Crikey Insider

As gripping as our coverage of the Tele and Geoffrey Rush is, there’s a lot more than tabloid trash in Crikey today.

For starters, Bernard Keane explains why Australia should take in Hong Kong refugees, while Guy Rundle and Charlie Lewis report from Lockdown City.

Meanwhile Janine Perrett digs behind the Male Champions of Change, William Bowe previews the Eden-Monaro byelection, and Clinton Fernandes looks at what this week’s defence update really means for Australia.

All that plus Virus Watch, last night’s TV ratings and Andrew P Street with the news from the week you may have missed.

Today Inq kicks off a special series on the trial of Geoffrey Rush. It’s a story about reckless journalism. About one desperate Murdoch newspaper that sacrificed tried and true practice to grab a scoop. About the damage inflicted on two people, their families and friends by that scoop, the subsequent defamation trial and the newspaper’s failed appeal.

Crikey travels the borderline between healthy scepticism and downright cynicism. We really do try to keep on the former side, though sometimes the latter proves tempting.

Take, for instance, today’s defence announcement, billed as a massive military build-up — but, as Bernard Keane writes, there is no increase in spending. Likewise, Bernard offers a robust, factual take on the GST on occasion of its much-hyped 20-year birthday today. It simply hasn’t delivered what the Howard government promised. But hey, who expects the voters to remember, right?

Meantime, Michael Sainsbury looks at the dire turn of events in Hong Kong, former senior bureaucrat Stephen Bartos sifts through the RBA’s economic views, and Conflicts of Interest reporter Georgia Wilkins looks at a new report into (failed) efforts to monitor lobbying.

On the COVID front, Kishor-Napier Raman and Amber Schultz see a silver lining — fewer flu deaths so far this season — and there’s the daily wrap of what’s going around the world in Virus Watch. Kishor also takes a squiz at the career of News Corp’s latest climate warrior (talk about scepticism), Charlie Lewis brings us Tips and Murmurs, and Glenn Dyer runs the ruler over last night’s TV ratings.

Thanks again for all your support. It is much appreciated.

Dear America,

You might wish to keep a close eye on Rupert Murdoch. Because he’s really good at backing winners. And right now, the Murdoch machine is moving against Trump and tip-toeing towards Biden. Have a good read of Chris Warren’s piece today. Because, let’s face it: we’ve had more experience with Murdoch than you — even if he is one of yours these days.

Meantime, today’s Crikey is awash with good oil. We’ve got Guy Rundle on the real challenge of COVID-19, Bernard Keane on the culture of law (turns out it’s as depraved as anywhere else), conflicts of interest reporter Georgia Wilkins on the Nats and big tobacco, and Kishor Napier-Raman on a museum’s alleged destruction.

All that plus the irascible Charlie Lewis with Tips and Murmurs and a quick look at the apologies of Sky News, letters from the readers, Virus Watch and last night’s TV ratings. And speaking of TV, is SBS failing its own diversity test?

The secret prosecution of lawyer Bernard Collaery should be front page news and of deep concern to anyone who believes justice needs to be seen to be done — even if it embarrasses the powerful. But no, as Bernard Keane writes today, attorney-general Christian Porter has been successful in having parts of the prosecution in the ACT Supreme Court held behind doors. It would be great to see other in the news media getting riled up about this too.

In a not-too-dissimilar vein, we’re publishing an extract from Andrew Fowler’s updated book on the pursuit of Julian Assange, while Gina Rushton examines another backward step for justice: that victims of violent crime in NSW will need to collect their own evidence to gain compensation and counselling.

Today’s Crikey also features a Conflict of Interest update by COI reporter Georgia Wilkins, a plea to save Melbourne’s Channel 31 by Guy Rundle, a provocation to go live in Perth by economic writer Jason Murphy, a look at the Facebook ad boycott by Chris Warren, and Kishor Napier-Raman on how tabloid media is backing the cops in the face of the Black Lives Matter movement.

We also consider the government’s magical thinking on the economy, and provoke, inspire and inform with the latest on the COVID-19 outbreak, Charlie Lewis’s Tips and Murmurs and last night’s TV ratings.

Journalism is often criticised for focussing only on the bad news. Maybe there’s something in that. But what do you do when the US economy craps itself, the ABC proposes cutting its chief economics correspondent in the midst of a recession, Andrew Bolt starts going after people of colour (yet again), a new outbreak of COVID-19 raises old fears and prejudices, and a former High Court judge is accused of sexual harassment while similar claims against a former lord mayor of Melbourne are dropped?

