Truth, Lies and Media

Within hours of Donald Trump becoming the first openly genocidal fascist US President .. Ice Queen Melania Trump holds a dramatic press conference calling for "the lies" to end and solemnly denying she was a victim of Jeffrey Epstein - claims virtually no-one was making until she swept up to address the press pack.    Was this a bizarre political media strategy aiming at distracting attention from the President threatening that "an entire civilisation will die tonight" or just the chaotic violent shitshow this administration rolls out each day?And Prince Harry and Megan arrive in Australia to an adoring public but to an occasionally sniggering media class. The frustrated Murdoch scribes, finding nothing negative to report, dream up a story about how much extra police resourcing might cost to provide security for the "millionaire visitors" and then encourage the new Liberal leader Jess Wilson to attack the phantom expenditure which exists only in their thought bubble.Why do these two well meaning ex Royals visiting a children's hospital and hosting a wellness retreat trigger such frothing rage at News Corp?  Denis Muller unpeels the layers of a classic beat up.  

Australia's most decorated soldier Ben Roberts Smith is arrested over alleged war crimes and taken into custody .. the alleged crimes, which Roberts Smith denies ever happened, may never have come under scrutiny had it not been for the dogged work of investigative journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters.Plus .. Trump's armageddon threats follow his expletive ridden demands that Iran open the f+king strait of Hormuz "you crazy bastards" - the sort of commentary you'd see graffitied on the back of a public toilet door.  Can we call him deranged yet?And facing extinction, the Victorian Liberal President blasts the party's disastrous habit of taking policy advice from hard right Murdoch mouthpieces Peta Credlin and Pauline Hanson.

Newsrooms go into overdrive as Australia's most wanted man Dezi Freeman is shot dead .. but how do you report the death of a police killer without sounding like you are dancing on the grave of a dead man? Also this week - the disturbing trend of "journocide" as Israel murders three Lebanese reporters.And the dangers of an old media habit that "sanewashes" the rambling, incoherent pathologically lying Donald Trump. 

Denis Muller warns of the dangers around broadcasting a known liar and racist live to air as respected political journalists call on the media to challenge the hate of Pauline Hanson while One Nation surges in popularity.Major disruptions to hit news programs as ABC staff go on strike, frustrated over repeated below inflation pay rises and the insidious practice of forcing staff on to precarious month to month contracts.  Plus how do you report on an emerging crisis as hundreds of petrol stations across Australia run out of fuel? Actual facts need to make a comeback rigfht across the media spectrum .. but who will play it straight and who will weaponise the fear?

A special live recording of our discussion with Michael Bradley - How Crikey fought off the Murdoch empire, and other stories. You can find more of Michael's work here:https://publishing.monash.edu/authors/michael-bradley/Our sincere thanks to everyone who came along, and the staff of the Northern Arts Hotel for a fabulous night! Recorded on March 15 2026.Support independent journalismBecome a memberOur SocialsFacebookBlueSkyX

Beware the unholy alliance - Mark Zuckerberg's gargantuan Meta and the monster Murdoch media have just joined forces in a deal that creates the world's biggest disinformation machine enabling News Corps hard right, hate filled content to teach Meta's artificial intelligence products how to respond to questions.Expect a massive hook up which will amplify anti migrant, anti science, anti minority narratives.Denis Muller says if you're worried about disinformation and fakery, this is a vision from hell.  While we're skating the hellscape, Donald Trump is falsely accusing media outlets of treason for failing to gush over his disastrous bombing war, a crime punishable by death. The Presidents sycophantic media regulator is threatening the broadcast networks with licence revocation unless they stick to the company line.And the brash Australian media mogul, ACMs Antony Catalano who snapped up dozens of regional mastheads in 2019, has made headlines of his own - for all the wrong reasons.

Join Nicole and Denis live at Ballarat Library in discussion with journalist and author Professor Matthew Ricketson.Matthew’s latest and forthcoming book is Getting Murdoched: How Murdoch’s Media Wields Power and Punishment, co-authored by Andrew Dodd. This event is brought to you by ABC Friends Ballarat, ABC Alumni and Ballarat Libraries. Recorded on March 11 2026.Our sincere thanks to everyone who came along, and to all the staff and organisers for a fantastic event!Support independent journalismBecome a memberOur SocialsFacebookBlueSkyX Truth, Lies & Media Live📆 Sunday 15th March🕦 6:30pm📍 The Coolroom, Northern Arts Hotel, Castlemaine 🎫 Tickets

Distressed members of the Iranian women's national soccer team have been dramatically granted asylum in Australia .. following threats to their lives from Iran after they refused to sing the national anthem ahead of an Asian Cup game.It was an intense operation cloaked in secrecy and the media that knew about it were asked not to blow the whistle to protect them.  We look at the story of international intrigue that was somehow successfully kept under wraps.Plus we dive into the disinformation war running alongside Donald Trump's bombing war. The US President is now falsely claiming it was Iran that murdered 175 people, mostly children, at an elementary school on the first day of the attack, despite clear evidence the slaughter was delivered by a Tomahawk missile - the type only used by the United States in this conflict.And we wave goodbye to the $200m radio juggernaut that was vile Kyle and Jackie O. Turns out they hate each other more than any minority they liked to persecute on the radio.Support independent journalismBecome a member Our SocialsFacebookBlueSkyX Truth, Lies & Media Live📆 Sunday 15th March🕦 6:30pm📍 The Coolroom, Northern Arts Hotel, Castlemaine 🎫 Tickets

The fascist President who wants a Nobel Peace Prize just bombed Iran killing hundreds of innocents including 100 schoolgirls. Violent tyrant Donald Trump spins the bloodshed as a battle of good versus evil .. who in the media fall for the BS?And just when we don’t need another hard right collection of divisive haters rocketing up the podcast charts, Nines $2.8M man Karl Stefanovic goes Rogan.Support independent journalismBecome a memberOur SocialsFacebookBlueSkyX Truth, Lies & Media Live📆 Sunday 15th March🕦 6:30pm📍 The Coolroom, Northern Arts Hotel, Castlemaine 🎫 Tickets