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The first time I met Joe Hockey was 19 years ago in the back of a cab from Sydney Airport with my then boss, Victorian treasurer Alan Stockdale. Joe was working for NSW Premier John Fahey and we were packed into the cab like sardines listening to the big guy rattle off all the things […]

Putting the underage girl-of-the-moment involved in the tawdry AFL scandal was a ratings success for 60 Minutes, but did Channel Nine break the law by naming and revealing her identity?

Given that the mainstream media will piss on Mark Latham’s contribution to campaign journalism from a great height, it might be worth thinking about what he did and didn’t do wrong over the last couple of weeks.

This election crazy old Mark lambasting Latham is out in force, attacking Gillard, Rudd and others with the kind of vitriol bound to fuel ratings for the former Labor leader’s premiere as a journalist on this Sunday’s 60 Minutes.

The TV industry has been stunned by the the personnel involved in the latest reshuffle at Channel Nine, which seems like a round up of people involved in the low points of Australian TV.

Readers engage in some CPRS-bashing, ponder the issue of reporting suicide, weigh in on Stern Hu and more.

The desperate spiking of last-night’s 60 Minutes “suicide cluster” story had an interesting lead-up, pitting BeyondBlue chief Jeff Kennett and adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg against Nine chief David Gyngell.

All the publicity about how John Westacott will return to save 60 Minutes from its current appalling performance ignores one very salient point: 60 Minutes’ problems are all of his doing.

Last night, 60 Minutes was flattened again by Dancing with the Stars and Ten’s movie. It is is now rating under its 2009 average of 1.2 million, which is down around 300,000 from 2008.

Nine have some spare dosh for cheque-book journalism, but not for their own staff, apparently.

60 Minutes demonstrated how to crucify an exclusive on an interesting story and waste whatever fee was paid, by running their interview with backpacker James Neale against MasterChef.

The fact is that Professor Keen cannot actually predict the future, writes Gerard Henderson.

Whereas Costello wouldn’t grab for the top job and oust Howard, Martin would moan and groan about Nine management, but he stayed, took the money and didn’t walk, writes Glenn Dyer.

When the world is facing a genuine climate emergency, a story like that which appeared on 60 Minutes is irresponsible, writes Jonathan Doig of the Sutherland Climate Action Network.

I have it on good authority that Don Watson will certainly not be returning to political life to write speeches for Kevin Rudd. Nevertheless, the search for new speechwriters to upgrade the PM’s rhetoric is on in earnest. This includes the PM’s office and department. I’m told that the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet […]

Just a small point of amusement. A lot of the photos from Brendy Nelson’s listening tour are of decent enough quality. But you’ll notice a couple of shockers from his visit to a primary school. I’m sure this will be because of the age-old problem facing political staffers - release forms for children. No political […]

A mailbagging … SBS gets defensive … Local papers miss GE shock … Dubbo paper’s dubious incest boast … Lara ‘travel reporter’ Bingle … the web’s 10 most hated.

Peter Overton, your heartwarming tale of incest makes you Crikey’s worthy Wankley of the Week, writes Sophie Black.

Fairfax does it Oxford style … Sunday shows up its spoiled siblings … NRL return not enough to push out Seven … Chronicling rage … We still need newspapers … Last night’s TV ratings.