Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young Granted Extraordinary Powers – @Qldaah #qldpol

Misunderstood by many media commentators & some politicians is the declaration of a public health emergency such as for covid-19. In Queensland this grants extraordinary powers to the Chief Health Officer (CHO), Dr Jeannette Young. “During a public health emergency, the Chief Health Officer can issue Public Health Directions to assist in containing, or to […]

Scare tactics and @TonyAbbottMHR’s war on #qanda over @ZakyMallah’s truth bomb: @jansant comments

When the politicisation of “national security” morphs into a vicious attack on the independence of our Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), it’s another sign Australia is racing down the road towards a fascist state. This confected outrage about #qanda reveals the depth of the totalitarian impulse in this government. It frightens me. — Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) […]

Breaking News: Sex, Lies and the Murdoch Succession by Paul Barry

By Margaret O’Connor 1 November 2013 If you want a quick and telling glimpse of the psychopathology that infested Rupert Murdoch’s power house tabloid News of the World (NoTW), turn to the Leveson Inquiry Hearings for Wednesday, 29 November, 2011. On that day, Paul McMullan, ex-NoTW reporter, reluctantly gave testimony about his work practices there – […]

FOI delivers your not so up-to-date Press Gallery membership list

  by Margo Kingston On May 1 I sought the list of Press Gally members from the Parliamentary Liaison office after the Press Gallery Committee advised that it was private My FOI was successful. Here is the letter granting access to the information, free of charge, and the list. I’d like to thank the PLO for their […]

Don’t walk past, @abcmarkscott and @dailytelegraph

  Update: Barrie Cassidy on Jon Faine just said News Management are reviewing Piers Akerman position as we speak. #abc774 — No Fibs Geek (@geeksrulz) June 20, 2013     @abcmarkscott + K Williams ( News Ltd CEO), 'THE STANDARD YOU WALK PAST IS THE STANDARD YOU ACCEPT' Follow Fairfax example. @jointdestroyer — margo kingston […]

The art of journalism: satisfying beginners and expert readers

By Sally Baxter May 19, 2013 What makes a journalist? A lot of people – inside and outside the profession – are asking that question. If you think it takes a genius, think again. Good journalists have a representative of their audience in mind who informs every step of their work. My background’s print, so it’s natural […]

Ethics overboard: How to promote integrity in the moment of choice

By Margo Kingston January 14, 2003 MARGO: With all the talk about stronger shield laws for journos, I think we are edging ever closer to needing an answer to the question: What is a journalist? We cannot argue for special protections and exemptions from privacy laws unless we can distinguish ourselves from non-journalists. To me the […]

Bolt no free speech champion, just another rhetor*

By Thomas Connelly May 11,  2013 Margo: I read with incredulity Andrew Bolt’s begging letter to citizens to donate to the IPA’s fund to defend free speech http://support.ipa.org.au/. IPA donors Murdoch and Gina could finance a free speech fund with their spare change. This appeal is about something else, changing the very meaning of free […]

The Post-Mortem on Journalism Reform: What Happens Now? Live Blog

Live blogging by Kevin Rennie The Post-Mortem on Journalism Reform: What Happens Now? The Chair of the Australian Press Council, Julian Disney, will outline future directions, followed by a panel discussion with ABC Media Watch presenter Jonathan Holmes, Senator Scott Ludlam (Greens) and Moderated by Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, Margaret Simons. Centre for […]

Paddy Manning pays the whistleblower’s price

By Margo Kingston, April 9,  2013 I know from experience that sometimes when the death of something you believe in stares you in the face you lose your judgement. It seems that this happened to business journalist Paddy Manning  yesterday morning. By 6pm last night he’d been sacked. by editorial chief Garry Linnell. Like many journos, I […]