A little more speculation works for the Gallery

      Image courtesy Sydney Morning Herald

by Matthew Raggatt

To the almost eternal annoyance of those in power, the media loves to document any hint of or reason for a leadership challenge. 

From the biggest names of national journalism to the newest scribe on the block, political challenges are like baby play and can trump seemingly any policy issue for newsworthiness.

But do commentators get a little too much of a kick out of it? Is the writer's ego stroked more than the public interest and knowledge base is enhanced?

Consider last week's Michelle Grattan article in The Age on former Labor powerbroker and now talking head Graham Richardson. Richardson's interest in using his connections to grow his media influence is laid bare. With a gig on Sky, a regular column in the News Ltd press and frequent appearances on current affairs shows such as Q & A, Richardson's expertise - which seems to be particularly focused on what MP X says about leader Y - is in demand.

The irony of Richardson's media game, acknowledged in a Daily Telegraph article in June, is his apparently important role in removing Kevin Rudd last year. Since then the media has barely gone 48 hours without some story on leadership tension, and it is now Richardson telling us the names of some Labor backbenchers pushing Rudd's cause.

Grattan herself is of course a prolific commentator on leadership issues, on multiple occasions each week telling us what the recent events mean for Gillard's standing in the polls and the party-room.

Laurie Oakes is likewise the first to jump on a leadership tidbit. The current polls, including their views on preferred alternative leaders, justify articles raising the omnipresent question of Rudd's future role. Brilliant and balanced, one does suspect however that Oakes would see some justice in a return to the Queenslander. His massive reputation continues to be maintained through updating us on the latest leadership whispers.

Then there's Andrew Bolt, whose distaste for Julia Gillard needs no referencing. As he stirs the leadership drama, Australia's most read columnist seems to increase his influence; we will wait to see if the recent High Court finding can effect that.

As Crikey editor Sophie Black openly stated last month, part of the reason for the constant leadership chatter is its ease of production.

"All the media - all of us - instinctively like leadership stories. We're addicted to them, partly because they're so easy to cover - they're not about complex policy issues, they don't require sophisticated analysis, they don't demand hours of research in order to say something interesting or meaningful."

Yet one should not forget that journalists do have an interest in publishing the polls and the inside backroom politics. More readers, more viewers, and everytime Gillard vs Rudd vs Abbott goes up in lights, the commentator's name shines a little bigger and brighter too.


Published by Media Musings on 7 October, 2011

Where there's a Will there's a story - Mirabella, the QC and the $100,000 gift

Sophie Mirabella in Parliament. Courtesy Kym Smith, The Australian.


Was The Age right to lead with the personal story of Sophie Mirabella and her relationship with the late Colin Howard QC?

Amongst the nation's leading papers there was general acceptance the story was news.

On The Age's website comments were fairly evenly divided. Of those which took a clear position, 14 said the story had no public interest, with one suggesting it was a "very grubby article". 17 posts however attacked the Liberal Member for Indi on her judgment and character.

Meanwhile Daily Telegraph editor and headkicker David Penberthy took what some may say was a hypocritical look at the issue. Acknowledging the story was one of public interest given its questioning of Mirabella's morality, Penberthy proceeded to criticise those commenting on the article too harshly.

Organisations needed to "lift their standard" for publishing views on news comment sections and opinion forums, he said.

Penberthy said the treatment of Mirabella "is merely the latest example of this modern trend towards abusing people first and asking questions later.”

Over at Crikey, who published their own shorter version of the story before The Age, there were fewer comments but a similar spread of views, divided between statements that their article unnecessarily covered a private matter to others that the issue went to the heart of the MP's integrity.

The Age later reported that Mirabilla had not declared $100,000 worth of gifts Howard gave to allegedly assist her in her career-making 2001 election win. "At the time, any contribution for an election campaign of $1500 or more was required to be disclosed," Michael Bachelard wrote.

An unfair targeting of a Coalition MP or just uncovering the grim details of another pollie's shady acts?

Penberthy appears to have a short memory on such issues.

Last month the Daily Telegraph attacked Craig Thomson over the union credit card escort scandal, describing how the Gillard government would fall if he were forced to resign. This month News Ltd reported NSW police findings there was no evidence Thomson had committed a crime.

It may be there is also no impropriety by Mirabella to be found.

"All declarable items have been declared," she told The Age.

The articles however warrant further explanation from the shadow minister. For Penberthy to  focus on the views of those commenting on websites rather than the actual issues at hand seems a surprising shift given his active participation in the recent torrid political environment.


Published by Media Musings on 30 September, 2011

King Ling the servant leader

There’s a biblical verse saying “whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all”. Few men in the AFL have lived that verse like retiring Geelong skipper Cameron Ling. After 246 uncompromising games, Ling left footy as the humble leader of the most dominant side since the Hawks of the late '80s.

With the red mane of a lion and a heart to match, Ling made a name for himself as arguably the game’s best tagger. While stars like Selwood, Bartel and previously Ablett chalked up possessions at will and Podsiadly, Johnson and Mooney kicked the goals, it fell to Ling to focus on the other side’s best player. It’s a far from glamorous job, trekking the kilometres alongside the nation’s best and fittest, often being found at the bottom of a pack. Like a full-back, your game is judged on the statistics of someone else.  A success is when someone else isn’t noticed.

Off the field the media took a liking to the left-footer. On Before The Game and for any TV or radio station after one, Ling smiled, copped the good-natured flack over his flaming hair and never took himself too seriously. As his comments this week indicate, Ling was happy just to be playing alongside some of those who will be remembered amongst the Cats’ greatest.  “It’s just an honour to work next to you guys. I’m so lucky to be part of this group,” the skipper said in the hours after his latest premiership.


Even with the cup in his hands, with Ling it never seemed to be about him. For the life-long local, teammates, club and city seemed to come first. 

If one is only as good as his last game, Ling can move on in life mighty pleased. Five days after Dane Swan won the Brownlow medal with the most votes in the history of the 3,2,1 system, Ling blanketed him. His close tagging was typefied by a first-half broken nose, after he banged his head into the back of Swan’s.

As ABC Radio’s Mark McClure said, if you matched the two up in a foot race Ling would get beaten my 50 metres over a 100. “But put a football in there and it’s a whole different story,” he said.

Both players ended up with 20 possessions. For a tagger, that means your job is done. For Ling, however, particular satisfaction can come from the fact that when the game and season was on the line in the final quarter, he did more than stop an opponent. He had 6 possessions, the Brownlow medallist just one.

While Bartel and Johnson kicked goals from everywhere to lead the Cats to victory, Ling, fittingly, pounced on a spillage in the last minutes to kick his first and the game’s final goal.

He will himself go down in history, joining players like Hird, Voss, Judd and his mate Tom Harley as a premiership captain.

But it will be for his determination and selflessness, as the player who gave up the chance for individual glory each week for the good of the side, that Ling the player will be remembered. With three premiership medals his to keep, there’s no doubt where this servant finished.


By Matthew Raggatt