The Australian’s Ben Packham has been awarded the prestigious Lowy Institute Media Award for his peerless coverage of the nation’s security challenges and the defence industry. The foreign affairs and defence correspondent has broken many of the biggest stories in defence in the past year as the Albanese government grapples with the need to build towards an AUKUS future with a depleted military. Among some of Packham’s major stories this year were revelations the departments of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs ignored mounting evidence of chronic brain injuries in soldiers as a result of blast pressure waves.
[Read more] ABC chair Kim Williams has warned of the dangers of “fake news” and the threat it poses to democracy, less than a week after the public broadcaster was forced to establish an independent review when it emerged that it seriously misrepresented the actions of an Australian soldier during a 2012 operation in Afghanistan, reports The Australian’s James Madden . Delivering the keynote address at the annual Lowy Institute Media Lecture on Wednesday night, Williams spoke of the “vital importance of trustworthy news coverage about international affairs”. “A strong media led by people who believe in professional journalistic ethics is one of our most important democratic assets,” Williams said.
The ABC chair began his speech by citing author George Orwell’s experiences as a soldier during the Spanish Civil War to underscore his point about the rel.
