shield laws. 'He's certainly talked the talk, and to a degree he's walked the walk, but given what's at stake now ... we as an industry cannot afford to lose sight of important unfinished business,' O'Brien said. He urged journalists to remember colleagues in Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, China, Myanmar and Afghanistan who have been imprisoned or killed for seeking to report the truth.
After detailing attacks on the press in the US and Saudi Arabia, O'Brien, 80, warned: 'Don't kid yourself it can't happen here.' Meanwhile, Media Diversity Australia CEO Paula Kruger criticised the ABC for its lack of diversity, noting that all Sydney local radio presenters from Breakfast to Drive are male and white. 'If you are content with delivering an 'all white is alright' and 'all bloke means we're not woke' line up to a 2025/26 audience, there is no saving you,' she said on LinkedIn.
ABC chair Kim Williams, appointed in January 2024, has emerged as a prolific user of AI applications including ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Speaking at the UTS Centre for Media Transition, Williams warned of AI's 'dangerous and sinister' potential if unchecked, arguing for 'ground rules' and 'parameters' to restrain tech moguls. He recommended the book 'If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI' and expressed frustration at the 'kid gloves' treatment of AI proponents.
