Australians will only rely upon the mainstream media as an essential part of our civic and democratic life if they can trust we are able to expose the spin and lies and misinformation, and deliver the facts and truth, writes Ita Buttrose.
This is an edited version of the 25th annual Andrew Olle Media Lecture delivered by ABC Chair Ita Buttrose, in Sydney, on Friday, June 17.
It is never about lecturing the public on what they should think. Good journalism is about reporting, just the facts — not opinion. It is about listening to community concerns and fashioning them into powerful stories that inform and illuminate; stories that are backed by evidence and take a fair and impartial point of view.
In 1992, Janet Hawley wrote a moving profile on Andrew for the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend. In that profile, Olle revealed for the first time his difficult youth. As a lonely teen, in the care of a physically and emotionally absent father, he got into trouble. I also want to pay tribute to another exemplar of the great journalist: Caroline Jones. When she joined This Day Tonight,With her fine mind, her discreet but commanding presence, her poise and grace, she was a singular and inspiring figure to all who knew her, and a symbol of integrity to the Australian audiences who loved her. She was a champion of women in the media, and a beloved mentor to regional and rural women journalists who face particular obstacles in their careers.