Name the journalists who cheered for the muzzle Take down their names, the journalists who failed to defend a free press from a government which sought to control it. Never forget: Leigh Sales Paul Bongiorno Mick Seccombe Michael Mullins Richard Ackland Wendy Bacon Bernard Keane Margaret Simons Margot Kingston Matthew Ricketson And this, perhaps, will be the defining moment of this betrayal of the free press and free speech: ABC1 Insiders yesterday: BARRIE Cassidy: Well the media story certainly did break through. . . . Is there a bit of hysteria in all this? Malcolm Farr: I'm still left with the question why they did it? Cassidy: (passionately) Well, how about this for an answer. Because they believe in it . . . Karen Middleton: And also the question being asked is why is it being done now? Cassidy: (more passion) But that's the process . . . The debate is never about the issue, it's about the process. Piers Akerman: Let's go to the issue, Barry. Now you and I are old enough . . to remember that in 1989 the Berlin Wall came down . . . Farr: (chuckling) Where are you going with this? Middleton: Sounds like the Stalin link again. Akerman: One of the things . . . that the Soviet Union and . . . every despotic government has done is attack the freedom of the press Middleton: Piers Akerman, the human headline. Here we go (snickering). Cassidy: (Laughs) Akerman: I can't believe I'm sitting here on a program with three journalists and you think that freedom of the press is a laughing matter . . . Middleton: Give us a chance, Piers . . . Piers: A chance? Well, go on, laugh now and I'll finish . . . Barry: (smirks) Can we go back to Malcolm. Do you think there has been some hysterical reaction to this? (giggles) Cassidy: (serious) In what way is this such a monumental attack on freedom of speech? Akerman: . . . Because once, as you said when you were talking to the laughing minister over there, you have a government appointed authority, who has oversight . . . then that regulator becomes answerable to the government . . . Cassidy: Did the proprietors have this coming? Because of their attitude . . . ? Piers explains why he got so angry, which he regrets - wrongly, in my opinion. I do not believe freedom is a laughing matter. At least the Institute of Public Affairs is fighting for the free press so many journalists - and, worryingly, journalism academics - seem happy to sell out. Join up and fight for your freedoms.