Media Bites Episode 13 Breaking! News Corp finds porn on Twitter; The Daily Mail serves breasts as news; Pauline Hanson’s alternative fact; and a nasty smear on Donald Trump.
Episode 11, 24 April 2017
Close call Nine News asteroid report was a little too close for comfort
Going for gold The Commonwealth Games bid report that jumped the gun
Putin critics pay with lives Russia’s freedom of the press is hit again with journalist Nikolai Andrushchenko killed after speaking out
Prime time PR puff Channel Nine viewers were treated to an hour-long ad for the NBN, with little to no disclosure
Media Bites, 20 April 2017
Media Bites Episode 12 Fake news seduces again; Seven’s Laura Banks shows the rough side of reporting; and ABC’s cannibal question.
Media Bites, 13 April 2017
Media Bites Episode 11 Natasha Exelby and the #PutYourBloopersOut saga, TV on the radio, and will the real Donald Trump please stand up?
Episode 10, 10 April 2017
What lies beneath It was dinghies at 30 paces as breakfast shows sought exciting footage from the floods
Media Bites Episode 9 Woman's Day reveals shock new pregnancy photos of Nadia from Married at First Sight but are they staged? Channel Seven's Paul Burt takes on cyclone Debbie. And Sky News sacks Mark Latham.
Two cities, one prize on Nova stations Radio presenters aren’t the only things syndicated on the Nova FM radio network in Sydney and Melbourne. The competition winners are, too.
Media Bites Episode 8 Media wars continue with Ray’s spray and Latham’s lashing: Ray Hadley has a big spray at Media Watch after Monday’s show. Mark Latham flames the internal war at Sky News. And National Enquirer provides us with this week’s alternative fact.
Episode 07, 20 March 2017
Weatherill v Frydenberg showdown Jay Weatherill versus Josh Frydenberg, the contentious energy debate helped along by the media.
Clean and green or toxic and deadly? Think wind turbines are good for the environment? Think again, says Today Tonight. But have they just cherry picked facts to fit their story?
Sky News civil war Mark Latham likes to call himself an outsider. But an inside job on one of his colleagues has sparked internal tension.
Media Bites, 16 March 2017
Media Bites Episode 7 Perth News mix-up their graphics. Jennifer Aniston pregnant again? And this week’s alternative fact: eavesdropping microwaves.
Episode 06, 13 March 2017
Exclusive interview or airport ambush? A Current Affair claimed to have an exclusive interview with Grant Hackett, but it looked more like an airport ambush.
Controversial claims get the soft treatment The Arrowsmith program is a controversial method that claims to help people overcome learning problems. But the founder was given the soft treatment on a recent speaking trip to Australia.
Punchbowl story missing in action While most media networks considered last week’s Punchbowl Boys High controversy a headline story, it was conspicuously absent in Fairfax papers and ABC talkback.
Satirical protest taken seriously It seems large parts of the media have missed the joke, or perhaps missing the joke made for a better story when covering the satirical group The Million Flag Patriots.
BBC interview interrupted The hilarious BBC interview that was hijacked by a Professor’s family went viral for all the right reasons
Media Bites, 9 March 2017
Media Bites Episode 6 Nine recycles an old story about Space Shuttle Endeavour, the media's careless whispers about George Michael's death, and Google's alternative facts.
Episode 05, 6 March 2017
Italy’s ‘new’ Astronaut Worldwide media has wrongly credited Italian twitter user Ignazio Magnani with photos from the International Space Station.
Travel tales too good to be true? Media agencies are promoting website Miss Travel but are some of the case studies too good to be true?
Peter Dutton – next Liberal leader? With conservative commentators backing Peter Dutton as the next Liberal leader, the media went looking for a leadership plot.
Karl coverage overload From footwear to lollies, nothing is too trivial when it comes to coverage of the Today show host, Karl Stefanovic and his new girlfriend.
Media Bites, 2 March 2017
Media Bites Episode 5 The big Oscars blunder: Who is behind the 'Best Picture' stuff-up? The accountants, the Academy, Matt Damon? Or someone more sinister? The Daily Telegraph and Cosmopolitan are on the case.
Episode 05, 27 February 2017
Coke Fizzer Are SA power woes the reason behind Coca-Cola’s exit? It seems some commentators reckon it is.
ACA's life changing ADHD treatment that doesn't work ACA is spruiking a ‘breakthrough’ in the treatment of ADHD but the study’s author says he never called it a ‘breakthrough’ and the program ‘misrepresented’ him.
A new front in Trump’s media war Trump ups the ante in his war with the media banning several outlets from a White House briefing.
Media Bites, 23 February 2017
Media Bites Episode 4 Border Mail mistakes a fictional TV show for reality. Does the new ten dollar note feature lyrics by Rick Astley? And Brangelina is this week’s alternative fact.
The Phantom of the Internet rebooted David Richards' plagiarism has earned himself an unfortunate reputation. Even worse, he doesn't seem to think he's doing anything wrong.
