Truth, Lies and Media

We’re watching textbook cases of great public interest journalism as The Ages Nick McKenzie takes on the Premier over rampant corruption on the “Big Build” while at the same time Karl the Unemployed platforms a violent crook and tries to convince us he did it “for you.”We also look at the new evidence reported by The Guardian about One Nation “meme factories” supporting claims from Senator Whish Wilson that someone with shiteloads of cash is buying and spreading fake Pauline Hanson posts in an attempt to rig Australian elections.We unpack why a straight talking former Supreme Court Judge Lex Lasry has blasted the media and MPs for ratcheting up the law and order “performative outrage” ..And we honour our unique multicultural TV channel SBS as we return to that breathtaking live moment when Awer Mabil an African Australian Socceroo superstar who arrived as a refugee realises his childhood SBS broadcast hero is asking him a question ..and is suddenly beaming but awestruck and lost for words. 

Australia’s doyens of political journalism invite a journo-hating bigot to the National Press Club and, with 2 honourable exceptions, fail to challenge the hate and falsehoods that follow. Plus .. Senator Whish Wilson reveals the foreign generated flood of AI bots that are behind One Nations meteoric rise as he asks Australia and the media to “wake the fk up.”And Virginia Trioli, the journo who took on Peter Reith and won, leaves the ABC after 27 years.

Donald Trump has delivered “peace with punches” according to a gushing Nine News report from the violent MMA fight in the “claw” on the front lawn of the White House.Not everyone is so keen to pump up the President’s tyres as commercial television (thankfully) but watch as all sides in the Iran peace deal now launch the “all my own work” spin wars. In Perth there’s been another run in with One Nation and the national broadcaster. Access to taxpayer funded MPs should not be “for sale” but an ABC reporter has again been booted out of a Pauline Hanson event after being asked to pay $60 for a ticket. And at Seven it’s a case of “you have a new owner and you’re fired” for 300 staffers. We look at the financial pressures and the human toll as jobs are axed at Channel Seven.Ep

Why have the hard right Murdoch media turned on their golden girl Pauline Hanson?We unpack the savage attacks usually reserved for hated enemies .. as the hatchet job phenomenon known as “getting Murdoched” turns on One Nation and News Corp eats its own.Plus more harrowing stories emerge of rape on an industrial scale meted out to Australian women by Israeli forces .. why can the media only find outrage over Grace Tame getting work on an ABC podcast? And Donald Trump storms out of an interview with NBCs Meet The Press, enraged that the reporter repeatedly reminded him that there is no evidence to support his claims of rigged elections.  

Gina “One Nation” Rinehart is adding “media mogul” to her business card.The mining billionaire has just bought into Southern Cross Media. the owner of the Seven Network - a broadcaster that boasts televisions highest rating news services. Can we now expect Warp 5 migrant bashing, nuclear level climate denying, peak ABC hating and Pauline Hanson back on Dancing With The Stars? Watch this space.Plus we honour the 18 year old American journalism student who stood before the most powerful pro-Trump CBS News executives at a glittering Emmys ceremony and dropped a stunning truth bomb right into their laps. 

Australian activists are beaten and sexually abused by Israel - we unpack why this is not just a “normal” news story.The UK is flocking to watch GB News a hard right disinformation channel starring Nigel Farage and headed up by the former boss of Australia’s Sky News - despite polls revealing it is the least trusted of all the news outlets. And we farewell AFL legend Neale Daniher who used his high media profile to fight MND knowing the disease would take his life but in the knowledge his campaign would help others.“Truth Lies & Media” drops just after midnight Wednesday morning! 

It’s our SpineWatch edition! We’re on the search for that elusive media backbone .. as the ABC is strangely silent following the ejection of its news crew from a One Nation press conference .. but then strongly pushes back against the demands of Jillian Segal the anti semitism special envoy.Plus Pauline Hanson declares she wants to be PM while Tony Abbott still thinks he is and is eyeing a NSW seat so he can return triumphantly to the federal parliament.Can we expect vigorous questioning when these two float their ambitions on Murdoch’s Sky News? (🚨No Spine Detected alert)And the network that got burned by the sexist, crude and bigoted Kyle and Jackie O show …. hires Karl and Eddie. 

The ABC bashing season returns as One Nation boots out a regional journalist from an Albury press conference on the eve of the Farrer by election.The right wing media turn up to the dial to fear as the so called ISIS brides and their children return to Australia .. but are they really a terror threat or just easy clickbait?We farewell the media pioneer Ted Turner who created CNN and the 24 hour news channel phenomena .. And we honour two giants of political journalism Laurie Oakes and Michelle Grattan who have just received the first lifetime achievement awards granted by the federal press gallery in its 125 year history.  

The heartbreaking image of a little Indigenous girl abducted and killed flashes around Australia and the world as riots erupt in Alice Springs.  It is an important story but begs the question: Why are Indigenous communities ignored by mainstream media until a tragedy of immense proportions makes it impossible to look away?In the US political activist Jess Craven unleashes on journalists who paid good money and suited up so they could attend a gala dinner with their presidential abuser suggesting the profession might be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome "Get some self esteem" she tells them. "He is dismantling your entire industry. He hates you".Plus can you imagine the front page outrage if it were Anthony Albanese being gifted a one million dollar aircraft by Australia's richest woman? Once again Pauline Hanson gets a free ride.