GERARD HENDERSON’S MEDIA WATCH DOG – ISSUE NO. 22
7 AUGUST 2009
NANCY’S PICKS OF THE WEEK
▪ Late(With the News)Line – or Barrie Kosky as Neo-Faecest
This week Nancy was most impressed with the chutzpah of the team at the ABC 1 Lateline program. On Wednesday Lateline presenter Leigh Sales introduced a segment with the earth shattering news that “two of the country’s most influential voices in theatre, David Williamson and Barrie Kosky, are taking new pot shots at each other in their long-running public feud”. Then it was over to reporter Anne Maria Nicholson who revealed that Mr Kosky had called Mr Williamson “sad” and “self-important” and had described Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Arts Minister Peter Garrett as “birthday party clowns”. She added that David Williamson had responded in kind.
Did you have a déjà vu moment? Nancy sure did. No wonder. Kosky’s comments were initially reported by Nicholas Pickard in the Sun-Herald as long ago as 26 July and analysed at some length in Issue 21 of MWD. MWD went further and examined Mr Kosky’s essay On Ectasy – where the director revealed pride in his staging of Le Grande Macabre in Berlin which essentially consisted of faeces taking over the stage and the actors. Or something like that. Kosky recalled that this was a “beautiful” experience. To which MWD says, bull sh*t.
In any event, Anne Maria Nicholson boldly reported the Kosky/Williamson feud as if it were a breaking story. She interviewed Kosky on camera and he repeated the familiar artistic we-want-more-taxpayers-money mantra, declaring:
Unless the [Rudd] Government sort of doubles the Arts budget, then we’re never going to take culture seriously in this country.
That’s clear then – sort of? Interviewed on Lateline by phone, Williamson commented that Kosky was merely shooting his mouth off again and added that calling the Arts Minister a clown “just reinforces the public’s opinion that artists are petulant wankers”.
MWD repeats its demand that the Rudd Government should give Barrie Kosky a bucket load of money, a packet of Epson Salts and the use of Melbourne Grammar School Changing Rooms for an artistic-wanker-in-residence experience (Re which see Issue 21). Now.
▪ Commies Over The Water
While on the subject of déjà vu, Nancy just loved the Herald-Sun coverage of the decision of the communist government in North Korea to seize a South Korean fishing boat, the 800 Yeonan. The Herald-Sun covered the story under the heading: “Commies seize boat”. Those were – and, maybe, still are – the days.
▪ Have Labor Background/Will Comment
Nancy is invariably impressed with the ability of Labor apparatchiks, current and former alike, to run a political line. This helps to explain why Labor types invariably do politics better than their Liberal Party equivalents. Sure the Labor operatives receive a little help from their friends in the media – but you have to admire them anyway. Take, for example, the post-mortems on the recently completed Labor National Conference in Sydney.
Last Sunday, Channel 10’s Meet the Press looked around to find a suitable expert commentator on the Labor National Conference and came up with just one – long-term Labor operative Bruce Hawker. Mr Hawker not only reckoned that the National Conference was a you-beaut success but he also defended the role of lobbyists like Hawker Britton. Nice work if you can get up early enough on a Sunday morning – and if your mates will ask you on the program.
Then on Monday the ABC 1 7.30 Report program decided to investigate claims of political corruption and cronyism involving the Queensland Labor Government which impacted on the Labor National Conference. On this occasion the 7.30 Report sought expert advice from just one source – former ALP operative, and current pollster, Tim Gartrell.
It’s generally accepted that Malcolm Turnbull’s advisers did not cover themselves in glory on last Monday’s ABC 1 Australian Story titled “Paths of Glory”. But one female adviser did show both insight and grit. She was filmed viewing the Sky News coverage of what has been branded at the Utegate affair and was heard to comment: “Are you watching Sky? They’ve got Tim Gartrell up and Malcolm Farr. Now, how is that balanced?” Good point – but that’s how Labor operates. Channel 10, the ABC and even Sky News engage former Labor operatives to comment on politics in general and the Labor Party in particular. At least one of Mr Turnbull’s staff has noticed this. Make her chief-of-staff, MWD says.
PEACE PRIZE PILGERED
It’s around that time of the year again when the Sydney Peace Foundation announces the recipient of the annual Sydney Peace Prize. The City of Sydney – meaning ratepayers – makes a significant financial contribution to the prize. The Sydney Peace Foundation is based at the taxpayer subsidised University of Sydney and supports projects of Sydney University’s Centre for Peace and Conflicts Studies. In other words, the Sydney Peace Prize is an example of your taxes/rates at work.
