It’s Groundhog Dog in Oz politicsJust as Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow is seen as a sign of how long winter will last, Labor ministers — and especially the media — religiously analyse Julia Gillard’s shadow to try and determine the length of her tenure, writes Mr Denmore.
Press gallery
Labor needs to shut up, but it can’t stop talking
Labor’s lack of resilience is directly feeding the traditional press gallery obsession with personality politics.
Exclusivity, glass jaws and media business models
Media whingeing about exclusivity contradicts its incessant clamour for greater transparency from governments.
The Holy Grail, 3am: welcome to the federal budget ‘Big Day Out’
The federal budget is “The Big Day Out” for the political and financial media in Australia, writes Mr Denmore, a veteran journalist and blogger at The Failed Estate.
Tanner fights the devil of fragmentation, and maybe the ghosts of the Hawke-Keating years
Lindsay Tanner’s concerns about the dumbing down of democracy reflect fundamental changes in our media driven by the internet.
Personality politics and polling as gallery goes ape for Rudd
The worst traits of the Press Gallery were on display again this week as it got collectively excited about Kevin Rudd.
The press gallery gets a right royal bollocking
The comments by readers of Crikey’s blog The Stump said it all really as they gave the Canberra press gallery a right royal bollocking for its performance at the PM’s press conference yesterday.
Come in Spinner: Come in Spinner: a question of perspective
The more detailed online media monitoring statistics become, the greater sense of perspective we get about what people see as important, writes Noel Turnbull, adjunct professor, media and communications, RMIT university.
The Usher of the Black Rod is displeased
The Usher of the Black Rod has admonished the federal parliamentary Press Gallery for “discourteous” and “dangerous” behaviour in its pursuit of scoops, in a extraordinary missive sent to journos yesterday afternoon.
The Oz versus the Greens: well beyond the normal News Ltd bias
Judging by their frantic self-justification, the penny has dropped at The Australian that they have overplayed their hand in declaring their desire to destroy the Greens. We’re used to News Ltd’s bias, but this is something new.
New Paradigm Politics may not change a thing
The mainstream media clearly dislike the new political paradigm. This is what you get when you mess with them.
Forget the love-in stuff — independents could bring a revolution in accountability
The three independents have issued an extraordinary list of demands to the major parties that could revolutionise federal politics.
Lift your game journos — the campaign is more than a boozy Twitter tour
Here’s a note to all the news directors around the country: Do you want to save some money? Well then bring home your journalists following Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard, because they are not doing anything of any worth except having a round-the-country twitter and booze tour, writes Grog of Grog’s Gamut.
Come in Spinner: Does anybody in Canberra really know anything?
Getting close to a subject in political science often makes things darker and harder to see and journalists in the press gallery are no exception, writes Noel Turnbull.
Spokespersons and journalists who hang off every word
The Press Gallery tradition of briefings following party room meetings doesn’t always go according to plan, partly because the Press Gallery is obsessed with trivia and over analysing every word uttered.
Midwinter Ball red carpet special: fashions on the hill
After last year’s colourful train wrecks, it seems black, ruffles and old-fashioned glamour were the order of the evening for the Midwinter Ball. With not a fedora in sight.
Rudd’s fashion advice reflects a PM under pressure
Press gallery veterans weren’t holding back this morning over the PM’s barb at 2UE journalist Latika Bourke’s threads, saying Rudd’s worried and going for cheap shots.
The dirty politics of the press gallery
Political journalists are an arrogant lot, thinking that they choose who the public votes for. And now some in the press gallery think that since they “made” Kevin Rudd, they can destroy him, writes Tim Dunlop.
The debate behind the non-debate
Today’s debate, in the middle of the day, months away from an election when voters aren’t paying the slightest bit of attention, will have virtually no impact on the Federal election.
Crikey’s guide to political coverage in 2010: be sceptical
In an election year, all that glistens isn’t gold when it comes to political journalism, so be sceptical of what we in the media are offering. Sometimes in politics, there is much less than meets the eye.
Crikey Says: Transport infrastructure: our road to recovery
Halting the stimulus package would damage the still fragile Australian economy and will kill off the highest quality spending, in economic terms: long term infrastructure projects.
Nothing more stimulating than press gallery groupthink
This “debate” of whether the government should withdraw the stimulus package due to the economy’s growth, is run entirely by the press gallery and the Federal Opposition.
Goodbye exclusivity: Gawenda on the Fairfax Canberra merger
There has hardly been any public reaction to what I think is a momentous move by Fairfax: merging the Canberra staff of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald into one bureau, writes Michael Gawenda.
