For months now reporters across Australia have been attempting to without bias report the ins and outs of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
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It has been a long and at times painful journey to last weekend's vote, when the majority of Australians said 'No' to giving Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples a platform to have a voice on issues pertaining to them, and their communities.
As journalists we enter this career brimming with curiosity and keen to bear witness at times of unrest. And the referendum was one of those moments in time.
Speak to any number of the reporters across Australia and they will list to you the stories and moments they have experienced because of their privilege as working media.
However, for that privilege we have to remain unbiased and do all we can to report all sides of the story, no matter our personal views and preferences.
I'm not going to go into the politics of Saturday's referendum, or to lament or celebrate the outcome either way. What I am going to do is to highlight the need for a trustworthy media committed to presenting all sides of the story.
No one enters journalism to become rich. We do it because we love the craft, and are endlessly curious people who have the empathy it takes to sit with folks from all walks of life and listen to their stories without judgement.
In this age of quick content and clickbait it is becoming ever more difficult to keep the lines of communication to our audience open. But we battle on, because we know that without an unbiased and trusted source of news, chaos would surely ensue.
To bear witness is a privilege. Thank you to our audience for trusting us to do it on your behalf, and to report it without bias. Whether you voted 'Yes' or 'No', by engaging with us as we tried to unpack the hugely contentious issues at play, you were doing your bit to understand.
And as a community I think that's all we can ever do. Pause, reflect, look at all sides, and know that you were not apathetic to the outcome.
Emotions on all sides are still raw, and the issues we as a society face continue to roll forward. But you can trust us as your media source to continue to bring you the news you want, and the news you need, to be active and engaged members of your communities.
Thank you for the privilege.
Sally Foy, ACM reporter
Sally Foy
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
