Journalists at The Newcastle Herald protested over a controversial advertisement by Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots party, which has sparked outrage and led to an apology from the Herald.
The ad, which declares, “There are only two genders” and criticises schools for allegedly confusing children, has been widely condemned.
The Newcastle Herald, part of Australian Community Media (ACM), ran the ad on its front page earlier this week but later removed it from its digital edition. ACM managing director Tony Kendall issued a formal apology, acknowledging that the ad violated the company’s values and should not have been published. “We let our readers and staff down,” Kendall said, adding that the advertisement would not appear again.
The ad’s publication has drawn significant backlash from LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups and community members. Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown criticised the ad as a divisive tactic by “a fringe political actor,” while local LGBTQIA+ venue Bernie’s Bar called for accountability, urging readers to avoid the paper.
Meanwhile, journalists at The Australian Age, another publication that accepted the same ad for print, have also expressed outrage. Staff reportedly described the decision to run the ad as a betrayal of journalistic ethics and harmful to marginalised communities. Protests within the newsroom reflect growing tensions over media responsibility in amplifying discriminatory rhetoric.
The controversy comes amid Clive Palmer’s push to promote his Trumpet of Patriots party ahead of the federal election. The party, inspired by former U.S. President Donald Trump, has adopted policies opposing trans rights, including limiting gender recognition to male and female categories.
These moves copy the Trump's Republican Administration policies that have rolled back protections for transgender individuals in the U.S.
While ACM has apologised and taken corrective action, calls for greater scrutiny of political advertising in Australian media are intensifying. LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Just.Equal Australia is urging political parties to commit to protecting trans rights and avoiding rhetoric that fosters division.
