Bramston does a Fitzy. Watch out Peter FitzSimons: we’ve received a late entry into the Fitzshameless Awards, our gong awarded to journos who brazenly use their precious column inches to promote their books or other side projects. Labor speechwriter turned Australian columnist Troy Bramston is relatively new to the journalism game but is already proving himself an overachiever in the self-promotion stakes.
In saturation coverage only matched by the AWU affair, the pages of The Oz have been overflowing over the past fortnight with pieces drawn from Bramston’s tome (most containing an obligatory plug at the end). Among the Labor man’s offerings were a 1900 word feature on Gough Whitlam’s “It’s Time” speech, an “exclusive” news story revealing Paul Keating thinks voters were wrong to kick him out in 1996 and a lengthy piece over the weekend containing Bramston’s top 10 ALP speeches of all time. Political speech aficionados gagging for more were delighted to find Bramston return to the topic in his regular Monday opinion piece. One for the true believers indeed. — Matthew Knott
Leveson to rule, then speak for $950/head. Lord Justice Leveson will appear in Australia a week after publishing his report on British press standards next Thursday and making a televised statement. He will not take media questions on the day of release and London papers say it is uncertain if he will do so at a later time. After releasing the report at 1.30pm Thursday in London he will fly to Australia to speak at a seminar in Sydney on privacy on Friday, December 7.
That seminar is being promoted by the Communications Law Centre — with tickets a cool $950 per person. It’s not clear if he will take questions at that event. Malcolm Turnbull is due to speak, along with the head of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Chris Chapman and Sydney law professor George Williams. Commentators listed as appearing include journalists David Marr and Janet Albrechtsen, union chief Chris Warren and The Australian‘s Mark Day and Chris Merritt. The comments from the News Limited trio will be especially interesting given the Murdoch empire’s centrality to the Leveson inquiry and recommendations in the final report.
In London, media reports say debate in the House of Commons may not happen until December 3. The full report will be made available on the Leveson inquiry website and UK Prime Minister David Cameron will make a statement to Parliament. — Glenn Dyer
Headlines of the day. This headline in today’s Daily Telegraph speaks for itself:
Meanwhile, it seems the subs at the Tele‘s News Limited sibling the Herald Sun aren’t putting as much care into their headlines. Can you spot the mistake Aussie Rules fans?
Video of the day. The family of Bryce Courtenay this morning confirmed the 79-year-old author had died overnight. Courtenay, whose books included The Power of One and The Persimmon Tree, had been suffering from stomach cancer. Earlier this month he posted this short but moving video saying thank you to his loyal readers for their support over his long career.
Front page of the day. There’s no two things Crikey loves more than a cracking newspaper campaign and the front page of the NT News. So you can imagine our excitement this morning when the tabloid launched an all-out page one assault on power price rises. Disappointingly, however, they didn’t find space for any crocs…
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