Israeli ambassador’s National Press Club address | Atlas Network’s climate campaign | Kyle in court by Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran

 

Click on Jan & Fran watch Israel’s ambassador address the National Press Club and assess how hard the journalists in the room worked to push back against the blatant hasbara. Plus: What is the Atlas Network and what does it have to do with climate mis and disinformation in Australia? A Senate report helps us answer that question. And applause for the writer's festival that stood its ground under pressure to disinvite a Palestinian author. 0:00 Intro, live events, meeting Etterati 2:42 What’s on the show 4:15 Yes: Newcastle Writer’s Festival withstands pressure 8:08 What it’s like coming under pressure 13:45 No: Kyle Sandilands outside court ‘mortgage stress’ 15:40 Press Club invites Israeli ambassador 20:53 Irony on apartheid and Indigenous acknowledgement 23:16 Dismisses questions about killing journalists 28:42 Journalists try and push back 30:25 What’s the point of engaging with Hasbara? 34:06 National Press Club - should they have invited him? 43:15 Senate climate report 46:40 What is astroturfing? 48:30 Atlas Network’s role 53:20 Murdoch media mess 56:00 Both side ism climate failures

Petrol Panic, Pauline’s War Cry and Rupert’s Iran Push | Scam of the Week by Michael West

Click on Michael West 'As petrol prices bite, the Coalition turns a servo photo op into theatre while Australia backs another disastrous US led war. This week’s Scam of the Week looks at the political spin around the cost of living, the posturing over Iran, Pauline Hanson’s call to back Donald Trump, and why Rupert Murdoch still looms over war propaganda in Australia.' #auspol #iran #trump #albanese 

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00:00 - Petrol Price Theatre 00:30 - Trump’s Iran War 01:54 - The War Lie 05:24 - Penny Wong Lies 08:42 - Pauline Backs Trump 12:46 - Super Funds Exposed 14:24 - Scam of the Week Winner

Media aids Pauline Hanson's grift | ABC staff strike | Rupert Murdoch pushes for Iran attack by Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran

Jan Fran and Antoinette Lattouf look at the role the media played in One Nation’s South Australian election surge and ask how should the media report on Hanson moving forward?

Plus: the Aussie news site pumping out hundreds of timely and factual news stories with zero journalists - just one software engineer and a whole lot of theft. Then, how much sway did Rupert Murdoch have over Donald Trump’s attack on Iran? We unpack how Murdoch’s ideology trickles down to his reporters. And finally, ABC staff walk off the job for the first time in 20 years. What’s behind the strike—and what on earth is the “Lattouf clause”? 0:00 What’s on the show, our Tshirts and live events 06:57 Murdoch, Trump & Iran: the hidden influence? 10:34 Do Murdoch outlets follow the boss’s lead? 13:35 This Aussie news site has ZERO journalists (!!) 20:15 AI is coming for journalism—are we ready? 23:15 One Nation’s shock surge in SA 28:45 Did the media help One Nation’s rise? 32:30 Barnaby compares Muslims to cattle 35:19 One Nation blacklists ABC 44:20 One Nation: No policies, mystery backers 48:00 Far right rising: role of journalists moving forward 50:10 ABC strike: first in 20 years 53:03 The “Lattouf clause”: the fight behind the scenes 57:48 Tucker Carlson vs The Economist: on Israel 1:04:03 Why journalists won’t say this about Israel

Lebanese suffering ignored | Theroux’s ‘manosphere’ doco | Is Netanyahu dead? by Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran

 Click on Jan and AntoinetteJan Fran and Antoinette examine the devastating attacks on Lebanon and the Lebanese population - and why local media coverage has been strangely quiet.

