The media is not an organ of government. It is a reflection of public opinion and a conduit of information. Any entity that seeks to limit those functions also seeks to limit people’s basic freedoms. It is not a mark of a strong government that tries to meddle with a free press, but rather a weak one.

Australia ranks 19^th on the World Press Freedom Index, compiled annually by ‘Reporters Without Borders’. Note that this year’s index was made before the ABC crisis, as the entry on Australia’s press freedom reads: “While Australia has good public media, the ownership of its print media is heavily concentrated. Two media groups … are responsible for 85 percent of newspaper sales. Media coverage of refugees and Australia’s offshore refugee detention centers (Nauru and Manus) is very restricted. Whistleblowers who disclose information about conditions in the refugee centers or operations by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization are now exposed to the possibility of imprisonment”.

Our public media is now under threat from a government that appears unduly sensitive to criticism. Some years ago the ABC’s catch-phrase was “8 cents a day”, the proportion of our tax that funded the broadcaster. Let’s say that figure is now 10 cents a day due to inflation (and because it’s easier to do the maths). Estimating 13 million taxpayers, our 10 cents a day adds up to a $474.5m per annum; our share of ownership of the public – the public’s – broadcaster.

North Korea has state-owned media; and China; Eritrea, too. Australia has public media. Without the ABC’s full freedom to reflect public opinion plus warts-and-all news coverage, what do we have left? Certainly not Jeffersonian liberty. Some things are worth fighting for, and this is one of them.