What do we think of the political media in Australia? Obviously there are some great individuals out there working as journalists, but the overwhelming impression of political journalists and editors – as expressed by an admittedly narrow section of the Twitterverse in a very non-scientific poll – is interesting. (more…)
What is news anyway? Young journalists are told it’s what’s new, noteworthy or unusual. It’s something that prompts an “oh, really?” response. You usually know it when you see it. But to be deemed as news, events needed to pass a certain bar. These days, though, they must be setting the bar particularly low. (more…)
Hands Up: Gillard Faces Armageddon, Apocalypse The Australian Denis Shamandham The Gillard government is under intense pressure tonight after (insert name of industry lobby group here‘ – ed) released a damning survey which highlights the cost to consumers (‘unspecified, check tomorrow and multiply by four’- ed) of its contentious carbon Read more…
‘The Failed Estate’ has been going now for eight months. So we thought it was time we found out a bit more about our readership. Please help us by answering the five questions on the right-hand side of this post.
We are asking you about your native political affiliation and your views on a carbon price, boat people, economic management and your media habits. This is truly scientific polling, as you will see.
We plan to use your answers to these questions so we can give you the news that you truly want. That, of course, means omitting key facts, pursuing an ideological agenda, calling for free markets while standing up for rent seekers, seeking leftist conspiracies by bearded academics on government grants and pursuing unnamed ‘elites’ whose interests are strangely contrary to those of our advertisers. Other than that, it’s pretty straight.
If our comprehensive questions on the right do not cover the gamut of your caffeine-fuelled media-driven shallow emotional life, please vent in the comments section below.
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The first the Australian public heard of the now infamous Say Yes television advertisement on climate change action was when The Sunday Telegraph told its readers that “Carbon Cate” Blanchett had “sparked outrage in the community” by fronting a campaign that no-one had actually seen at that point. (more…)
Meanwhile, in another media universe… ‘Geo Gina’: Iron Woman Robs Australians Blind The Australian, June 2, 2011 Outrage is growing in the Australian community at the involvement of multi-billionaire Gina Rinehart in campaigns protesting against action on climate change and efforts for citizens to earn a fairer share Read more…
When Greens leader Bob Brown recently broke up the ritual of a Canberra doorstop to bravely take a direct swipe at elements in a thin-skinned media that demand intense scrutiny of everyone but themselves one could guess what was coming next. (more…)
The Federal Budget is ‘The Big Day Out’ for the political and financial media in Australia. Busloads of hacks (only the lucky ones go by plane these days) make the long journey to late autumn Canberra to join their full-time press gallery brethren in what is a media and political ritual – a six-hour lock-up, a frenzy of writing and then off to The Holy Grail (these days the Kennedy Room, I’m told) to get stonkered till 3am. (more…)
Message to The Australian subs’ desk: Have the week off guys and plug these into the paper over the coming few days. The production instructions are in brackets next to the headlines. Pick up wires from there: (more…)