500 signatures reached
To: Anthony Catalano - owner of Australian Community Media
Our Community, Our Courier! Keep The Ballarat Courier Ethical.
Dear ACM Management,
Regional communities and our stories are more important than ever. We need a local paper we can trust, one that stands by the MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics and supports journalists' rights at work.
We are the community that reads, subscribes to, advertises in and informs the news and stories in The Courier.
We are calling on you to support our community and our stories. Stand by the MEAA Code of Ethics and support fair pay and conditions for regional journalists, so we can have confidence in the local paper that informs our community.
Why is this important?
Regional and local media is more important than ever. Our regional communities need and deserve journalism that is ethical, independent and trustworthy.
Australian Community Media - which owns over 100 regional papers including Ballarat's 'The Courier' is trying to cut important conditions from the workers' Enterprise Agreement. One of these cuts includes walking away from the paper's commitment to abide by the MEAA Journalist Code of Ethics.
The Code of Ethics protects sources, readers and journalists, and upholds journalism we can trust. It requires journalists to report honestly, accurately and independently, and upholds transparency and fairness.
Removing it means journalists could be asked to prioritise advertising or commercial interests over accuracy and fairness, disrespect grief and personal privacy, place unnecessary emphasis on race, gender or other personal characteristics, or suppress relevant facts.
Journalists at The Courier are fighting to protect their ethics, and they need your support. Sign the petition to tell Australian Community Media to support our community and our stories!