Fed: Union urges media to ignore PM's inappropriate demand

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Fed: Union urges media to ignore PM's inappropriate demand

SYDNEY, April 8 AAP - The Australian journalists' union today called on news mediato ignore "inappropriate" pressure from the Howard government to downplay anti-war protests.

Prime Minister John Howard today urged the media to downgrade their coverage of twoGreenpeace protesters who disrupted the departure of HMAS Sydney for the Gulf by attachingthemselves to its bow and stern.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) federal secretary Chris Warren said MrHoward's comments were one of the most blatant attempts yet to influence the way the mediacovered the Iraqi conflict.

"I wouldn't have thought it was appropriate for the Prime Minister to be telling journalistshow to do their job but in a sensitive issue like war it's particularly important thatthe government leave the media to get on with their job of keeping Australian people informed,"

Mr Warren told AAP.

"During this entire war there has been pressure from the government and outright restrictionsin a way we haven't really seen before and which journalists in comparable countries haven'thad to endure.

"I think that really shows the danger of where these sorts of suggestions of how themedia should handle issues could go, and that is that you end up with censorship or self-censorship."

Mr Howard made the comments after witnessing the delayed departure of the frigate inSydney today.

"I hope the news outlets of Australia suitably downgrade the coverage they give tothis sort of stupid behaviour," he told the John Laws program on radio 2UE, adding thatthe departure of the troops should be the news media's focus.

"That should be the focus of the day, they should be the people leading the news, nobody else."

The government was making unbiased war coverage difficult for the media, Mr Warren said.

AAP kbw/nf/gl/br

KEYWORD: IRAQ FRIGATE MEAA