Weaponising media. National Press Club and its arms industry sponsors

More than a quarter of the National Press Club’s sponsors are part of or work on behalf of the global arms industry. Michelle Fahy with story.

Australian National Press Club lists 81 individuals corporate sponsors on the website. Of these, 10 are multinational arms manufacturers or military service companies, and the other 11 provide services to the arms industry, including consultants KPMG, Accenture, Deloitte and EY.

These include the world’s two largest arms manufacturers, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon (RTX); British giant BAE Systems; Thales, France’s largest arms manufacturer; and US arms company Leidos; all of which are in the top 20 globally.

BAE Systems, the largest contractor of the Ministry of Defense, accepted $2 billion from Australian taxpayers last year.

In 2023, these five companies alone were responsible for almost a quarter of total arms sales worldwide (US$973 billion). top 100 weapons companies that year.

Last year, UN experts named Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, RTX (Raytheon) and eight other multinational companies at a meeting. expressionHe warned them that they risk violating international law by continuing to supply weapons, parts, components and ammunition to Israeli forces.

Experts called on companies to immediately stop arms transfers to Israel.

None of them did this.

Another of the club’s sponsors is Thales investigated Prosecutions were filed by four countries for widespread criminal activity in three separate corruption investigations. In the fourth long-running corruption case in South Africa, the country’s former president Jacob Zuma is currently on trial. in courtHe is on trial, along with Thales, on 16 counts of racketeering, fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with his government’s arms deals with Thales.

global expert Andrew Feinstein documented his extensive research into the arms industry. he said Extreme Impact Wherever the arms trade operates, it “increases corruption and undermines democracy, good governance, transparency and the rule of law, ironically making us less safe”.

Extreme Impact He asked Maurice Reilly, CEO of the Press Club, what written policies or guidelines exist to address the eligibility and selection of companies offering to become Press Club sponsors.

Mr Reilly responded: “The board is informed monthly of proposals and has the right to refuse any application.”

National Press Club

Founded by journalists in 1963, the National Press Club is an iconic Australian institution. He is known for his weekly luncheon speeches, broadcast on the ABC, which cover issues of national importance, after which the speaker is questioned by journalists.

of the club panel It has 10 executives, led by Sky News political presenter and correspondent Tom Connell, who was elected chairman in February following the resignation of the ABC’s Laura Tingle.

Other board members are current and former mainstream media journalists, and at least two board members have jobs that involve lobbying.

Long-serving board member Steve Lewis works as a senior adviser at lobbying firm SEC Newgate, which is itself a Press Club sponsor and whose clients include Westpac and Telstra, the Press Club’s two biggest sponsors. SEC Newgate has previously been involved with Serco (one of the arms industry multinationals listed below), BHP, Macquarie Bank, Tattarang and Spirits & Cocktails Australia Inc. Acted on behalf of many Press Club sponsors including.

Gemma Daley joined the board a year ago after starting as Ai Group’s head of media and government affairs four months ago. Ms Daley has worked for Nationals leader David Littleproud, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former treasurer Joe Hockey, and before that for media outlets Financial Review and Bloomberg.

Ai Group has a significant defense focus and bills itself as the “highest national representative body for the Australian defense industry”. The group established a Defense Council and appointed former Defense Department deputy secretary Kate Louis to lead it in 2017. The co-chairs of the Defense Council are senior arms industry executives. One of them, Paul Chase, is the CEO of Press Club sponsor Leidos Australia.

Conflicts of interest

Extreme Impact He asked Ms. Daley to comment on various matters related to her position on the board, including whether she had ever had to declare any conflicts of interest. He replied: “Thanks for the inquiry. I’ve passed this on to Maurice Reilly. Have a nice day.”

As with any board of directors, given the potential for conflicts of interest to arise, Extreme Impact The Press Club had asked its CEO what written policies or rules were in place to ensure that conflicts of interest were appropriately managed by board members and staff. Mr Reilly replied:

“The club maintains a board member conflict list that is updated as needed. At each meeting, board members and management are asked if there is a conflict of interest with the meeting agenda. We have a standard corporate practice that if a director has a conflict of interest regarding an agenda item, they must excuse themselves from the meeting and not accept any requests.” [part] in any discussion or any decision.

MWM does not allege or imply inappropriate or illegal conduct by anyone mentioned in this article.