Well, for one thing, you can read Crikey today to get a whole new and independent perspective of all of those issues and a lot more, including Google’s new deal for publishers (including us), the great work being done by journalists amid an industry collapse, Virus Watch, last night’s TV ratings and three great pieces on a truly abysmal week from Guy Rundle, Andrew P Street and our new social media editor Eden Gillespie.

And if you like what you read, feel free to do two things: read more Crikey, out from behind the paywall until midnight tonight, and consider subscribing before June 30 when our first ever choose-what-you-pay offer comes to an end.

We live in a time of small mercies, in the sense that things could actually be worse than they are. The arts industry could be getting no assistance instead of not much; the ABC could be cut even more — and probably will be; and the COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria is probably the “new normal” not the second wave. Small mercies, but big issues.

Speaking of big issues, today’s Crikey also features Bernard Keane on the power of facial recognition tech to ruin lives, and Guy Rundle with ten reasons why Jacqui Lambie needs to reject Dan Tehan’s university reforms. And what about conflicts of interest? Our new COI reporter Georgia Wilkins asks a pointed questions about Deloitte’s role in the Virgin sale.

All that, plus Janine Perrett on Dyson Heydon, Jason Murphy on the rise of Amazon, Virus Watch, the latest Tips and Murmurs, a brand new Proposition and last night’s TV ratings. And the paywall is still down, so fill your boots.

Crikey has obsessions. Today, we are stepping up our efforts on one of them — conflicts of interest, with the first article by newly appointed CoI reporter Georgia Wilkins.

Why conflicts of interest? Because they come in all shapes and sizes and are pretty well everywhere — in all walks of life (from arts and business to sport and unions) and present at all levels of government. Read Georgia’s first story, on influential businessman and government consultant Andrew Liveris.

And then become part of our CoI push: if you have any tips or information about conflicts of interest, please email us at [email protected], or get in touch through our tips line. We will respect your confidence.

Meanwhile, in today’s edition, Guy Rundle takes apart the federal government’s universities push (alongside a separate contribution by academic Patrick Walsh); Bernard Keane looks at Labor’s climate surrender, and both Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Bartos continue to examine the fallout of sexual harassment allegations against retired High Court judge Dyson Heydon. We also have the ever-insightful John Fitzgerald on China’s real influencers, a look at Queensland’s approach to COVID-19, plus Tips and Murmurs, Virus Watch and last night’s TV ratings.

And, in case you haven’t heard, the paywall is still down for a few more days. Hope you enjoy Crikey. It’s always a pleasure bringing it to you.

In 2002, Dyson Heydon gave a speech emphasising the “total probity” judges needed in their jobs. In Crikey today, Margot Saville examines that question of probity within the judiciary, and asks what we can learn about the former High Court judge’s decisions, statements and the legal system itself in light of a recent High Court finding that Heydon sexually harassed six women.

Our legal commentator Michael Bradley also looks at the Heydon case and the depressing regularity with which judges disbelieve prominent men’s brazenness in sexually harassing or assaulting those who are less powerful than themselves. Meanwhile Amber Schultz dissects how the Heydon story became public knowledge at all.

Elsewhere, Inq‘s David Hardaker asks whether meaningful change to the honours system is really possible, and Bernard Keane reflects on the lessons we have (or should have) learned from Julia Gillard’s strong economic management.

We also examine Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe’s recent comments about zombie companies, question whether the coronavirus pandemic has derailed any chance of this government going green, and give our readers the chance to weigh in on the hottest topics in the latest fiery edition of Your Say. All that plus Virus Watch, Glenn Dyer’s TV ratings and the latest tips and murmurs from the bunker.

In these strange times, things that used to be completely abnormal, even bizarre, are part of the everyday news cycle. Things like locking down suburbs to contain the spread of a pandemic, or protecting women from abuse while they’re working from home. Here at Crikey, we think abnormal times need abnormal journalism.

In today’s edition, Bernard Keane unpicks the politics of lockdowns in light of Victoria’s recent spike in cases, Gina Rushton examines the workers’ compensation case raising questions about employers’ responsibilities, and the ABC RMIT Fact Check unit looks at a social media post doing the rounds about so-called “emergency COVID-19 powers” in WA.

Meanwhile David Hardaker delivers the third part of his Inq series on Australia’s top honours, and former lawyer Adrian Lipscomb (OAM) writes about why politicians shouldn’t be honoured during or immediately after their time in office.

We also look at the implications of Karm Gilespie’s death sentence in China, the media campaign against new Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, how news consumers divide themselves down political lines, and why the government should tell the truth on its cyber hysteria. Plus, as usual, there’s Virus Watch, Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings and all the latest tips and murmurs from the bunker.