We Used to be Journos

Welcome to They Used To Be ... a weekly interview podcast with people who are no longer in a role that once defined them. What can they see (and say) now? Sofia Liguori used to be an AI research engineer at Google DeepMind. But after three and a half years inside one of the world's most influential companies, Liguori recently resigned publicly, published an open letter, and accused the industry of normalising military and surveillance applications of artificial intelligence.She explains how witnessing Israel's war on Gaza, learning more about Google's military contracts with the United States, and participating in internal employee activism forced her to confront questions she could no longer compartmentalise.Liguori also challenges some of the most common assumptions about AI, arguing that the greatest danger isn't necessarily when the technology fails, hallucinates or escapes human oversight, but when it works exactly as designed. Despite concerns about legal repercussions, she says speaking publicly was worth the risk and encourages others to do the same.Support Ette Media by subscribing here.Senior Producer: Alyssa Partington Send us your tips and feedback tips@ettemedia.com

Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed is the Senator-elect for the US state of Michigan and also a Habibi. As a fellow member of the Arabic-speaking diaspora, Jan Fran is pleased to be hearing her mother-tongue on the world stage. Let’s not underestimate the power of that but lets not over estimate it either.

Jan Fran and Antoinette can’t look away from the US midterm elections, albeit for very different reasons.Antoinette examines the the almost non-existent coverage of new rape allegations against Trump that include connections to Epstein.While Jan gives five stars to whoever is giving Democratic nominee Abdul El Sayed media training ahead of his battle for the hotly contested Michigan Senate seat, where serious drama is unfolding.Back home, Greens leader David Shoebridge addresses the National Press Club and we’ve got questions about the questions he received.Also, we shout out two ABC sports reporters who were as chuffed as we were about Lebanon’s nail biting, historic win in the Rugby League World Cup and we credit the independent media outlets with the one take on Jillian Segal’s latest antisemitism report that the mainstream media missed.‘Jillian Segal's Flimsy New Report Gets Red Carpet Media Rollout’ Osman Faruqi via Lamestream ‘It’s time to sack Jillian Segal’ Jeff Lowenstein via DeepCut‘Jillian Segal’s report is a Trumpian plan to curtail free speech’ Jeff Sparrow via Crikey ‘Australia’s complicit shills have lost the narrative and sound fucking ridiculous’ Dave Milner via The Shot ‘The Segal State: the office Australia never voted for’ Andrew Brown via Michael West Media This episode is proudly brought to you by Salaam Foundation.This episode was recorded at Colombo Social, part of Plate It Forward.Shooter/Editor: Lachlan FrenchSupport Ette Media by subscribing here.Send us your tips tips@ettemedia.com

Welcome to the very first episode of They Used To Be... a weekly interview podcast with people who are no longer in a position that once defined them. Now they’re on the other side; they can speak candidly about who they were, why they left, and whether they see the world differently now that they’ve stepped away.Cathy Wilcox used to be a cartoonist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age until she took a redundancy a few months ago.In her first interview since leaving The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after 37 years, she discusses her infamous cartoon “Grass roots”, and what it was like being under sustained external attacks.In this no-holds-barred chat, Wilcox reflects on the heyday of editorial cartooning, what she loves most about the power of the pencil, and how far she believes the Herald has fallen in recent years - and why.Plus, she has a special message for her former colleagues, delivered in classic Wilcox style. (Nine newspapers were contacted for comment, but did not respond).Senior Producer: Alyssa Partington Support Ette Media by subscribing here.Send us your tips and feedback tips@ettemedia.com

Israel held a general election this week, and it’s a stalemate. Neither Netanyahu nor his rival Gadi Eisenkot, has won a majority to govern. But something has already happened since voting closed that is gonna shift things big time. Shift the material reality for Palestinians? No, shift the existential reality for Israelis? Yes. And it has to do with “Arabs” in Israel or Palestinian-Israelis. And yes, they exist.

We give a nod to the Brazilian journalists who helped uncover Meta’s questionable role in the lead up to their country’s general election. Did Meta try to sway the vote in favour of the far-right candidate? If so, it didn’t work!Antoinette unpacks Ben Roberts-Smith’s ‘exclusive’ media blitz ahead of his war crimes trial but loses count of the billionaire media barons helping rehab his reputation. Jan also explains the so-called “dirt sheet” on independent MP Helen Haines and what it shows about how dirty politics can be. Plus, a small Tasmanian school finds itself in the middle of a “cancelling Christmas” culture war thanks to the state’s Premier. His answers to our questions offer no accountability but some entertainment. There’s also a shout-out to Bec(ette), our unofficial producer on the Tasmanian story, for the tip and the research.Shooter/Editor: Lachlan FrenchSupport Ette Media by becoming a subscriber.Send us your tips tips@ettemedia.com

In the wake of the violent and deplorable attack on Independent MP Helen Haines, the Prime Minister has been asking everyone to “turn the temperature down”, but Jan Fran is not entirely clear on what that means or who it’s directed at. ​In this episode of Only Fran, Jan Fran combs through previous examples of the PM using that phrase and finds that some people are turning the temperature up more than others.

Jan and Antoinette look at how a violent attack on independent MP Helen Haines was politicised by The Australian, despite the scant details and evidence available.Antoinette reflects honestly on her time in Lebanon, why it’s a country of contrasts and what "holidaying" in a warzone is really like. Also, we bring you a special interview with local reporter Widad Francis about the multifaceted challenges of being a journalist in Lebanon.Plus, what extremist settler attacks on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine reveal about the paper’s inconsistent ethical and editorial standards.And Jan Fran has strong feelings about ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books of All Time.Support Ette Media by subscribing here.Shooter/Editor: Lachlan French Send us your tips tips@ettemedia.com

In the span of 12 months Chile, Colombia and now (likely) Brazil will join Argentina and take a Trumpian turn by electing far-right leaders. As it happens, they are the top four largest economies in South America.This week Jan Fran takes a look at why a far-right wave is is making a splash across South America and what that has to do with the current US president and the man who was US President in 1823.