Media on trial

JUNE 12, 2021

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Men accused of bad things are putting the media on trial. And, as always, Crikey is here to report on the fallout.

This week, Margot Saville covered the courtroom drama as Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case against three of the nation’s biggest newspapers began. Meanwhile, Kishor Napier-Raman counted the cost of Christian Porter’s abandoned action against the ABC, while Cam Wilson examined the former AG’s social media spending as he attempts to refurbish his reputation ahead of the next election.

Elsewhere, Tory Shepherd weighed in on Jordan Peterson’s return to the public eye, while David Hardaker asked whether Australia’s security services have taken any action over a friend of the prime minister with links to QAnon.

All that plus Bernard Keane on a major problem in aged care that’s not going away, Charlie Lewis with the Crikey news quiz, and a whole lot more.

Have a great weekend,

Amber Schultz
Associate editor

Victorian Libs’ defamatory claims against Dan Andrews may be electoral suicide

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

If the premier chooses to sue, the opposition would have one possible defence: truth. It would have to prove he had committed some possibly criminal act.

Hero trial

So it begins: the hell of war forms the backdrop of the country’s biggest defamation trial

MARGOT SAVILLE 4 minute read

Although this is a defamation trial, members of the Australian army are also very much in the spotlight.

Hero to zero: counsel says Ben Roberts-Smith’s income reduced to nothing after claims of misconduct

MARGOT SAVILLE 3 minute read

The former soldier's counsel has detailed how claims of war crimes have affected his life and livelihood.

Ben Roberts-Smiths tells of a broken heart after media companies outline how they’ll show he’s a murderer

MARGOT SAVILLE 3 minute read

Publishers' counsel says none of the six murders the former soldier was involved in involved the heat of battle or the fog of war.

Hey, millennial, wanna get on the property ladder? Surely these gems are simply screaming ‘buy me’ at you

IMOGEN CHAMPAGNE 5 minute read

Looking to buy your first house? Derelict, mould-filled, and priced in the millions, here are some recent offerings to die for.

Self-styled self-help guru Jordan Peterson is a dangerous thug

TORY SHEPHERD 3 minute read

A charlatan with a toxic message about women is building more bitterness into the men's rights movement.

Counting the cost

ABC boss reveals the cost of defending and ending former AG’s defamation push

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 2 minute read

The ABC's managing director has shed light on the broadcaster's settlement of Christian Porter's defamation proceedings.

Christian Porter is spending more on social media than any other Australian politician. Here’s why

CAM WILSON 3 minute read

The former attorney-general is spending big on Facebook to keep his WA seat at the next election and move the focus away from sexual assault allegations.

We’ve been talking about QAnon and the PM for 18 months. Now the ABC has self-censored, Australia is finally catching on

DAVID HARDAKER 4 minute read

Is there a potential security threat and what, if any, action has Australia’s security services taken?

A global crime sting and a Morrison lie pave the way for Australians to lose even more of their privacy

CAM WILSON 2 minute read

How has a successful global crime sting led our befuddled prime minister into thinking Australia is incapable of protecting its national security?

Years in the making

Aged care workforce: the slow-motion catastrophe we’re watching without action

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Australia will need hundreds of thousands of extra aged care workers in the next 20 years. Where will they come from? If we're hoping to import them, we might be in for a shock.

The history of inaction on the aged care workforce is long and scandalous. Action is needed now

BERNARD KEANE 5 minute read

Time and time again, politicians have been told how to address the problems only to ignore the advice.

We ignored China’s abuses out of self-interest. Now we’ll be the big losers calling them out

GUY RUNDLE 5 minute read

Australia is singing for its supper at the G7 table by going after China. But what do we hope to achieve?

Is the government softening on the Biloela family?

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 3 minute read

The family's case has attracted public and political sympathy, and now there appears to be compassion in Coalition ranks.

Question Time: Dan-spiracies, sea snot, and ScoMo’s world tour

CHARLIE LEWIS 1 minute read

How closely have you been paying attention? Test yourself with our new weekly news quiz.