Just when you thought it was perhaps time for the Sydney Peace Prize to be awarded to, say, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro or, perhaps Hezbollah supremo Hassan Nasrallah, the Sydney Peace Foundation award the gong to the confirmed leftist and congenital anti-American John Pilger. Of this, more in future issues of MWD.
It seems that the decision to give the London-based Australian expatriate this award was influenced by Associate Professor Jake Lynch, the recently appointed Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney. Jake Lynch is your standard British leftie journalist. You know – born of Communist Party parents, joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament when CND types – in their Duffle coats and non-matching sandals – thought it would be a you-beaut idea if the West gave away all its weapons while the communist dictators in Moscow kept theirs. In other words, the “Give Stalinism A Chance” concept. How does MWD know this? Well, on 2 April Jake Lynch was interviewed by Margaret Throsby on the ABC Classic FM program Mornings With Margaret Throsby. This interview was repeated on 9 July.
During his conversation with Margaret Throsby, Jake Lynch advocated what he termed “peace journalism”. In a long interview, which was interrupted by the playing of some of Jake Lynch’s favourite music, the Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (i) criticised President Barack Obama’s policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, (ii) bagged Rupert Murdoch, (iii) fanged Kevin Rudd and Gordon Brown for not having done any more than “tinkering with the precepts of market primacy” in their handling of the economy, (iv) essentially blamed the United States for Pol Pot’s murderous crimes in Cambodia three decades ago, (v) essentially blamed post World War I reparations for the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime in Germany in the 1930s and (vi) got into a tizz over Margaret Thatcher.
Professor Lynch made the news when, on 8 June 2009, the Daily Telegraph revealed that his Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies had offered its students a six week “Peace and Activism Training Course” culminating in a trip to Queensland to disrupt the US-Australia military training exercise titled Operation Talisman Sabre. The Daily Telegraph’s Joe Hildebrand revealed that the Centre’s group planned to blockade Rockhampton Airport on Sunday 12 July. However, soon after the Daily Telegraph got on the case, Dr Hannah Middleton – one of Professor Lynch’s academic colleagues – announced that the Centre’s course had been cancelled. [Is this the same Hannah Middleton who not so recently proudly belonged to the Communist Party? – Ed]
On the afternoon of 6 June 2009, Jake Lynch agreed to an interview on ABC News Radio to follow up the Daily Telegraph story. It was quite a disaster. First up, Professor Lynch attempted to avoid answering the question as to whether his Centre formally sanctioned the Peace and Activism Training Course. But he did assert that Operation Talisman Sabre involved “a rehearsal for the invasion of another country”. Alas, he did not say which one.
Professor Lynch got even more evasive when queried about whether his Centre supported a proposed blockade of Rockhampton Airport by opponents of Operation Talisman Sabre. What fun that, rather than focus on peace the learned professor wanted to talk about – wait for it – influenza. Let’s go to the audio tape:
Reporter : Now Jake, what about reports today that this course will culminate in a blockade of Rockhampton Airport to try and disrupt the exercise? Is that being planned?
Jake Lynch : Well I think we are happy to associate ourselves with the call by The Sydney Peace Foundation for the Queensland Government to decline to allow in these thousands of American troops because it seems to have slipped out of the headlines for some reason but there’s an ongoing public health emergency here. Now the world is facing its worst influenza pandemic since 1919 with an outbreak of swine flu –
Reporter : So you would support a blockade?
Jake Lynch : – along with Mexico for example, is one of the countries which has been identified as most at risk –
Reporter: So will you be supporting the blockade?
Jake Lynch : Why precisely is the Queensland government inviting in thousands of American troops? Are they all going to be individually screened for swine flu by the Queensland government before they let them in?
Reporter : So to be clear Jake Lynch, will you be supporting a blockade?
Jake Lynch : We would like the Queensland government to decide not to let in these thousands of American troops –
Reporter : If they don’t, will you be supporting a blockade?
Jake Lynch : We would like the Queensland government to decline to allow in these American troops purely on health grounds –
Reporter : If they don’t will you be taking part in a blockade?
Jake Lynch : As I say, we would like the Queensland government to decline to allow in these thousands of American troops –
Reporter : Yes, yes, you’ve said that. But if they don’t, will you be supporting a blockade? Is it a part of your course as is reported in The Daily Telegraph today?
