"The Australia Today" Vows to "Keep Advocating for Open Media" After Being Blocked by Canada

On Friday, prominent diaspora outlet ‘The Australia Today’ expressed concern after Canada blocked its social media accounts following the broadcast of a press conference featuring External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. In a statement, Jitarth Jai Bharadwaj, the Managing Editor of ‘The Australia Today’, reaffirmed the publication's commitment to advocating for press freedom.

"We at The Australia Today would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to every news outlet, journalist, and supporter who stood by us during a challenging time. The recent restriction and ban on our interview with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the press conference with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on social media, under orders from the Canadian government, have been difficult for our team and those who value free and open journalism," the statement read.  

"Despite these restrictions, your unwavering support has been a beacon of strength for us. Whether it was sharing our coverage on other platforms, voicing concerns about press freedom, or simply offering encouragement, every action made a difference," it said.

"We deeply appreciate the solidarity shown by our community and their commitment to upholding the freedom of information and the right of audiences to access diverse perspectives, it added.

"We remain steadfast in our mission to bring important stories and voices to the public, undeterred by these obstacles. The overwhelming support we have received is a powerful reminder of the importance of a freepress, and we will continue to strive for transparency, accuracy, and the right to tell stories that matter," the Managing Editor of The Australia Today said.

"Once again, thank you for supporting us. We will continue to advocate for an open and inclusive media landscape," his statement read.

The day before, the Ministry of External Affairs condemned Canada for its "hypocrisy towards freedom of speech," after the government of Justin Trudeau "blocked" the social media accounts and pages of ‘The Australia Today’, a key diaspora outlet, shortly after it aired the press conference featuring Jaishankar and Penny Wong in Canberra.

During the presser, Jaishankar censured Canada for making false allegations without any proper evidence, termed "surveillance of Indian diplomats" unacceptable and also expressed that the "political space has been given in Canada to anti-India elements."

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We understand that the social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, has been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada."

Further Jaiswal also said that these actions spotlighted the "hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech.