From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Holmes for fact-checking role? There’s plenty of talk in the halls of the ABC about who’ll be the face (and voice) of the ABC’s new fact-checking unit. Unlike other fact-check operations, Aunty’s will have a strong broadcast presence with a presenter popping up across TV, radio and online. Jobs were advertised last month and an announcement is due soon. The presenter most likely is Media Watch host Jonathan Holmes, who has thrown his hat in the ring for the gig, according to ABC sources.

Holmes is stepping down from Media Watch in July and would be a logical fit for the role. The ABC veteran declined Crikey‘s request for comment this morning, but the word in the ABC is he was set to retire until the fact-check opportunity arose. While the ABC is yet to make its final decision, if the bookies were to run a market on the decision — as they did with the Media Watch gig — we’d put our money on the man with the smirk.

Morrison v Swan called off. No truth to a rumour doing the rounds that 2UE hot-head Jason Morrison was pulled from Fairfax Radio’s national coverage because of an ongoing feud with Wayne Swan. Morrison was never headed to the lock-up, but it’s true there’s no love lost between the pair. Two years ago Swan was left furious by an interview with Morrison which went hard on debt levels. Last year he sent the Assistant Treasurer to the 2UE studio.

ABC boss delivers the good word. We hear ABC chief Mark Scott is due to speak to the upcoming Christian Broadcasting Conference dinner. Readers will remember Scott was outed as a former “prominent evangelical Christian” in a 2009 Fairfax profile, which Crikey noted at the time. He said then he didn’t attend any particular church, but he still works with the Wesley Mission, a parish of the Uniting Church, serving as its honourary treasurer. Christian broadcasters are no doubt eagerly anticipating hearing the good word.

Twiggy sticks up for families. Meanwhile, the World Congress of Families kicks off today in Sydney. According to the WCF website, the gabfest “seeks to inspire people from all walks of life to consider and implement strategies to help strengthen the natural family, the economy and civil society”.

News Limited columnist Miranda Devine is among the speakers and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is a patron alongside Sydney Catholic Archbishop George Pell and former deputy prime minister John Anderson.

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