Jake Lynch : Well, The Daily Telegraph sets its own agenda, of course, it’s a newspaper owned by the Murdoch organisation and generally speaking Rupert Murdoch is in favour of America’s wars, in fact Rupert Murdoch –
Reporter : Will you be taking part in a blockade of Rockhampton Airport, Jake Lynch?
Jake Lynch : Rupert Murdoch suddenly mobilised all his newspapers to start running bellicose pro-war editorials back in 2002 when the invasion of Iraq was in the offing –
Reporter : This is all very interesting Jake. But will you, on that question, will you be blockading Rockhampton Airport as a part of this course?
Jake Lynch : I think the agenda of the Murdoch press is clearly pro-war and it says something that they see, apparently, nothing amiss in very fact that the exercise going ahead in the first place but are instead concentrating on the activities of people who want to protest about it.
Reporter : I’m seeking a clarification here Jake. Will you and your organisation be taking part in a proposed blockade of Rockhampton Airport to try and disrupt this exercise?
Jake Lynch : What we’ll be doing is we’ll be registering our opposition to Operation Talisman Sabre. And the reason we do that is because Operation Talisman Sabre is a rehearsal for the invasion of an –
Reporter : Will that opposition be expressed in the form of a blockade or not? Yes or no?
Jake Lynch : And that –
Reporter : Yes or no, Jake?
Jake Lynch : That opposition will be for any more illegal wars that Australia –
Reporter : I’ll take – should I take – that as a yes?
Jake Lynch : – [indecipherable] by the United States –
Reporter : Do you rule out illegal activity in making the protests?
Jake Lynch : I think the important point is that the main illegal activity we’ve been seeing in this context over recent years has been the illegal invasion of Iraq –
Reporter : Be that as it may –
Jake Lynch : – it was led by the United States, against Australian public opinion. We don’t want any repeat of that, so I would like to know why the Defence Department is carrying out a rehearsal with the United States to do a repeat performance.
Reporter : Associate Professor, Jake Lynch, many thanks indeed for your time.
Jake Lynch : You’re welcome.
Welcome, indeed. By the way, in his morning conversation with Margaret Throsby, Jake Lynch (born 1965) declared that his heroes in journalism were none other than Robert Fisk and John Pilger.
FOR PEACE – AND TAKING A LOW PROFILE ON THE 7.30 REPORT
Judging from the way the ABC’s 7.30 Report covers peace, it seems likely that John “Give Peace A Chance” Pilger should be in for a soft interview on the program.
On 29 July Kerry O’Brien introduced a segment on Australian businessman Steve Killelea in the following terms:
In this cynical age, world peace is sometimes dismissed as a hippie concept, a utopian notion of the flower children of the ’60s. But increasingly global businessmen and leaders are accepting that peace has an economic value. The more peaceful a nation the more attractive it is for investment and the higher its economic wealth. Ranking nations according to their capacity for peace is the brainchild of one Australian multimillionaire who also gives away millions to help the poorest people on earth.
Then it was over to reporter Rebecca Baillie. She told viewers that despite the accolades extended to him – presumably by Kerry O’Brien among others – Steve Killelea “prefers to keep a low profile – going about his daily business and remaining humble about his contribution to the world”.
You have to admire any businessman who seeks to maintain a low profile by being filmed for the 7.30 Report walking on the beach and flaunting his sports convertible and who chooses to remain humble by allowing Ms Baillie to report on his charitable foundation.
In the Global Peace Index founded by Steve Killelea, Australia comes at Number 19 – well behind the first placed New Zealand. It turns out that the criteria for peacefulness include imprisonment rates, the level of violent crime and defence expenditure. In other words, the less a nation spends on defence the more peaceful it is. Judged by such criteria, the appeaser Neville Chamberlain would be judged a peaceful kind of chap. Certainly Adolf Hitler thought so.
Ms Baillie concluded her fawn-report by quoting the Sydney Peace Foundation’s Stuart Rees [Check whether he is the predecessor of the Pilger-loving Jake Lynch – Ed]. Professor Rees made the following comment about Mr Killelea:
He’s visionary. He’s done something that has not been done before. He is a very significant contributor to humanity.
Needless to say, the 7.30 Report did not run any contrary view to the effect that, say, military expenditure might actually contribute to the maintenance of peace. The ABC’s front-line current affairs program seems more like a magazine program these days.
