Ancestors

Written by Mark Newton on 2025-02-03 at 05:16

A 1980s historical drama which includes Michelle Grattan and Barrie Cassidy is a pretty good summary of what's wrong with Australian journalism, where people who were reaching the peaks of their careers 35 years ago are still hanging around like bad smells today.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-03/the-newsreader-season-3-fact-check/104877666

An industry this small can't undergo generational refresh unless the people at the top move on, and I feel like I've been hearing the same names and same opinions for my entire adult life. There is probably a vast population of up-and-comers better than Grattan and Cassidy who we've never heard of because they were in the way.

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Written by Trish Roberts on 2025-02-03 at 06:05

@NewtonMark @ajsadauskas Barrie Cassidy moved on,and look what happened?

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Written by Mark Newton on 2025-02-03 at 06:14

@treleanor "Nothing changed." @ajsadauskas

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Written by AJ Sadauskas on 2025-02-03 at 06:29

@NewtonMark @treleanor Fundamentally, I think the very idea of a dedicated "political reporter" is the wrong way to cover politics.

Take the worst article that Giles Parkinson from Renew Economy has written about energy, climate, or renewables policy in the past two years.

Now compare it to the best article that any ABC or NineFax Canberra Press Gallery stenographer has put out over the same period.

I know which article is better.

If the Canberra Press Gallery were abolished tomorrow, and replaced with a series of Giles Parkinsons covering health, education, defence, etc. policy as part of their beat, would be any less well informed?

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Written by Tingo on 2025-02-03 at 06:49

@ajsadauskas @NewtonMark @treleanor

Press Gallery is a closed shop controlled by old media. View themselves as players, which in a way, they are.

Press Gallery Committee Executive defines and gate-keeps who's an operative and who's not, decides who gets parliamentary access and who doesn't.

Mostly just a guild of lobbyists and agents for old media barons with their own dedicated wing in the Senate corridors. All very old school and anti-democratic.

Stretch to call the majority of them journalists.

https://pressgallery.net.au/committee/

[#]auspol

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Toot

Written by AJ Sadauskas on 2025-02-03 at 06:59

@fixatedpersonsunit @NewtonMark @treleanor From the website:

"The Committee was established to safeguard the interests of the Press Gallery at Parliament House, and to assist the more than 250 credentialed members. Its responsibilities include authorising Parliament House security passes for Press Gallery members, and approving new leaseholders in the gallery when space becomes available. More broadly, the Committee works closely with the Presiding Officers and the Department of Parliamentary Services on any matters that could affect its members. The Committee also helps negotiate Press Gallery pools and organises events including the annual Pollies vs. Press sports carnival and the Midwinter Ball."

https://pressgallery.net.au/committee/

So a committee that shouldn't exist doing tasks ("approving new leaseholders in the gallery when space becomes available", "authorising Parliament House security passes for Press Gallery members", "organises events including the annual Pollies vs. Press sports carnival") that shouldn't be necessary.

[#]auspol

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Descendants