Journalists hold a special place in the documentation of history. The ethical codes that are supposed to guide them in their craft contain bold words. The Australian Journalist's Association Code of Ethics contains the following lines. "Respect for truth and the public's right to information are fundamental principles of journalism." Journalist hold "a privileged role" as they "search, disclose, record, question, entertain, suggest and remember. They inform citizens and animate democracy. They give a practical form to freedom of expression." However, when journalists find themselves faced with overwhelming pressure to conform to the expectations of their employer, they are faced with a choice. Do they "search, disclose, record [and] question" or will they, in the words of the legendary New York journalist, Jack Newfield, be reduced to being "the stenographers of the powerful."

Robert Fisk has lived and worked in the Middle East for over 25 years. He has reported on all major conflicts in the region since 1979 and has written extensively on the intersections of journalism and power. The New York Times describes him as "probably the most famous foreign correspondent in Britain". With a PhD in Political Science and a relentless passion to question the claims of power, Robert Fisk asserts that journalists cannot remain neutral in the face of inequity. Journalists, he claims, are "morally bound ... to show eloquent compassion to the victims" of war. His latest book is called The Great War of Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East. Robert Fisk spoke to an overflowing audience at Sydney's Macquarie University on the 10^th March 2006.