Journalists Being Pushed to Give More Favourable Coverage to Hamas, Palestine: Columnist

Former columnist at The Age, Julie Szego, has labelled a joint letter an ‘Orwellian exercise in calling for ’truth.’’

Protesters march holding a School Strike for Palestine banner on November 23, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. Organised by School Students For Palestine, the call for action on the group's social media feeds prompted a statement from federal Education Minister Jason Clare that children should be in class during school hours. The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict continues to cause social tensions in societies around the world, including in Australian cities. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Columnist Julie Szego has cut ties with Australia’s media union after it backed a joint letter—along with the national public broadcaster—for journalists to provide more coverage of the “immense and disproportionate suffering” of the Gaza population as a result of the Israeli military campaign.

Ms. Szego, a former columnist for The Age newspaper, said the letter effectively called for journalists to distort the truth and provide favourable coverage to Hamas.