Truth, Lies and Media

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.

The politics of violence turns to Donald Trump - The President who threatened to wipe out an entire civilisation and incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol turns on the media as his press secretary bizarrely claims it is Democrats and journalists responsible for the politically violent narratives that preceded the White House Correspondents dinner assassination attempt.Apology not accepted - the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has apologised for his role in promoting Donald Trump claiming he will be "tormented" for misleading millions of people into supporting someone he knew was a "bad character".The Port Arthur massacre - Australia pauses to remember those innocents who lost their lives to a deranged gunman at Port Arthur on a nightmarish day 30 years ago .. and those families, first responders, medics, local communities and reporters who still carry the scars.

Prison warders rush to shield accused Australian war criminal Ben Roberts Smith from media intrusion by blocking the path of photographers .. why are some prisoners more equal than others?Prince Harry and Meghan fly home to the US but not before the Duchess shares disturbing revelations about how the billion dollar social media hate industry trolls her.Trusted ABC finance presenter Alan Kohler is warning viewers about a fraudulent but disturbingly believable AI video circulating on Facebook where he appears to be having a stand up blue with Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn.  And Hungary is finally freed from a corrupted state broadcaster that served as a Nazi style propaganda arm for a dictator with the success of Prime Minister elect Peter Magyar.

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. 

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