{"id":5115,"date":"2013-06-17T19:53:43","date_gmt":"2013-06-17T09:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=5115"},"modified":"2022-05-02T00:33:45","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T14:33:45","slug":"abc-piers-silence-is-consent-catherinedeveny-on-why-shes-no-akerman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/abc-piers-silence-is-consent-catherinedeveny-on-why-shes-no-akerman\/","title":{"rendered":"ABC Piers silence is consent: @CatherineDeveny on why she&#8217;s no Akerman"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_5122\" style=\"width: 522px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5122\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5122\" alt=\"Piers Ackerman commenting on PM's misogyny speech\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nofibs.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/A7YE1I4CcAASSp8.jpg?resize=512%2C512\" width=\"512\" height=\"512\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5122\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piers Ackerman commenting on PM&#8217;s misogyny speech<\/p><\/div>\n<p>by Catherine Deveny<\/p>\n<p>June 17, 2013<\/p>\n<p>Piers Ackerman commenting on PM&#8217;s misogyny speech<\/p>\n<p>I only know three things about Piers Akerman. He\u2019s a right wing hack for one of Murdoch\u2019s mouthpieces. Yesterday he went on Insiders and surprised no one by repeating rumors questioning the sexuality of Prime Minister Gillard\u2019s partner, covering it clumsily with a dog whistle along the lines of \u2018Who cares in this day and age if people are gay\u2026 but a lot of people have been saying he is\u2019. The third thing I know is that Piers moderates his own blog and happily lets comments like the following past the keeper, \u201cDeveny is one of Australia\u2019s greatest pieces of human garbage, a contemptible low life of unspeakable depravity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wow. Nanna! Who knew you were a Piers Akerman fan!<\/p>\n<p>Many are furious about Pier\u2019s comments and some are even petitioning the Managing Director of the ABC, Mark Scott to prevent Piers Akerman from appearing on the ABC as a paid commentator.<\/p>\n<p>Today the ABC\u2019s Mark Colvin, who I have enormous respect and affection for, suggested in some twitter banter with journalist Margo Kingston that Akerman and I are two sides of the same coin. Colvin\u2019s take was that if Piers were barred for his comments, following Kingston\u2019s conclusion that the ABC\u2019s silence on his Insiders appearance was an indicator of the broadcaster having no standards, \u2018your approach would likely also bar someone like Catherine Deveny from appearing on QandA\u2019.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" width=\"500\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/margokingston1\">@margokingston1<\/a> Not at all. But your approach would likely also bar someone like Catherine Deveney from appearing on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%23qanda&amp;src=hash\">#qanda<\/a>. And there&#39;s a<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Mark Colvin (@Colvinius) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Colvinius\/statuses\/346431377945817088\">June 17, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Colvin suggested Kingston only wanted people she liked to appear on the ABC. Kingston suggested Colvin\u2019s answer implied ABC sets no standards on who it pays to appear on the national broadcaster to talk politics.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" width=\"500\">\n<p>.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Colvinius\">@Colvinius<\/a>, I don&#39;t know <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CatherineDeveny\">@CatherineDeveny<\/a> work &#8211; does she make up facts on ABC to falsely accuse, broadcast rumours, work unethical?<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; margo kingston (@margokingston1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/margokingston1\/statuses\/346439820152803328\">June 17, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Kingston tweeted back \u201cI don&#8217;t know Catherine Deveny\u2019s work &#8211; does she make up facts on ABC to falsely accuse, broadcast rumors, work unethical?\u201d (sic)<\/p>\n<p>At this point I jumped in and said \u2018No\u2019. But let\u2019s face it, tell me what they\u2019re paying and I\u2019ll consider it.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" width=\"500\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/margokingston1\">@margokingston1<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Colvinius\">@Colvinius<\/a> No.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Catherine Deveny  (@CatherineDeveny) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CatherineDeveny\/statuses\/346441373899182080\">June 17, 2013<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m frequently introduced as a \u2018journalist\u2019. I immediately and vigorously correct people. I\u2019m not a journalist. I\u2019m a comedian and a writer. Being published in a newspaper no more makes me a journalist that being in the MCG makes me a footballer.