Is Australian journalism really a victim of the 'pro-Israel lobby'?

Is Australian journalism really a victim of the 'pro-Israel lobby'?


Is Australian journalism really a victim of the ‘pro-Israel lobby’?
Veteran editor and correspondent John Lyons returns to a popular complaint that Australia’s journalists live in fear of the ‘pro-Israel lobby’. The reality is a little less simplistic.
Peter FrayOct 8, 20217 min read


Share
0John Lyons and <em>Crikey</em> editor-in-chief Peter Fray (Image: Private Media)



Dateline Jerusalem: Journalism’s Toughest Assignment. John Lyons. Monash University Publishing

All journalists, especially editors, make choices, sins of omissions and commissions. Secondly, all journalists, especially editors, will be lobbied, cajoled and sometimes abused by people or groups seeking to fashion those choices. The question is, to what extent does the latter dynamic influence the former?


In Dateline Jerusalem: Journalism’s Toughest Assignment, John Lyons argues, with a force fuelled by decades of experience and in a style best described as cool rage, that when it comes to reporting Israel, Australia’s news media has been beaten into submission by the local “pro-Israel lobby”.


Keep reading for free.


Create an account to unlock more stories or subscribe to get unlimited access to all articles, Crikey Daily's full edition experience and the early morning Worm newsletter. Support independent journalism and stay informed with a Crikey subscription — no ads, no paywalls, no limits.

Already a subscriber? Log in


Keep Reading

Create a free account

Unlock this article with bonus extended access for all logged in readers.
Register


BEST VALUE OFFER

$199$99/year

Save 50% on 12 months of unlimited access and no ads. Renews at $199/year. Cancel anytime.
Claim Offer



About the author




Peter Fray

Former editor-in-chief

Peter Fray is Crikey‘s former editor-in-chief and managing editor of Private Media. He is also formerly the editor-in-chief of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, the editor of the SMH, The Sunday Age and The Canberra Times and the deputy editor of The Australian and The Sun-Herald. In 2013, he started PolitiFact Australia, the country’s first stand-alone fact-checking website.