Following Australia’s federal election, media matters are now in new ministerial hands and analysis of the campaigns continues.

With Michelle Rowland appointed attorney general in a post-poll cabinet reshuffle, sports minister Anika Wells (pictured) has had communications added to her remit.

Elected to parliament in 2019, she succeeded Wayne Swan in the Queensland seat of Lilley, becoming at 34, the youngest MP at the time.

And in a social media post, Country Press Association life member and managing director of Star News Paul Thomas criticised former opposition leader Peter Dutton’s late-campaign attack on media as “not just desperate, it was dangerous”.

Thomas said labelling the ABC and Guardian Australia as ‘hate media’ and accusing journalists of being ‘activists’ rather than reporters “echoed the tired, toxic playbook of Donald Trump: when you’re behind, don’t reflect, just shout ‘fake news’.

“Media scrutiny is not the enemy of democracy; it’s the oxygen that keeps it alive,” he said. “A free press questions power, challenges spin and asks uncomfortable questions. That’s not bias, that’s journalism.”

Thomas said the tactic of “blanket accusations, unsubstantiated claims and outright falsehoods aimed at delegitimising the media” was not just cheap politics, but actively eroded trust in institutions that underpinned democracy.

“We see this tactic far too often, not just at a federal level but in local councils, including one our newsroom currently covers,” he said. “Rather than engaging with the facts or addressing legitimate public concerns, some in power choose the easy path: Attack the media. But in doing so, they expose themselves, not the journalists.

“That’s why strong local media matters now more than ever. Local newspapers and newsrooms remain one of the last truly independent and accountable sources of community information. They report on councils, expose local corruption, celebrate community success and give a voice to residents. Yet their very survival is under threat.

“Digital platforms and social media have stripped local media of its commercial foundations, and worse, they have helped legitimise the kind of rhetoric Dutton and Trump rely on. By feeding audiences personalised echo chambers and monetising outrage, they have weakened the public’s trust in credible journalism, while doing little to support its production.

“Those who benefit from journalism must also help sustain it, and that includes the massive digital tech companies who have profited enormously from republishing, aggregating and monetising news content without paying fair value.”

And with AI platforms “doing the same, scraping content, harvesting the work of journalists and training their models on material they never paid for,” Thomas says changes need to ensure that those who profit from journalism help to fund it.

“On Saturday, Australians made it clear they won’t be fooled by leaders who blame everyone but themselves,” he said. “Let’s hope they also recognise the essential role of a strong, independent media and are willing to fight for its future.”