Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty hasn't had much luck with his suggestion to restrict press coverage of terrorism cases. And rightly so. There was the flat rejection by the Prime Minister, and the response from others citing preservation of freedoms and the public interest.
But there was little talk about why we have these freedoms. In this case, a cynic might say that a media blackout would be convenient for the AFP. However press freedom is the main way our government is held to account. The increasing public overload of information and professional publicity machines makes this even more important. Public agencies, especially law enforcement agencies, should not escape this public accountability except in the most necessary situations.
We need to remind Mick, and ourselves, that the inconvenience of public accountability is the pre-condition for being in charge of maintaing public order and security, not to mention use of a pile of taxpayers cash. It is the price we pay to know our interests are being served.
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