We dive into Louis Theroux’s Netflix exploration of the internet’s most toxic - and successful - “manosphere” influencers: what landed, and what was missing. We also tackle the rumour mill around wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu (including the six-finger theory). And a rare moment of praise for the Australian Communications and Media Authority after its long-overdue move against shock jock Kyle Sandilands. Follow Lebanese-British journalist Hala Jaber’s substack. Follow American photojournalist Courtney Bonneau living in south Lebanon on instagram. Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here. If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

ABC's 'National Forum' verdict | Quitting ChatGPT | Queensland bans words| PornHub blocks with Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran

Click on Antoninette and Jan 'In this episode, Jan Fran and Antoinette ask whether the TV panel show as a modern “town square” can be revived - or whether the format has finally run out of road.

After ABC hosts its first National Forum, the pair unpack a night that tried to feel like a live and urgent discussion but often felt like a host walking on eggshells - with topics and trauma that may be too complex for the format to handle. Meanwhile at SBS, a panel on social cohesion delivers some truly wild opinions… while skirting around the elephant in the room. Also this week: the escalating standoff between the government and Pornhub over age-verification laws, and how the Queensland Government managed to distract the media cycle while passing legislation banning the slogans “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea.” There’s also a shout out to the AI authoritarianism slapdown with the QuitGPT movement and brands turning away from social media influencers.' 0:00 Intro: What’s on the show 2:17 Calling Out News.com.au 8:26 It’s A No: Queensland Bans “Globalise the Intifada” & “From the River to the Sea” 14:38 Exclusive: Evidence of a Chilling Effect in Queensland 17:03 It’s A No: Pornhub Blocks Australian Users 23:17 Can Panel TV Shows Be Saved? 23:29 Inside the ABC National Forum Experiment 39:20 SBS tackles immigration 46:30 Social Cohesion Special — What Went Wrong? 50:02 Who Actually Watches Panel TV Anymore? 54:53 It’s A Yes: Tucker Carlson & the Rise of Value-Aligned Ads 1:00:22 It’s A Yes: The QuitGPT Movement

Peter Oborne DESTROYS Media LIES about Iran War

Click on Peter Oborne'The British media think you're an idiot.They are trying to convince you that a foreign war on behalf of Israel is in your interests. It's time to expose the propagandists and the war mongers. The first casualty of war is truth. They're trying to tell you that this war is a defensive war. A blind man walking down the street can see that this is pure nonsense. It's a war of aggression, the ultimate crime. These lies just don't stop. We saw it in Iraq with Tony Blair's lies about weapons of mass destruction. We saw it in the destruction of Gaza and now we're seeing it in Iran, setting the entire Middle East and quite likely the world on fire.

So on day one, shortly after the assassination of Ayatahi, a girl school that was attacked, it seems there are about 175 killed, 100 more injured. The following day, I picked up the Sunday papers. one of them as a Sunday telegraph. I've been through it several times. There's no mention of that at all.

Imagine if 165 Israelis had been killed in a bomb from Iran. It would have been the story on the front. It would have been covered everywhere. But the death of 165 young girls is just of no consequence at all. So I know the editor of the Sunday Telegraph, Alistister Heath. I sent him an email saying, you know, why didn't you cover this tragedy in the girl school? I've not received a reply.

And then I read his leader on the Telegraph. The Iranian regime is built on an Islamist doctrine which cannot meaningfully be negotiated with. It's simply untrue. The Iranians do negotiate and they can absolutely be trusted as they stick to their promises....'

What happens if Australia Runs out of Fuel? | The West Report by Michael West

Click on Michael West' 'There's no silver bullet. The Epstein Allies have blown it invading Iran. But there is a silver lining. We will have to derisk, speed up the energy transition from dependence on fossil fuel to RE[Renewable Energy].'

Jon Stewart’s Terrible Iran Take by Francesca Fiorentini

 Click on Francesca'This was disappointing to see… Jon Stewart was one of few mainstream voices criticizing the war in Iraq in the early 2000s. But now, he is giving this weak take on Iran?

While Jon Stewart politics are far from perfect, he has been one of the leading mainstream voices against the U.S. war machine. Now that we are embroiled in another generation-defining war, this time with Iran, you would think Jon would be coming out with the fire takes against this war on The Daily Show.

