A Current Affair

Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings: no one likes Monday night footy

The Voice had a rare off night, but Nine still won the ratings easily.

GLENN DYER |

Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings: The Checkout a lesson to A Current Affair and Today Tonight

Everyone should be watching The Checkout on ABC1. It puts other current affairs shows to shame.

GLENN DYER | TV & RADIO|

Axing Today Tonight no silver bullet for Seven’s woes

Would axing Today Tonight help take Seven back to the top of the ratings? Dig into the ratings figures and it’s an unconvincing argument. Seven’s problems run deeper.

Media briefs: 2UE ‘circus’ … exclusive watch … ACA viewers s-xist? …

Sydney radio station is still in disarray three days out from the launch of its 2013 lineup. And other media tidbits …

AMBER JAMIESON | TV & RADIO|

All-Asian mall?! ACA beat-up exposed by local rag

The latest racist beat-up by A Current Affair has been exposed as a fraud by the good work of a local newspaper in Sydney.

Media briefs: ACA’s racist yarn … Chuck in Tassie … Maddow goes GOP …

In one of the most racist A Current Affair stories we’ve seen (and yes that is saying something), the story titled “All-Asian Mall” examines the apparent “Asian invasion” of a local shopping mall in Castle Hill.

Media briefs: GOP coverage … ACA claims win … journo asylum …

In today’s Media Briefs: Front Page of the Day … The Department of Corrections … How the Republican convention narrative played out in the media … ACA claims east coast in 2012 …

MATTHEW KNOTT | JOURNALISM|

Private eyes in journalism — it happens on TV here, too

In the UK newspapers have been exposed for using private investigators. Here it’s TV news employing gumshoes to do the dirty work. Crikey investigates the investigators and how unethical it is.

Clive James’ ill health … RN Breakfast blooper … ACA breaches code …

In today’s Media Briefs: Hey, ACA, an ill Clive James is “getting near the end” … Audio blooper on RN Breakfast … Front Page of the Day … The Department of Corrections … ACA breaches code and more …

MATTHEW KNOTT | AUSTRALIA|

Prostitute’s TV tug-of-war inspires MP regulation threats

Labor MPs are calling for tougher media regulation and new privacy laws after revelations that Channel Nine aired an ex-prostitute’s claims against Craig Thomson even though she had recanted her story.

TV & RADIO|

ACA back away from controversial Thomson prostitute interview

Channel Nine has sensationally backed away from airing its controversial A Current Affair interview of a former prostitute who claimed to have had sex with Craig Thomson seven years ago, writes Chris Seage.

Dear Mr Hywood … ABC slams Sky News …

In today’s Media Briefs: a letter to Mr Hywood … mistake of the day … the Facebook journalism bubble … Four Corners accesses Rinehart court papers and more …

It’s just not worth it, Craig

Craig Thomson is right about one thing: A Current Affair’s pursuit of a prostitute who claims she slept with the embattled MP seven years ago is most certainly “gutter journalism”.

COMPANIES|

Dick Smith’s Foods — a resort to desperate commercial Hansonism

It’s a de facto marriage made in populist heaven — the unholy union between the little Aussie huckster Dick Smith and the crass, unquestioning tabloid TV of A Current Affair, writes David Salter.

GUY RUNDLE | BOOKS|

Rundle: I feel (inexplicably) sorry for Clive James

The universe is conspiring to make one feel empathy for Clive James. Being “exposed” by A Current Affair for an alleged eight-year affair with Sydney Harbour flotsam Leanne Edelsten took the cake.

GLENN DYER | FEDERAL|

Commercial TV groaning under weight of email complaints system

The first full year of the new email-based complaint-making process has seen an explosion on moans and groans and worse from viewers.

The Enthusiast | LINKS|

The latest news and current affairs about Ray Martin

Comedians sent him up for being a slick newsreader, but Ray Martin says he never pretended to live up to his squeaky clean image in this interesting interview about his media attitudes (and he gives Crikey a shout out!).

GLENN DYER | TV & RADIO|

Bye George (Negus), it wasn’t that bad, just not enough viewers

6:30 with George Negus died a slow death by viewer indifference. Negus, however, said that at least Ten had a go and the product he fronted most nights wasn’t that bad.

ANDREW CROOK | ONLINE|

ACA’s Afghan ‘war rug’ story pulls the wool over viewers’ eyes

Last week loyal ACA viewers were treated to a special investigation. It seems star reporter Damian Murphy had got his mitts on a Afghan “war rug” depicting the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers and was keen to inflame some public sentiment.

Osama and the media … Easdown quits Hun … Mercury keeps its subs …

In today’s Media Briefs: Logies or Osama? … Who got him? … September 11 2011 … Google’s Osama Bingle and more ….

MARGARET SIMONS | FEDERAL|

Digital media convergence: where legal and ethical lines blur, too

Once upon a time reporters gained stories through their contacts, by wearing out shoe leather or burning up the telephone lines. These days, they are just as likely to suck the content off social media, which blurs regulatory and ethical lines.

MARGARET SIMONS | JOURNALISM|

Bullying: protecting kids is all cheques and no balances

What protection is there for children when their parents succumb to the temptations of chequebook journalism? At present, the answer would seem to be very little.

MARGARET SIMONS | JOURNALISM|

Simons: TV ratings war … just who is bullying whom?

So two TV channels seriously pretend that they have some kind of moral standing in this bullying debate. In fact, it’s child abuse.

Crikey Blogs | LINKS|

You blur their faces but give their names

Two schoolkids — one 12 years old, the other 15 — have been shamelessly used by the national media this week as ratings fodder, after a schoolyard fight was filmed and uploaded to the internet. The current affairs shows are the real bullies here, writes Jeremy Sear.

UNCATEGORIZED|