One thing about decrying embarrassing faux journalism by the ABC – News Ltd can always outdo them.
And on this “leadership speculation” beat-up they’ve just produced my favourite piece of head-smackingly moronic “journalism” of the year:
Tony Abbott is preparing for a “leadership showdown”? Is someone challenging him for leadership of the Liberal Party? Or is he switching to the ALP and challenging Gillard for leadership of the ALP? Tony Abbott “prepares to take on Julia Gillard”? Does Tony Abbott think he has the numbers in the ALP caucus?
Now I’m pretty sure that, their cack-handed incompetent writing aside, News is trying to report that they think someone in the ALP, not Tony Abbott, is going to challenge Gillard – because Tony Abbott has told them so. Yes, here it is: Tony Abbott “says many Labor MPs will turn their back on Gillard”? Tony Abbott “said instincts told him a challenge would come in the next few weeks”?
That’s news? The leader of one party speculating about what he’d really, really like to be going on in the opposing one? That’s their lead story?
Oh, the stupid. The terrible, terrible stupid.
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Hmm, I wonder where they got all that exclusive information about the thoughts of Chairman Abbott? No News Ltd story seems complete without a quote from the walking soundbite himself these days. He seems to be feeding them constantly. Which is all he does do, race from one media appearance to another. He certainly doesn’t do policy much.
On Sunday evening’s ‘The Project’ show on Channel 10, couldn’t believe what I was watching.
The hosts wondered whether there was going to be an ALP leadership challenge. Cut to an interview with their expert on the matter….Joe Hockey.
Hockey is given 5 minutes or so of airtime to beat up on his political opposition, talking up a Kevin Rudd challenge, with no doubts or even serious questions posed by The Project’s interviewers in the studio.
Mentioned this on Twitter and – to their credit – the person running The Project’s Twitter account replied they’d asked the Prime Minister on to be interviewed but she’d declined.
So, what do they do? Get someone unbiased to comment? Nah. Wheel out Joe Hockey for a free party political broadcast.
This is increasingly what passes for political journalism nowadays. Astounding.
I know, it’s beyond pathetic.
But what’s even more pathetic is that the MEAA are petitioning Bowen for permission to enter the refugee prisons.
These fuckers wander around all manner of war zones but they won’t enter a prison in Australia without permission.
Oustanding isn’t it.
Then that babblling prat Peter Alford at the Australian gloats because Indonesia have illegally arrested and jailed asylum seekers and the headline is “foils asylum bid”, which is a fucking crime.
“So, what do they do? Get someone unbiased to comment? Nah. Wheel out Joe Hockey for a free party political broadcast.”
Sadly, the telepathic octopus who could pick soccer games died. That horse that could tap the ground to answer questions is no longer with us either. Some say that insects can predict earth tremors, but they’re hard to marshal into a studio to do political commentary. Gradually working our way down the list, I guess we do eventually come to Joe.
To be fair to the opposition leader, keep in mind the possibility that nobody actually talked to him about the story either. That headline could be the first he’s heard of it as well.
Nielson must have wiped the smiles off their faces this morning though too late apparently to prevent both The Herald Sun and The Daily Telegraph doing a coordinated front page spash about Gillard being snubbed at her BBQ which must mean of course that the spill is on.
Blog comment of the day has to go to the tele.
“Gary of Wingham Posted at 5:06 AM Today
Hard to push the economic barrow to the constituents when we see our money wasted on morale boosting bbq’s. Very interested to see the total cost of Sunday’s shin dig.”
I kid you not.
They might as well share an office..I personally don’t see any difference between News Ltd and The Coalition…it’s the same organization – might as well be!
At least it’s a change from seeing Abbott and Hockey referred to as “senior ALP sources”.
Lloyd McDonald – I would imagine that caucus meetings would have to be paid for by the ALP itself …
Maybe Tony is going to join the ALP?
How about if the leadership challenge doesn’t happen Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey and Julie Bishop are questioned about their political judgement. No, they will just be given another free kick and asked to comment on something else they know nothing about.
@ Neil Walker — that is a poor effort by the Project, I suspect I’d be needing a new telly now if I’d seen that. Why didn’t they just drop the story when they couldn’t get the PM on?
Jon Faine did a similar thing on the radio during the week. He wanted to talk to Premier Baillieu about all his staff changes over the summer, but no one from the state govt would come on to talk to him, so instead of dropping it, he gets Jeff Kennett on the air. Jeff insists that he doesn’t know any specifics and they proceed to speculate on the “optics” of staff changes … a complete waste of time.
From listenening to AM this morning, (also posted on another page at PP)… maybe they meant [Tony Rudd prepares from leadership showdown]
sorry I mean kevin…
Nice one!