What we got instead was some really lazy jokes about Iran responding to America’s unprovoked violence. Stewart commented, “Let me get this straight. America and Israel attack Iran, and Iran's answer is to just attack everybody.” Come on, man. We all know that isn’t what’s happening here. Iran is attacking the U.S. military bases that are littered throughout the region. Bases that were put there to further the imperialism you were against during the Iraq war. Do better, we need you.'

The Antony Loewenstein Podcast: The Truth Behind the US/Israeli Strike on Iran by Antony Loewenstein

Click on Antony Loewenstein 'In this episode, Antony Loewenstein discusses the real reasons behind the US and Israeli strike on Iran, drawing on his firsthand reporting inside Iran and years of journalism across the Middle East. He unpacks the wider geopolitical agenda driving the conflict, Australia’s role in backing it, and why mainstream narratives fail to explain what’s truly at stake.'

Media parrots US Iran propaganda | ABC chair gets profiled | Billionaire buys Warner Bros and CNN with Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran

Jan and Antoinette look at the Australian media’s coverage of the U.S and Israeli attack on Iran and show how a narrative gets set in the first 24-48 hours.

They also unpack Paramount’s $111billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that may suit Donald Trump but raises serious concerns for CNN, which could face the same kind of corporate and editorial pressure that has unsettled CBS. Plus, Jan Fran reckons a Good Weekend profile of ABC chair Kim Williams subtly reveals why he didn’t settle the Lattouf case before it got to the Federal Court. Also, a recognition for Guardian reporting that centres Australian children stranded in Syria, and a London Substack that took on a billionaire landlord and secured tenants a win. 00:00 Intro 2:20 New ‘Only Fran’ episodes on Saturdays 4:45 What’s on the show 7:10 US-Israel attack Iran how media responded 11:05 ABC’s John Lyons calls ‘political propaganda’ 19:50 Supportive opinions from major newspapers (socials) 31:30 One politician making anti-war sense 35:50 It’s A No: Kim Williams and leadership at the ABC 42:35 It’s A No: Trump, Paramount and the Warner Bros takeover 50:55 Editorial drift and pressure, will CNN follow CBS 52:28 It’s A Yes: Centring Australian children stranded in Syria 56:45 It’s A Yes: A Substack takes on a property billionaire

Western media in Iran propaganda overdrive It's like Gaza, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya all over again by Owen Jones

Click on Owen Jones 'Three days into the US-Israeli illegal war on Iran, and the Western media is playing its usual role.We saw it in Iraq. We saw it in Afghanistan. We saw it in Libya. We are seeing it in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Let’s start with the BBC. There were two stories next to each other on the BBC website.

When Iranians are killed - in this case overwhelmingly children - the perpetrator isn’t named. The Israeli-US attackers disappear from the sentence. The deaths are merely “reported”, and attributed to Iran - a source readers have been trained to distrust.

But when Israelis are killed, the perpetrator is clearly identified. It’s presented as fact. Not “reported”. Not “Israel says”. Fact. Now imagine the reverse. Imagine an Iranian strike had bombed an Israeli school and killed 165 mostly Israeli children. Can you picture the response? It would dominate every front page and every news bulletin.'

I’ve supported Owen Jones's excellent Journalism on Patreon for a couple of years now. If you can too, great. But please share this post widely.

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The Party Line on the 'Big Build' Rorts: did the CFMEU really steal $15 billion? by Anneke Demanuele, Omar Sherrife & Jordan van den Lamb with Jerome Small

Click on Anneke, Omar and Jordan 'Jerome on the CFMEU and Australian Trade Unionism This week the crew talks to Jerome Small, a former construction worker and union militant about the bogus claims that the CFMEU stole $15 billion from the public purse. We discuss the lack of rank and file control in the union movement, due to both the leadership of the unions and the government attacks on union rights. In the headlines we look at the “economist community” and the highs and lows of the insights they offer us. Party Line Live tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/the-part...

