Press Club accused of censorship over Gaza

National Press Club International journalist receives criticism after Chris Hedges complained that dropped it a speaking engagement.

As Dr Lee Duffield reports, Hedges believes the decision not to broadcast a proposed television speech about the disaster in Gaza was due to secret lobbying.

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB distinguishes itself by presenting a wide range of authoritative speakers on a wide range of important national topics.

Luncheon speeches are broadcast at length live on ABC radio and television, a great service to democratic life.

The club has a reputation for encouraging honest curiosity and taking a non-partisan approach to running such events.

All in all, I was stunned and wary if one of them heard about it. Sky News mentioned political personnel Tom ConnellHe was appointed president of the club earlier this year.

Whatever the man’s good intentions, Sky News ignores the Press Club’s trademark code of non-partisan journalistic objectivity. Here you can see his work CV on the news side covering the 2025 Federal Election.

Later on October 3, famous American journalist and commentator Chris Hedges published: an article He stated that the club removed him from his speaking engagement on 20 October.

He gave very striking information about his long service in Gaza and the attacks of Israeli forces against journalists and civilians, including children, which should have been included in his speech.

The club denied Hedges’ statement that the rejection was due to pressure from the Israel lobby and that it was to make room for the Israeli Ambassador’s speech.

Inside a statementThe club acknowledged that the problem arose from the content of its address.

He said he had:

…A tentative date was agreed upon, taking into account his reputation and expertise on the Gaza issue.

…and as more details about the address were revealed, we decided to pursue other speakers on the subject.

According to Press Club Chief Executive Hedges, Maurice Reillycanceled the proposed event and I told him, “We will withdraw our offer in order to balance our schedule.”

But while Hedges was open to doubt and being questioned, he offered to speak in the style of reporters who tell truthfully about their experiences in the field. The address would also challenge official Israeli versions of some of the deadly attacks he had seen, which he said were uncritically reported by world media outlets.

Easy checks by the club would have established long ago that Chris Hedges was both a renowned journalist and a man prone to commitments, transparent in describing himself as a socialist, a Presbyterian Minister and an environmentalist.

It was inevitable that his writings about the canceled Press Club speech would create controversy. But that being said, he also remained a journalist who offered to speak out about what he saw on the field – no matter how horrific.

In addition, the National Press Club is, at least nominally, a club for journalists who would probably be very concerned to hear one side of the narrative, namely the killing of journalists in Gaza, particularly the killing of more than 278 Palestinian media workers. Many of them were providing news to foreign media outlets that were banned from entering the region by the Israeli Government.

The National Press Club was treading on thin ice by producing, albeit “temporarily”, a high-profile speaker on the Gaza explosives issue, now fueling suspicions and even smears from the left of center and elsewhere.

Club CEO Maurice Reilly may not have seen this coming if it weren’t for his media background.

The club statement says it is busy selecting speakers alongside Sky News’ Connell and the club’s board.

From what I understand from a cursory search, Reilly appears to be an experienced line manager with a background in the club industry.

If true, it is hardly appropriate for a professional journalistic forum to prioritize speakers on political issues by preoccupying them with issues of “balance.”

It might be wise for the ABC, as host broadcaster, to take a good look at how this forum is run, by whom, and according to what set of principles, and ensure that its own principles are not compromised by continuing to promote the forum.

In addition to Dr Lee Duffield’s extensive journalistic experience, he also served as ABC’s European correspondent. He is also a respected academic and member of the editorial advisory board of Pacific Journalism Review and an elected member of the University of Queensland Senate.

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