We are pleased to share with you the latest edition of Update magazine.
This latest edition celebrates Mark Willacy and ABC Investigations team winning the coveted Gold Walkley award. ABC Friends also extends its congratulations to all the winners, noting that the ABC was also awarded for its essential bushfire and COVID-19 coverage.
On page 4 we feature a story about the recent speech by ABC Chair, Ita Buttrose, challenging the critics of independent media and investigative journalism. You can watch Ita Buttrose's speech 'The ABC, democracy and the importance of press freedom' on YouTube or access the transcript here.
The decision on 11 November for the Senate to conduct an Inquiry into Media Diversity is an important step forward in gathering and assessing evidence about the capacity of all Australian Media outlets to maintain high standards of investigative journalism and independent commentary.
We thank all those who first supported our petition calling for the Senate to investigate aspects of communications policy and congratulate Kevin Rudd on his strong advocacy for a Royal Commission into media diversity.
We sincerely hope that you enjoy this edition of Update as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.