Huge thanks to our tireless editors Charlie Wardrop and Persephone Waxman, and our content editor Charlotte Tavan While we will always release our content for free, please support us on patreon if you can. ******* This is a podcast by members of the Socialist Party in Naarm (Melbourne). We hope to bring a radical perspective to a podcast landscape dominated by insipid liberalism (looking at you, The Daily). The pod will come out weekly, and aims to breakdown news and current events from a socialist point of view. While a lot of what’s going on in the world is fairly bleak, The Party Line will try and highlight voices of resistance and struggle. If you like what you hear, please rate, subscribe and share with your friends, colleagues and comrades. If you are in a position to support us financially then sign up at patreon.com/thepartyline. If you find yourself agreeing with us more often than not, please join your local branch of the Socialist Party at socialists.org.au. We need your help to build a fighting socialist movement that can take on both the far right and its centrist enablers. (The views and opinions expressed in our show are ours and ours alone, and do not reflect on the Socialist Party or Victorian Socialists.) This pod was produced on stolen land and we stand in solidarity with our Indigenous comrades in their ongoing fight against racism and capitalism.'

00:45 - 3:42 - Intro 3:43 - 26:07 - Headlines 26:09 - 1:10:43 - Jerome on the CFMEU and Australian Trade Unionism

BBC’s baffling BAFTA censorship | Trump’s alien files | Premier Jacinta Allan vs a journalist by Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran

Click on Jan and Antoinette examine why the BBC cut out a BAFTA winner’s acceptance speech on human rights but kept in the moment the n-word was yelled across the stage. They also chuckle at the slew of actors squirming when asked about politics at the Berlin Film Festival. Plus, Donald Trump says he’ll release classified documents about aliens and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan low-key bullies a reporter when pressed on the CFMEU scandal. Jan’s It’s A Yes From Me goes to Dropsite News for its detailed reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s links to powerful people and places. 

Antoinette’s pick is Crikey’s Cut Through podcast for its clear-eyed, news-breaking investigation into Palantir, data surveillance, and how Australian government money continues to back the company despite links to unlawful ICE raids and AI-assisted attacks in Gaza. Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here. If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here. 

0:00 Why this show needs your support 2:07 What we’re covering today 4:50 It’s a No: Jacinta Allen melts down over CFMEU question 15:05 It’s a No: Trump’s alien files dead cat 23:45 BAFTAs censor “Free Palestine” in speech 26:03 The part the BBC edited out 29:45 BBC leaves racial slur in broadcast 31:45 Berlinale’s selective politics problem 33:46 Celebs stumbling at Berlinale press conference 38:53 Should celebrities speak on fascism and genocide? 43:23 Artists with most to lose speak out 49:19 Why should we care what celebs think? 51:39 It’s a Yes: Dropsite News on Epstein and Israel 55:39 It’s a Yes: Crikey’s Cut Through on Palantir 59:30 Tell us: longer episodes or tighter cuts?

The Antony Loewenstein Podcast: Pauline Hanson and the Mainstreaming of Far-Right Politics by Antony Loewenstein

In this episode,  (Click on) Antony Lowenstein examines the global surge of far-right populism and its obsessive focus on immigration and Islam across Australia, the US, the UK and Europe. Using recent comments by Pauline Hanson as a starting point, he explores how anti-Muslim rhetoric has been normalised in mainstream media and politics, and why similar language would be unthinkable if directed at other groups. The episode unpacks the deeper forces driving this shift, economic insecurity, media failure, and political opportunism, while challenging the myth that far-right figures represent “ordinary people.” Antony also traces the historical roots of these narratives, from the War on Terror to Australia’s offshore detention regime, and how Western immigration policies have influenced global approaches to borders and refugees. Ultimately, he argues that the current debate is not a calm discussion about immigration, but a broader ideological battle over multiculturalism, colonial legacy, and the kind of societies Western nations want to become. Credits: Produced by Lem Zakharia and Lena Helou.

 If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF