Perhaps taking his cue from Donald Trump, who blamed the violence in Charlottesville in 2017 “on many sides” of the conflict, Andrew Bolt downplayed the appearance of Nazis at an anti-trans rally in Melbourne last weekend by saying the socialists “wiped out even more people than did the Nazis”.
“Do these wannabe socialists really not know their Marxist creed wiped out even more people than did the Nazis?” Bolt asked, before again blaming both groups of demonstrators.
“Worry more about the culture of thuggery that’s produced not just them but their same-same enemies,” he said.
The Herald Sun columnist also mocked the Nazis not so much for their views but for their outfits, saying they were “the most ludicrous bunch of badly dressed Nazis” who were “too skint and stupid to even get a good uniform”.
Bolt’s Murdoch tabloid stablemate, Joe Hildebrand, warmed to the theme of “bothsidesing” when he said the hammer and sickle should be banned alongside the Nazi salute.
“I am all for banning the Nazi salute,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
“Even the fiercest defenders of freedom of speech usually draw the line at genocidal regimes.
“(Speaking of which we should also probably ban the hammer and sickle by the same logic but let’s leave that argument for another day.)”
Offensive language
Sky News Australia has a TikTok account run by a young woman who describes herself as “just a girl with the opinions of a 65-year-old white man”, Carla Efstratiou, or @gowokegobrokeaus.
Efstratiou appears to have been given licence to say whatever she wants on the social media platform because her report on the independent senator Lidia Thorpe attempting to storm the stage at a rally in Canberra contained some more than questionable language. Efstratiou likened the Indigenous politician to a bush pig.
“Lidia Thorpe with all the grace and poise of a bush pig was thrown out of an event in Canberra today for protesting,” she told the account’s 64,300 followers. “You can see that police were peacefully trying to calm her down.”
Last year she used the word “elephant” in a post about Grammy-award winning singer Lizzo. Sky News CEO Paul Whittaker has been approached for comment.
Elsewhere on news.com.au, editors mixed up Thorpe with Country Liberal party senator Jacinta Price.
FYI @newscorp
— Jennetta Quinn-Bates (@JennettaQB) March 23, 2023
This is Senator Thorpe pic.twitter.com/eTUphh87Fj
Vroom vroom, beep beep
In a week of ugly demonstrations in Sydney and Canberra it was a welcome relief to see two popular figures, ABC News Breakfast sports presenter Tony Armstrong and Paralympian Dylan Alcott delighting the kids – and adults – on Play School. Dressed in matching black racing jackets Tony and Dylan had a “car race” but you’ll have to watch to see who won.
@Tonaaayy_ and I did Play School! Dreams really do come true. Sorry to all the parents for the singing but we hope your 1 year old thinks it’s a banger pic.twitter.com/uoyKrbK89A
— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) March 22, 2023
Next month the Logie award-winner Armstrong hosts his second non-sports show, Stuff, in which he discovers the history of Aussie favourites such as Chiko Rolls, Speedos and stubbies.
Lachlan seeks to split Crikey trial
Lachlan Murdoch is seeking to split the defamation trial against Crikey by asking the court to have the imputations determined first.
The defamation proceedings against the independent Australian news site were launched last year over an article published in June that referred to the Murdoch family as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the US Capitol attack.
Lawyers for the News Corp co-chair filed an interlocutory application in the federal court on Thursday, following the lodgment of Crikey’s amended defence this week, which legal sources say runs to hundreds of pages. Crikey publisher Private Media has expanded its defence to include the recent admission by Rupert Murdoch in the Dominion lawsuit in the US that Fox News hosts endorsed false claims that the 2020 US election was stolen from Donald Trump.
The Murdoch application asks that the defamatory meaning “be determined separately to and in advance of any other question of liability”. Justice Michael Wigney will hear Murdoch’s case and Crikey’s response on 4 April.
Fry fronts Jeopardy
A callout on Facebook for expat Aussies living in the UK to appear on episodes of Jeopardy hosted by Stephen Fry piqued the interest of TV buffs. Why would producers want to recruit Australians? Turns out the show is being made for an Australian audience and has been commissioned by Channel 9.
There will be six episodes to screen this year or in 2024, according to TV Tonight, and filming will take place in Manchester in May.
Produced by Whisper North Limited, the new show comes 30 years after Jeopardy was hosted by Tony Barber on Channel 10.
Survivalists battle for big bucks
Another local version of an international franchise, Alone Australia, will premiere on SBS with a double episode on Wednesday 29 March at 7.30pm.
This week SBS launched the survival format in Sydney with five cast members in attendance talking about what motivated them to sign up for such a gruelling, lonely experience. Guests were offered canapés with wild delicacies including pickled cucumber, green ants and celery salt, kangaroo and blue swimmer crab.
Beautifully filmed in Tasmania by ITV Studios Australia, Alone offers a cash prize of $250,000 – a first for the multicultural broadcaster. It had to be a big offering given the strength and endurance needed to survive alone for months in the Tasmanian wilderness. But don’t worry, taxpayers will not be picking up the tab. The cash comes from sponsors of the show, which SBS is hoping will be a big hit.
Wild response to Pocock’s T-shirt
Sky News host Caleb Bond thought he was on to something when he attacked independent senator David Pocock for wearing a T-shirt to parliament. “Go to a shop and go and buy a bloody shirt, tie and a suit,” said the young man who dresses like an English lord twice his age. “You’re a politician!”
Bond said Pocock “couldn’t even put on a collared shirt” as he turned up to a doorstop interview wearing a Tame Impala T-shirt.
But Pocock had a legitimate reason for his attire.
“I’d come straight from an early morning game of tennis to celebrate 100 years of Tennis ACT and agreed to do a doorstop (not a prearranged interview) in the hallway on the way out of the press gallery after a morning radio interview,” Pocock said.
“Great to see the big issues being reported.”
What do you think? Play on? 😂
— David Pocock (@DavidPocock) March 22, 2023
I'd come straight from an early morning game of tennis to celebrate 100 years of Tennis ACT and agreed to do a door stop (not a prearranged interview) in the hallway on the way out of the Press Gallery after a morning radio interview.
Great to… pic.twitter.com/GNzXkg1i4c
Bond wasn’t giving up and returned to the theme the next day clearly delighted with the attention it brought him, despite the fact it was overwhelmingly negative.
“I tell you what, look we’ve had a lot of fun with you this week David – we love you,” he said, adding that he doesn’t own a T-shirt himself because they’re “not dignified”.
Costly conference
Weekly Beast has been contacted by young journalists and regional and rural reporters who say the cost of attending the 2023 Women in Media National Conference this year is so steep it is beyond the reach of all but the top echelons of the profession.
Sydney will host this year’s Women in Media National Conference on September 8th & 9th with Ita Buttrose AC OBE confirmed as the Keynote Speaker. EARLY BIRD Tickets now on sale! Get your ticket https://t.co/RwS014MAdk #jointhemovement #wimnationalconference2023 #womeninmedia pic.twitter.com/83LRkqQioI
— Women in Media (@WIM_Aus) March 20, 2023
Held in Sydney at the Sofitel on 8 and 9 September, the WIM conference now costs $825 plus booking fees, up from $450 last year.
An early bird ticket costs $660 for the two-day event, which is still more than double last year, and of course doesn’t include flights and accommodation costs.
A spokeswoman for the conference, which announced Ita Buttrose as national patron of the nonprofit and keynoter speaker, said: “Unfortunately, it’s more expensive to stage an event in a capital city and this is reflected in the ticket pricing. This is a two-day event, with national and international speakers, industry leaders, a breakfast event, meals and networking drinks.”
