The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Guardian Australia have urged the One Nation party to lift its ban on certain media outlets from attending its press conferences, citing concerns about censorship and a lack of public transparency.

The dispute escalated on Tuesday when reporters from the ABC and Guardian Australia were asked to leave a One Nation press briefing held at Crown Melbourne in Victoria. The event featured the party’s Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, who publicly admitted to past illegal drug use and drink driving offenses. Despite being escorted into the venue by hotel staff, the journalists were removed by One Nation’s national party director, James Ashby, and security personnel after their media affiliations were disclosed.

This incident marks the latest in a series of media exclusions involving One Nation. The Age, owned by Nine Entertainment, has previously been denied access to party events, while the Australian newspaper — which initially reported on Pickering’s admissions — has faced restrictions at other One Nation gatherings, including a recent event in Sale, Victoria. In August, party leader Pauline Hanson barred the ABC, the Age, and Guardian Australia from a Victorian election candidate announcement, expressing dissatisfaction with the ABC’s coverage. Hanson expressed preference for the right-wing outlet Rebel News at that event, which was represented by Avi Yemini.

The ABC’s managing director, Hugh Marks, criticized the party’s actions, arguing that excluding major news organizations obstructs Australians’ right to receive information about political candidates. He further condemned Ashby’s remarks comparing the party’s relationship with the ABC to “domestic violence,” calling them “inappropriate and offensive,” particularly to survivors of abuse.

Speaking on a television program, Ashby defended the bans by stating One Nation’s intent to exclude “morally bankrupt or corrupt media organisations,” portraying their interactions with the ABC as repeatedly harmful. Marks and Guardian Australia editor David Munk both called for the party to end what they described as an attempt to evade scrutiny, control the media narrative, and impede voters’ access to accurate information.

The Guardian has extensively covered One Nation’s internal affairs, including its finances and political connections, highlighting significant financial support from Gina Rinehart, Australia’s wealthiest individual. Tensions between the party and journalists have been ongoing; for example, after Hanson’s National Press Club address in June, she criticized Guardian reporter Sarah Martin for inquiries into potential conflicts of interest involving Hanson’s daughter, Lee Hanson, who works as a senior adviser to New South Wales One Nation Senator Sean Bell despite residing in Tasmania.

Further media exclusions occurred during the Farrer byelection in May, where One Nation candidate David Farley won the seat vacated by former Liberal MP Sussan Ley. Both national and local ABC reporters were reportedly barred from covering One Nation’s election night party and related events.

Peter Greste, executive director of the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, emphasized the importance of media access in a democracy, stating that politicians who limit press scrutiny undermine the electoral process and voters’ rights to information. He urged that censorship by elected representatives should not be tolerated.

The unfolding situation places One Nation’s media relations under close watch as the party prepares for upcoming elections, with broader implications for press freedom and democratic accountability in Australia.