Monday 27 April 2009

ABC Media Watch to investigate Council

ABC's media watchdog programme MediaWatch, will screen a special investigation tonight at 9:20pm, about Cairns Regional Council's financial deal with 4CA.

Dig out the Tim Tams and sit in for a real hoot, as John McKenzie and the CEO are put under the microscope.

9 comments:

Artie Qualisho said...

And I predict, once again we'll all come away understanding why the REAL media is far more useful than a disenchanted nobody sitting in his dark unit banging away on his old computer - and calling it "journalism". . .

Constance Lloyd said...

But Artie Q, your comments would suggest that Media Watch has only taken up this story because of what you obviously must think are the journalistic efforts of the Cairns Post. Indeed I predict that you believe that Media Watch (as the bastions of public monitoring of what’s good and bad in the media world) will take the Cairns Post as the true spirit of journalistic integrity here in Cairns. Heaven forbid that they should pay any heed to any other medium. We shall have to wait and see won’t we.

You suggest that Mr Moore, as a supposedly “disenchanted nobody” sits in a dark unit and bangs away on an old computer. Where do you get these perceptions from? News reporting is changing – if nothing else Artie, understand that. The days of single media are fast coming to an end. With the eventual arrival of high speed internet as promised by Rudd, and the full development of multi-channelled HD TV, the opportunities for organisations such as the Cairns Post and people such as John McKenzie to control the information we are fed is thankfully coming to an end.

With the experience of Facebook and Twitter, and all the other new social networking tools on the net as it is now, the development of different forms of news-reporting is just around the corner. Not just a couple of reporters in an office. Not just a couple of bloggers, but a plethora of people contributing real time news.

You talk about real media – please define. It’s no longer the age of Hearst – but of the public ownership of information. Bloggers like Mr Moore are realising the change and are willing to be part of it.

But what about you, Artie, what are you really contributing? Nothing apparently.


And that Artie is MY prediction.

Fosnez said...

Well I'm sure if Artie Qualisho has their way the only people allowed to report "news" would be official members of the Bureau of (dis)Information.

All though history freedom of speech has facilitate open government. Perhaps our comrade would like to go and be part of the REAL media of North Korea?

Clifton Ratbags Rule said...

Well Constance, Media Watch did a terrific job with the facts in this issue, without the Cairns Blog misinformation so prevelant in Michael Moore's "reporting". The fact is the Cairns Post "broke" this story by actually having a reporter at the council meeting. The bloggers were left sucking hind tit - this despite the claimed "insider" reports. Media Watch and the ABC showed again the difference between real journalists and outsider wanna-bees.

nocturnal congress said...

MediaWatch referred to the 1999 Cash for Comment Commercial Radio Inquiry, involving John Laws and Alan Jones. The inquiry was conducted by the ABA.
You can read details of it at:

http://www.comslaw.org.au/LeftMenu/JournalismMediaEthics/tabid/62/Default.aspx

I DON'T UNDERSTAND said...

John McKenzie announced this morning that the LNP leader would be on the programme this morning.

I called and asked McKenzie's "producer" how much he was paying to be on the program this morning.

She said "that's an inappropriate question", and said call the general manager - and then hung up.

How was this question inappropriate?

Alison Alloway said...

"crikey" on Thursday 27 Sept 2007 has a report "John Laws breaches broadcasting standards yet again" dealing with Laws cash for comments deals with Telstra and various banks. It explains a lot more.

Dutchie said...

To all of those who are bagging this blog here...why are you on it? Why read it if it has no news value?

Right, most people here try to read about the news and read other points of view on the same issues.

And, this blog even allows you, with a different point of view, to have your say. Something that cannot be said of your Cairns Post. This blog is more democratic than any other commercial media.

Even if TCP broke the news, they failed to provide all relevant information, and continue to do so, leaving the average reader in the dark.

Today's CP article is yet again a watered down, 'all over the place, 'behind the eight ball' type article.

As for Macca - it is about time this is investigated as 'cash for comment' has been going on for years on Macca's show.

What I am curious about is that there's an agreement (so they say), the mayor has been on air for six weeks, but there's no invoice to show for it? Mmmmmm. Should we maybe take 'cash for comment' literally?

Syd Walker said...

As far as I can see, the Cairns Post didn't break this story as much as drop it, like a spinning top, with lashings of spin applied.

As for Macca, now that Michael has published a photo, I have a better grasp of the whole tale.

Charles Dickens himself would have had difficulty inventing characters as interesting as these, along with suitable names.