The 80-year-old budget tradition the media loves to hate
Journalists in Tuesday's lockup will be forced to sign waivers and surrender their devices to get access to the budget papers. They hate it, but others are not so sure.
When the Chifley government introduced federal budget lock-ups in the 1940s, it gave journalists the chance to view the documents early enough to write for the next day’s print newspapers.
The media has changed significantly since then. Yet federal budget lock-ups have continued.
Ending lock-ups has garnered support within the mainstream press. The Sydney Morning Herald editor Bevan Shields last year wrote that the “annual ritual” had “outlived its use-by date” because most details are released in advance and it is now largely a public relations exercise. The Nine newspapers have shared this view time and time again.
Some reporters publicly agree with this perspective, such as The Daily Telegraph national affairs editor James Morrow. And many more agree privately.