Investigation: Antisemitism Summit sponsors have links to Israeli arms lobby

access sale

While Mr Reilly refused to disclose the Club’s sponsorship deals with Westpac and Telstra on “confidential commercial” grounds. SMH Earlier this year it was reported that Westpac had paid $3 million in 2015 to replace NAB as the Press Club’s main sponsor.

SMH The article, titled “Westpac center stage at the post-budget party” on Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ National Press Club speech in the Great Hall of Parliament House in late March, added:

“(Westpac)… gets a lot of bang for its buck in terms of reach. Between Chalmers and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, new leader Anthony Miller has the most coveted seat in parliament… Chancellor of the Exchequer Katy Gallagher and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles were also at the front tables.

“Westpac occupied prime real estate in the Great Hall, with guests at their table including Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet boss Glyn Davis, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Housing Secretary Clare O’Neil and Labor Party national secretary and campaign mastermind Paul Erickson…

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was at the Telstra desk.”

Mr Reilly said Extreme Impact that all other corporate sponsors pay $25,000 a year, with a few paying extra as partners in the Club’s journalism awards.

That’s why 21 gun industry and associated sponsors contribute $525,000 annually to the Press Club’s coffers. This accounts for 23% of the Club’s $2.26 million in revenue from “membership, sponsorship and broadcasting”, its largest revenue item for the 2024 financial year.

The club’s statement reads: “The National Press Club of Australia proudly partners with organizations who share our commitment to quality, independent journalism.” website.

Do sponsors have a say?

In reply Extreme ImpactResponding to questions about the club canceling a planned talk by internationally renowned journalist Chris Hedges, Mr Reilly said: “For the avoidance of doubt, sponsors do not have any speaking rights at the club and cannot influence decisions about speakers.”

Sponsors may not be given the right to speak, but they are sometimes invited to speak because their sponsorship status is not always disclosed to the audience.

When the Club’s second major sponsor, Telstra, spoke on 10 September, both Club chairman Tom Connell and Telstra CEO Vicki Brady noted the company’s long-standing sponsorship.

Compare this to two addresses given by $25,000 corporate sponsors: Kurt Campbell (former U.S. deputy secretary of state, now co-founder and chairman of The Asia Group), who gave an address on September 7; and Australian Industry and Defense Network (AIDN) CEO Mike Johnson, who spoke on 15 October. The Press Club and the speakers did not disclose the companies’ Press Club sponsorship.

The Club also promotes the additional benefits of corporate sponsorship, including “brand association with a seat on our prestigious board of ‘Corporate Partners’ and recognition on the Australian National Press Club website.”

The club also promises corporate sponsors that they will receive it.”priority seating and brand positioning” in their weekly lunch address.

Profiting from genocide

In July, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, published a publication. report It explains how the corporate sector became complicit with the State of Israel in carrying out the genocide.

Ms. Albanese highlighted Lockheed Martin and its F-35 program, which includes 1,650 companies worldwide in its supply chain. more than 75 these companies Australian.

The report also stated that arms-producing multinational companies depend on legal, auditing and consulting firms to facilitate export and import transactions to supply arms to Israel.

Customer State: Australia is the “51st state of the USA” in the production of lethal weapons

Four of the world’s largest accounting, auditing and consulting firms (all of which have arms industry companies as clients) are sponsors of the Press Club: KPMG, Accenture, Deloitte and EY. Until recently, PwC was among them.

EY (Ernst & Young) became Lockheed Martin auditor Since 1994. EY is also one of two companies auditors It was used by Thales and has been in use for 22 years. Deloitte becomes BAE Systems auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) – Press Club sponsor until 2024 – sponsors Raytheon. auditor Since 1947.

Lockheed Martin’s supply of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to Israel, as well as their parts and components, as well as Hellfire missiles and other munitions, directly facilitated Israel’s genocide.

raytheon‘s (RTXThe supply of other advanced weapons and defense systems, such as guided missiles, bombs and Iron Dome interceptors, also directly supports Israel’s military capability.

in england, BAE Systems It produces the rear fuselage of each F-35, along with its horizontal and vertical tails and other key components, at facilities in the UK and Australia. It also provides the Israeli army with ammunition, missile launch kits and armored vehicles, while BAE technologies are being integrated into Israel’s unmanned aerial vehicles and warships.

Thales It provides vital components to the Israeli army; drone transponders. Australian Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues at World Central Kitchen were murdered by a killer. Israeli Hermes unmanned aerial vehicleIt contained Thales’ transponders. However, reminding Australia, France has increased its military exports to Israel. non-fatal.

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Freedom of expression is threatened, language is weaponized, truth is distorted