Correcting the record from The Australian

An article published in The Australian on Monday, March 24 contains a number of inaccuracies that need to be corrected for the record:

1. The Media section of MEAA has never been affiliated to the ALP, and the union’s rules specifically prohibit affiliation of our journalists’ section with any political party.
2. MEAA is not aware of and has no plans to change the name of the Walkley Awards. Only the Walkley Foundation has the power to change the name of the awards. As a stakeholder, MEAA is working to ensure the continued operational integrity and effectiveness of the Walkley Foundation.
3. MEAA’s membership has remained steady for the past few years, despite the structural challenges in the media industry. At June 30, 2024, MEAA had 15,679 financial members and had welcomed 3386 incoming members in the previous 12 months.
4. The new leadership team of MEAA Media was nominated by fellow elected representatives on the National Media Section Committee and approved by the MEAA Board as required under the union’s rules for any casual vacancies.
5. Michael Slezak, Bianca Hall and Kasun Ubayasiri are experienced and award-winning journalists who are respected leaders in their workplaces, and who have a strong track record of upholding the principles on which MEAA is based.

MEAA’s focus will continue to be on the things that matter to journalists, media workers and the community, including the sustainability of media business models to continue delivering independent and quality journalism, tackling the financial and employment insecurity of freelancers, the roll out of Artificial Intelligence, maintaining trust with audiences through ethical journalism, and diversifying the workplace profile of our industry so it truly represents modern Australia.