Lamestream

We're launching Lamestream's first subscriber drive to celebrate our birthday! Help us reach our target of 500 new subscribers by heading to our website and subscribing now.New subscribers have the chance to win one of 12 Lamestream merch prize packs and one lucky subscriber will have the chance to join us on a video call to talk about the show, our work and anything else!Lamestream subscriptions cost $9.90 a month and give you access to our weekly newsletter with exclusive analysis and recommendations, all our articles, access to our Discord community, and early access to our live events. Plus, your help makes sure we can keep producing the show!Is this episode, Os and Scott look the long road to Ben Roberts-Smith arrest for war crimes, including the role played by investigative journalism. They discuss how sections of the media built up a cult of personality around Roberts-Smith, and how his arrest has already sparked a culture war with right-wing figures like Gina Rinehart and Pauline Hanson coming out to support him.Next, they discuss the ceasefire between the US and Iran and what it reveals about who folded. They talk about how long it might last, and why the media coverage of this war still feels so disconnected from the reality on the ground.In Keeping Tabs, they look at whether Lamestream's prediction of Karl Stefanovic's future is about to come true, and why the ABC's Managing Director Hugh Marks seems so eager to give The Australian everything they want, from questions about the ABC hiring Kyle Sandilands to the broadcaster's backdown on diversity.Support Lamestream by visiting our website to sign up and become a subscriber.Follow us on social media:InstagramTikTokYouTube

Os and Scott discuss the revelations that the US government has ordered its embassies all over the world, including in Australia, to influence news outlets and social media and oppose "anti-American propaganda". They talk about why Australia's journalists remain almost exclusively pro-US, despite Donald Trump's erratic, violent and corrupt presidency, and how that homogeneity is stifling our national conversation.Later in the show, they break down the Albanese government's proposed reforms around gambling advertising and why they are so much weaker than what advocates have been asking for. They unpack efforts by big media companies to lobby against a gambling ad ban, and explain how the proposed new laws could make things worse.Support Lamestream by visiting our website to sign up and become a subscriber.Follow us on social media:InstagramTikTokYouTube

Os and Scott react to the Prime Minister's address to the nation and look at what Anthony Albanese actually said that warranted the most dramatic intervention into TV networks since the Covid pandemic in 2020.Also in today's episode, they unpack the overwhelmingly negative responses to the government's fuel excise tax cut and discuss why the PM seems so reluctant to take more serious action, even as countries around the world are announcing more significant stimulus measures.Plus, a discussion about the reaction to the killing of Dezi Freeman and why some public figures felt comfortable celebrating his death at the hands of police, even as details about the stand-off and shooting remain murky.And later in the show, they examine the National Press Club's decision to platform Israel's ambassador and how that exposes the organisation's hypocrisy. In Keeping Tabs, Scott spots an interview the ABC conducted with one of the figures featured in the Epstein files thousands of times. Was he asked about his relationship to Jeffrey Epstein? You'll never believe the answer.Support Lamestream by visiting our website to sign up and become a subscriber.Follow us on social media:InstagramTikTokYouTubeArticles mentioned in this episode:Eight snipers and a fatal choice: The high-stakes tactic that cornered FreemanNational Press Club statement on withdrawal of invitation to Russia's ambassadorKharg Island could be Iran's weak spot as Washington reportedly considers ground invasion optionsDN and Lamestream's latest reporting on Jeffrey Epstein

Os and Scott look at whether the war on Iran is getting closer to an endgame, or if Donald Trump is actually going to launch an invasion. They discuss the different forces shaping Trump's approach, what Israel is doing to prevent an end to the war, and break down why the continual targeting of journalists by Israel is indicative of a new world order where international law has no meaning.Later, they unpack the growing economic and political crisis in Australi and why the Albanese government seems unable to deliver to take the steps necessary to protect ordinary people.Support Lamestream by visiting our website to sign up and become a subscriber.Follow us on social media:InstagramTikTokYouTubeArticles mentioned in this episode:Albanese’s caution is fuelling unease. This may be his COVID moment‘Needless secrecy’: Government resolves to be upfront over fuel crisis

Os and Scott examine why the Australian government is responding so slowly to the energy crisis, compared to other countries, even though they have acknowledge how dire things are going to get. They discuss the role political journalists play in holding the government to account, and how this particular government attempts to influence coverage.Next, they look at Israel's announcement it is formally occupying southern Lebanon and discuss why there doesn't seem to any kind of outcry or backlash to the news in Australia, in the media or from the public.Later in the show, they Os and Scott discuss the fortunes of the Greens and share emails from listeners who think the party has become too timid. They discuss the party's trajectory since the election, why insurgent left-wing movements are thriving overseas but not in Australia, what could change, and the role the media plays in setting the terms of the political conversation.Finally, they break down the ABC's first strike in 20 years, talking about what led to it, how it played out on the day and what it reveals about how badly the broadcaster is currently being run.Support Lamestream by visiting our website to sign up and become a subscriber.Follow us on social media:InstagramTikTokYouTubeArticles mentioned in this episode:The Guardian: Israel says it will seize parts of southern Lebanon as ‘defensive buffer’SMH: ‘Security zone’: Israeli military plans to occupy swath of southern LebanonAFR: Albanese urges US to end war as petrol fears growThe Guardian: Without some serious soul searching, the Greens will never move beyond the 10% plateau

Os and Scott break down the significance of One Nation's record-high result at the South Australian election over the weekend and what it means for Australian politics and how it's covered. They step through what results reveal about the fracturing of the political system, how they show that One Nation is now the second most popular party in the country, and review the media's coverage of the election and One Nation.Then they provide an update on the latest in the wars on Lebanon and Iran, and look at the significance of the Australian government warning about an impending economic shock heading our way that could be as bad as the global financial crisis or the pandemic. They discuss why the government still isn't being asked the right questions about Australia's involvement in the war, or about what they doing to protect people from the financial turbulence heading our way.Finally, they look at the coverage of Anthony Albanese's visit to a mosque last week, that ended with him being heckled and escorted out.Support Lamestream by visiting our website to sign up and become a subscriber.Follow us on social media:InstagramTikTokYouTube