Comments on: Australian media: economic panic mongers

By: bruce

bruce — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Not sure why I bother to say I agree with everyone else who felt that O’Brien’s harrangue just pathetic. Perhaps the sad part was the huge diservice it does to the quality interviewers still with the ABC. What would it take to bring Virginia Trioli into primetime? Surely there is a place for KO’B on ABC2. The other option would be for Maxine to trigger a byelection in Bennelong and come back on a rescue mission.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I didn’t mind the smug PM getting those sharp jabs in the ribs. He gets way too much pandering as it is and I do mean Joe and Mary Public.

By: Petert

Petert — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

So Kerry O'Brien was semi-hysterical. What's new? He's been past his use-by date for years.

We need journalists who will ask questions like,
'How much money are the banks actually making?',
'Is it true that Lehrman has walked out with a $60 million bonus?'
'When are politicians' retirement payments going to be brought in line with every one else's pensions, and also be means tested?'

Finally, let's seize the assets of the corporate cowboys who got us into this mess, and put them in state houses, and force them to use public transport.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Bernard - thank goodness someone in the media has risen above the doomsday scenario and taken the financial "crisis" for what it is.

When the market is bouyant and things are sailing along nicely, it's often difficult for people to recall how life is when things are less bouyant. So, when Howard used to talk with pride about the rise of the so-called Mum & Dad investors under his watch, I would always grimace at the potential social fall-out come a market collapse.

Perhaps those chicks are now coming home to roost for those who've made a life out of living beyond their means.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I watched the Kerry O’Brien interview - it really was terrible. The last “nightmare” question was extraordinary. I thought Rudd did a good job handling O’Brien and really put him in his box with his last answer. The show has been much better while Kerry was away.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

K.O’B last night looked like he had been back on the bottle again

By: JamesK

JamesK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Not even Kerry’s hair on his head is true blue any more…..

By: Maureen

Maureen — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Kerry O’Brien’s interview with Kevin Rudd was appalling and I think Rudd did very well in answering O;Brien’s questions. It was very uncharacterisitc of O’Brien to be quite so hysterical.
Perhaps a few more days R&R is the go for Kerry.

By: John Bryan

John Bryan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Go Bernard. I’m with you. Missed the interview but know what you mean. Mind you Crikey is guilty too of over dramatising for effect from time to time.

By: denni

denni — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I also saw the interview and for an ardent ABC watcher I was disgusted with Kerry O’Brien’s badgering of the PM. In his hysterical interviewing he was all but accusing Rudd of being totally, singlehandedly responsible for this financial crisis! I think its time Kerry retired. Then on Lateline we had to put up with Lee Sayles’giggling girly interview with Alistair Campbell! She was behaving like a 16 year old with a crush.
What is happening to our ABC?

By: JustinL

JustinL — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The best you can do is write about something positive and at least try to forget about the market altogether.

By: Paul Michael

Paul Michael — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I agree that Kerry O’Brien has passed his use by date. The 7.30 report is of only occasional value these days. I agree with one of the former responses, that it was better when he went on leave. He and Fran kelly need to leave the stage to allow for the return of real journalists; just I have not sen too many of these lately and wonder what they sound and write like?

By: Cathy

Cathy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I don’t think its Kerry who’s passed his use-by date unless he dictates the content of 7.30 Report. The show marshmallowed mid year when the political focus shifted to later in the program. It’s veered back with a bias to the sensational. O’Brien’s had a brilliant handle on that program until recently which sounds like production or Board influence. If the ABC’s also being ravaged by the quick bucks no value bean-counters then any wonder we’re turning it off as well.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

While I think Mr Rudd was as evasive as usual (you can almost see the little person on his shoulder recitiing “stay on message, stay on message”) but I do wonder how he got quite so far under O’Brien’s skin.

Compare this to quality of interviews lately from Leigh Sales or Ali Moore and perhaps it’s time to put someone out to pasture (I mean he was referenced in Frontline…).

By: Mick

Mick — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

That’s IF you believe the market and economy is based on sentiment.

I think the true fact of the matter is that we’re discovering we can no longer live beyond our means.

By: xazron

xazron — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I know I havn’t lived beyond my means. I know those that were managing my money were living beyond there’s. Their greed was overcharging; excess, excess excess. Just like movie stars and singers and ‘ad exec’s and managers of money and pollies protected supers..-outrageous it was greed plain and simple. What I’ve lost in my super could have bought 5 new cars, yet my own car is 11 years old and my house could do with a makeover for my elder years. So who is driving the 5 cars I lost,the white goods I delayed till retirement.
I know dam well I didn’t give it away. It was taken, by the merchants of greed. And what I have left is not even gauranteed. Noblese oblige- what a joke. I’m going to be a angry ripped off retiree. Just as well I’ve gone back to work. Kerry was proboably babbling in disbelief that his own hard earnt savings were nabbed by the pavlov salivators of greed… his retirement days must be a strong light not too far away- go for them Kerry.. give them no comfort.. permission granted..

By: Phil Teece

Phil Teece — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Very well said Bernard Keane. Kerry O’Brien’s histrionic performance was truly dismal and compared very badly with stand-in Mark Bannerman’s interview of Malcolm Turnbull earlier in the week. Perhaps O’Briern’s new hairstyle ‘went to his head’. I thought Rudd dealt with him pretty well overall. And while we’re mentioning Steve Keen… look, he’s entitled to claim ‘I told you so’, but does he really have to look as if he’s enjoying the savaging of everyone’s financial position quite so much?