Australian newspapers obscure front pages protesting media curbs

Sydney: Leading newspapers in Australia on Monday came out painted over protesting a legislation that might restrict press freedom.

In what could be called a rare unity among bickering media, newspapers ran front pages with words blacked out, much like censored copies, or looking like classified government document.

Media groups say press freedoms remain restricted, Reuters reports.

Parliament has long been passing laws in the guise of national security that impeded the public’s right to know what the government did in its name, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said.

With this move, newspapers aim at letting out public pressure on the government to exempt journalist laws that trammel access to sensitive information.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher did not immediately respond to questions on Monday.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese told reporters that journalists should not be prosecuted for doing their jobs.

However he added that defamation laws provided a “good constraint on ensuring that there is some level of accuracy”.

The government has previously termed press freedom as a “bedrock principle”.