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not a job snob at all &#8211; some of my best friends are black gay journalists &#8211; but calling me a journalist is inaccurate. Not a value judgement. It\u2019s like calling a bus driver a butcher. I explain to people that \u2018journalists are taught to be impartial, they\u2019re professional fact checkers, disseminators of truth, trained observers. They are out to find \u2018What is true?\u2019 and they attempt to find the answer in an unbiased fashion.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018They are drilled to leave their opinions, prejudices and biases out of their job. They are to recognise them but they are not to let them interfere with how they do their reporting.\u2019<br \/>\nThat\u2019s the idea.<\/p>\n<p>I am a writer and a comedian. I say what I like, what a feel what I reckon and what I want. I have no universal standards of ethics and principals to adhere to. Just my own personal ones. Unlike journalists.<\/p>\n<p>George Carlin says, \u2018I think it&#8217;s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the murky bit. Akerman is a journalist but he is also columnist. WTF is a columnist? I was one for three years for <em>The Age<\/em> and I have no idea. Who determines what is appropriate or inappropriate for him to say?<\/p>\n<p>Of course the ABC has guidelines and standards for its own journalists. But when Akerman appears on <em>Insiders<\/em> is he a paid contributor or a guest? Is he a columnist or a journalist? And if he is a guest is he alone responsible for his content and the response to it? Or is he an analyst? And if so WTF is that and what are the expectations and limitations of an analyst?<\/p>\n<p>Akerman\u2019s shameful dog whistle would clearly fail the test of being an objective professional as far as journalistic standards are concerned. And calling him a columnist or an analyst makes it too murky to judge so let\u2019s simplify is and just use this word.<\/p>\n<p>Ethics.<\/p>\n<p>And let\u2019s just ask this question.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018What was Piers attempting to achieve when he\u00a0bought up those rumours?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Intent and context is the only way comments deemed to be offensive and inappropriate can be judged. Personally, I think he\u2019s a pig.<\/p>\n<p>On a personal level how do I feel being described, as I routinely am, as the left wing female alternative to right wing, race baiting, homophobic, fear mongering, misogynist tabloid hacks? (Who coincidently are all highly paid middle aged rich white men on staff and I\u2019m am a single mum freelancer).<\/p>\n<p>Couldn\u2019t care less. It indicates people know nothing about my body of work, ethics and personal standards and even less about the people I am being compared to.<\/p>\n<p>Does not commenting on Pier\u2019s highly unethical comments indicate the ABC tacitly supports Akerman\u2019s veiling mud slinging as \u2018public interest\u2019? Is it a case of silence equals consent?<\/p>\n<p>Or is it simpler? If you support diversity of opinions and freedom of speech you have to suck it up even when you don\u2019t like what is being said?<\/p>\n<p>Or is it ABC\u2019s constant fear of being accused of \u2018right wing bias\u2019 that makes Aunty more timid about commenting on Akerman\u2019s <em>Insider\u2019s<\/em> performance? It\u2019s hilarious how all the people constantly accusing the ABC of right wing bias never, ever bring up gender imbalance and lack of QLBTIQ, disabled or indigenous representation on our national broadcaster.<\/p>\n<p>As we were all reminded last week after watching The Chief of the Army, Lieutenant-General David Morrison, extraordinary video addressing the latest.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cThe standard you walk past is the standard you accept.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>ReadMore:<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"#Mediawatch honest broker for silent, censored Piers\u2019 ABC\" href=\"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/2013\/06\/18\/mediawatch-honest-broker-for-silent-censored-piers-abc\/\">#Mediawatch honest broker for silent, censored Piers\u2019 ABC<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Don\u2019t walk past, @abcmarkscott and @dailytelegraph\" href=\"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/2013\/06\/16\/the-standard-you-walk-past-is-the-standaed-you-accept\/\">Don\u2019t walk past, @abcmarkscott and @dailytelegraph<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Catherine Deveny June 17, 2013 Piers Ackerman commenting on PM&#8217;s misogyny speech I only know three things about Piers Akerman. He\u2019s a right wing hack for one of Murdoch\u2019s mouthpieces. Yesterday he went on Insiders and surprised no one by repeating rumors questioning the sexuality of Prime Minister Gillard\u2019s partner, covering it clumsily with [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3434,3402,57,523,3546,68,585,21,31,32,35],"tags":[702,678,701,676,677],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t0mw-1kv","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5115"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56777,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5115\/revisions\/56777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}