HISTORY CORNER – Cannane On Spain Not At All Plain
It’s hardly a revelation to observe that in wars – including civil wars – there are at least two sets of antagonists. For example, there was the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Irish Civil War (1921-1922) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) – all such conflicts involved contesting beliefs on a range of issues. In America there were those who wanted to free the slaves and those who wanted to retain the institution of slavery. In Ireland, the conflict was essentially between those Irish who supported the Treaty which ended the Anglo-Irish War and those Irish who opposed it. In Spain there was a division between the radical left (which included communists) and the radical right (which included Catholics). And more besides.
On Radio National Breakfast on 9 July 2009, Steve Cannane devoted a whole 15 minutes to interviewing journalist Jon Lee Anderson who wrote a piece about the Spanish Civil War in the 22 June 2009 issue of the New Yorker. Anderson spoke at length about the murdered victims of General Franco, who led the overthrow of Spain’s Republican government in 1936, with particular reference to the Republican poet Federico Garcia Lorca. Anderson gave an interesting account of Lorca’s life and death, presented in the context of Spain’s recently enacted Law of Historical Memory.
However, Cannane seemed completely unaware of – and certainly showed no interest in – the fate of those who were murdered by the communists and anarchists who fought for the Republic and against Franco. The list of those murdered by pro-Republican forces includes numerous Catholic priests and nuns. It was the dreadful murders on both sides that made the Spanish Civil War such an appalling conflict but you would never learn this piece of history by listening to RN Breakfast on 9 July.
Steve Cannane and his producer Gail Boserio seem to believe that the Republic was completely right and Franco was completely wrong – and that Franco’s forces were overwhelmingly fascist. In fact, the Spanish Civil War was much more complicated – and ambivalent – than this. This is evident from a reading of the history of the Spanish Civil War over the past five decades – since Hugh Thomas’ monumental work which was first published in 1961.
Antony Beevor’s The Battle For Spain (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006) is not friendly to Franco. However, Beevor does conclude that a Republican victory in 1937 or 1938 would have resulted in the creation of a Stalinist regime in Spain which would have murdered the enemies of the Communist Party on both the left (i.e. Trotskyites, anarchists, social democrats) and the right.
In his conversation with Jon Lee Anderson, Steve Cannane seemed blissfully unaware of what actually occurred in Spain in the second half of the 1930s. It’s a pity really – since the Spanish Civil War had an international impact, including on Australia.
STOP PRESS
▪ Yet Another Dr Connors Approved RN Love-In
As the Prime Minister has said, the individuals who have been charged with terrorism related offences in Melbourne are entitled to a presumption of innocence. But MWD is entitled to draw attention to the discussion (for want of a better word) which took place on the ABC Radio National Late Night Live program on Thursday 30 July 2009 – shortly before the terrorism suspects were arrested.
It was one of those typical taxpayer funded RN occasions. Leftie presenter Phillip Adams agreed with academic lawyer Nicola McGarrity who agreed with defence lawyer Robert Stary who agreed with Phillip Adams – that the existing anti-terrorism laws go too far, are not really necessary and so on.
It’s just that Labor, the Coalition, the Australian Federal Police, State Police forces, ASIO etc believe otherwise. But, of course, this view was not heard on LNL. Apparently, RN supremo Dr Jane Connors believes that RN listeners can only handle one (leftie) idea at a time. It’s a bit like the Adelaide Festival of Idea [sic] which is an Adams endorsed product – See Issue 19.
▪ Jonathan Holmes’ Very Own Story
What a performance by ABC 1 Media Watch presenter Jonathan Holmes at this week’s IQ2 Debate in Sydney. Mr Holmes spoke for the affirmative on the topic “The media can’t be trusted to tell the truth”.
Does Mr Holmes believe that this applies to his fellow comrades at the ABC? It’s not clear. Certainly in the extract of his speech published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday, the Media Watch presented bagged only newspapers and the commercial electronic media. The Holmes Thesis was as follows: “The media are not in the business of telling us the truth. The media are in the business of telling us stories.”
Certainly ABC 1 identity Michael Brissenden told a few stories about his (hazy) recollections of his (supposedly) off-the-record dinner with Peter Costello in 2005. But this story was not covered by Media Watch at the time or since. And it was not mentioned in the Holmes lament about factual howlers in the media. Oh well, taxpayer funded journalistic comrades will be taxpayer funded journalistic comrades.
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Until next time.