The NT News' top brass have been accused of striking a deal with the territory government to monitor emails sent by its then political reporter due to concerns his 'negative' reporting of the government's activities could cost the paper advertising revenue.

The recently departed NT News political reporter Christopher Walsh made the allegation in an unfair dismissal claim lodged in the Federal Circuit Court on Monday.

Former NT News political reporter Christopher Walsh, from Facebook. Credit:Facebook

In his court application, Mr Walsh alleges his editor Matt Williams and the paper's general manager Greg Thomson entered into a "blind copying arrangement" with the Department of the Chief Minister chief executive Jodie Ryan for her to blind copy in Mr Thomson and Mr Williams into all correspondence with the government and public service agencies.

It is alleged the agreement was struck "because Ms Ryan did not like the exposure from articles written by the applicant in which she was held accountable to the public".