He was the first reporter in Australia to be sent to jail for not revealing a source in one of his investigations.
And while it was 30 years ago, Tony Barrass says he has no regrets, and would do it all again to uphold one of journalism’s most important principles.
“I think the fundamental issue is that there’s always going to be friction between what journalists do and what governments do,” Tony says.
“I think it's very healthy and I think that's the way it should be, of course. But I’ve still yet to find any or been told or read any practical solution to what is always going to be a strong friction between the two bodies.
“It was my little 15 minutes of fame, I suppose. But I obviously watch what’s going on in this space in the industry as the years roll on and there’s been numerous instances where journalists have been threatened with jail and heavily fined. The Right To Know, I think, is a fantastic campaign and I think it will resonate with people who have a sense that how important journalism is to the role of, well, democracy itself.”
Tony was tested far more than many journos early in his career, when he was jailed for a week for contempt of court, and was fined 10 thousand dollars for refusing to reveal the source of his report on malpractice in the Perth Tax Office.
He says it was the only honourable thing to do in the circumstances, although he feels deeply for those journos now put in similar dilemmas.
His experiences then have again come to the fore 30 years later, as the merits of press freedom in Australia return to the spotlight of public debate.
“In my circumstance, it was a case of really if I reveal the source, I would have thought my career would’ve been over,” he recalls.
“Let’s hope journalists don’t have to make those decisions very often.
“Without a free press, you, the average Australian, doesn’t get a chance to understand and be informed about issues that really matter to them. They may not know these issues matter to them. But in a broader sense, a healthy democracy only thrives on a healthy media.”
From starting his reporting career in the working class suburbs of Newcastle, to making his way over to the wild west coast, Tony Barrass has worked as a journo all around this wide brown land.
Above: Tony Barrass (right) being awarded the 2018 Arthur Lovekin Prize for Excellence in Journalism
The long-time newspaper man and stalwart of the West Australian media landscape has won many awards for his writing on a range mastheads and rounds, and says finding stories is simply a matter of being curious.
“People who live here sort of cringe a bit when you call it the Wild West, but there is a sense of that pioneering spirit here and there always has been,” he says.
“There’s always been a sense of a bit of a chip on the shoulder perhaps because there is a great divide in the West, not unlike Queensland.
“It is a very unique state and it throws up very unique characters. If you’re in the business of journalism or reporting or capturing some of that spirit well, there’s plenty to work with over here.
“Whether it’s the person you’re sitting next to on a bus, whether it’s the person who’s driving a tractor in the back blocks of the Wheat Belt, everybody has got a story. Nobody has a bland, dull life.
“Everybody’s either been through some sort of heartache or a tragedy or a triumph.”
Tony recently made the jump from journalism to politics, following a well-worn media path to become the Senior Media Adviser to the Leader of the WA Opposition, Liza Harvey.
He says his greatest hope is that, particularly in a state the size of Western Australia, stories from beyond the big cities are not forgotten.
“We’re probably doing less of it now because this stuff costs money, to get up to the Kimberley or get up to Pilbara or just jump in a car or jump in a plane,” he says.
“It is a lot of money and it does cost, and I think we’ve got to be really careful to make sure that the people who run these news organisations…that they don’t lose that sense of duty when it comes to giving a voice to people in remote and regional areas of Australia.
“Because it is a very, very big country and we need to make sure that it’s not just the voices of Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane or Perth. It’s the voices of the Kimberley or Outback Queensland or Northern Territory are just as important as those who live in the big cities.
“And that they’re not forgotten. We’ve got to really make sure that we tell them regardless of the costs and the price on an airfare because they are so pivotal to the evolving Australian story.”
What I’m reading
It may not be the most earth shattering news story but that’s why I love it and it gives me such joy amidst so much depressing news around the world. This kid Colt is AMAZING. What a champion coming up with an invention that not only impresses at home, but wins a NASA competition. The simplest solution to a well known problem.
The Year 5 student burst into tears when he heard that his invention had beaten thousands of entries from around the country to win the littleBIGidea inventing competition.
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Tony Barrass on being principled under pressure