A Senate inquiry into press freedom following raids on the ABC and the home of a journalist, has made 17 recommendations.

The inquiry, chaired by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young (pictured), has called for stronger protection for journalists in Australia who report on matters of ­national security, and the overturning of secrecy laws that “thwart the public’s right to know”.

Other recommendations include the need to tighten protocols surrounding court-­issued search warrants against journalists; greater legal protections for whistleblowers; a move to put the onus of proof of public interest on prosecutors rather than the media; and for government agencies to prove “real and serious harm” before a criminal ­investigation can proceed.

The inquiry was sparked by raids in 2019 on the home of then-News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst and the ABC’s Sydney headquarters, following stories based on leaked classified information.

“No doubt the inquiry has merely touched the tip of the iceberg in its examination of criminal and national ­security laws and their impact on press freedom and the media,” says Hanson-Young in her report.

“The committee heard that there are multiple factors which contribute to an environment where press freedom is under­valued and a pervasive chilling ­effect significantly undermines public interest disclosures and public interest journalism, with consequent impacts on the role of the media in the Australian democracy. Clearly, there is recognition of the need for urgent reform.”

Launching the report on Wednesday, she said the pandemic had highlighted the need access to accurate and comprehensive news, “yet at the same time, we have also witnessed less information being available to the public under the guise of COVID and national security.”

The report follows an earlier inquiry into press freedom by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.