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