How Good Game ran out of lives The axing of one of the ABC's most popular youth-skewing shows has saddened many of its fans. Why did the ABC give it up?
Another inappropriate rant by Ross Last year we asked how on earth is Ross Cameron still on air. The star of a very popular Sky News show has had another inappropriate rant.
Media Bites, 9 February 2017
Media Bites Episode 2 The PM adviser’s sexist tweets get deleted. And Trump’s robe rage. Brand new Media Bites.
Episode 01, 6 February 2017
Fake news and alternative facts In the Alice in Wonderland world of fake news and alternative facts, what can the media do in search for the truth?
2016 - best in show For the last show in 2016 we take a look back at the good, the bad and the Latham. We highlight the media moments and dish out a few gongs.
Episode 42, 14 November 2016
Trump and media in the post election world Despite so many predictions he wouldn't, Donald Trump won the US election. How did the media get it so wrong? And how will they cover him when he is President?
Episode 41, 7 November 2016
Trump v the media: what will happen next? In the days leading up to the US election, the battle between Trump and the media continues. But will the media stop Donald Trump becoming the next US President, and how will they deal with him if he does?
A Catalyst for change ABC's flagship science show, Catalyst, has been given the chop. So what is in store for ABC audiences and will the new format deliver?
More news that's just paid PR Accepting gifts and getting paid to host corporate events and then writing glowing testimonials on a news site is just not journalism, it’s paid PR.
Episode 40, 31 October 2016
Lessons in how not to handle a crisis The disaster at Dreamworld has been a massive story this week, after four people died on a fun day out. It was a terrible tragedy. And Ardent did not handle it well.
Border Force on air matters Border Force has a slick new podcast to balance the left wing media bias, but there will be plenty you won't be hearing on it.
Mystery solved! But not for long Reports that the Bermuda Triangle 'mystery' had been solved were short lived, but still managed to get plenty of coverage worldwide.
Episode 39, 24 October 2016
Children forgotten again 'The Forgotten Children' on Nauru are forgotten again as Four Corners comes under attack for alleged bias.
The Oz defends right to offend News that notorious Bill Leak cartoon will be investigated by the Human Rights Commission has led to a volley of outrage.
StalkerSpace not a serious source When the Daily Mail sourced a post from UQ StalkerSpace for a serious story, it was left looking a bit silly.
Episode 38, 17 October 2016
From NAPLAN to FATPLAN According to a Daily Telegraph front page exclusive, the NSW Government is considering ranking schools by obesity in a NAPLAN overhaul.
Return of the budgie smugglers After spending four nights behind bars in Malaysia, the "Aussie larrikins" are back. But has media support started to turn?
Episode 36, 3 October 2016
Can the media trump Trump? Donald Trump: Did the media make him? And can they now break him? He’s challenged journalism and now the media is fighting back.
Episode 35, 26 September 2016
The day love died Mass media despair over the break up of 'Brangelina'
NEET or not? A Daily Telegraph attack on young 'bludgers' backfired as more details emerged.
Mounting pressure on Mike Baird's ban Media pressure mounts on Premier Mike Baird's greyhound ban. Will the powerful broadcasters succeed in getting him to back down?
A great moment in history that wasn't A photo in The Sunday Age captured a great moment in political history. But a closer look revealed all was not as it seemed.
Episode 34, 19 September 2016
Fringe conversation goes mainstream Theories about Hillary Clinton's health have gone from fringe to mainstream after her recent collapse. And the media is giving it credence.
Nine News can't heal your pain Bad news for arthritis sufferers, despite promises, Channel Nine News cannot heal your pain.
O'Brien v The ABC Media Watch has successfully defended a defamation action taken by journalist Natalie O’Brien with a judgment passed down last week, more than three years since the program was aired.
Drinks 'study' gets a boost An earlier version of this transcript incorrectly attributed the Boost Juice media release to the University of New South Wales. A story on Ten News told of the health benefits of Boost Juice, but was light on some important facts.
Episode 32, 5 September 2016
Purple puff A Channel Seven news puff piece on Purple Bricks left some viewers seeing red.
Snapping Senate snoozers Derryn Hinch was caught napping in Parliament last week, but that hasn't stopped his push to overturn restrictions on photography in the Senate.
Buzz is back After a five week absence, Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield is back at the Sunday Telegraph, having been cleared by News Corp’s investigation into his relationship with Eddie Hayson.
Episode 31, 29 August 2016
Syria image tugs heartstrings The image of little Omran tugged on heartstrings around the world, but in the end, did it make any difference?
Rip, reproduce and regret A young Sydney journalist learns the perils of court reporting when her mistake aborts a trial
Daily Tele Sports Editor awaits investigation report Future of The Tele's ‘Sports Editor-at-large’ Phil “Buzz” Rothfield still unclear after a Sydney Morning Herald article revealed links to controversial gambler, Eddie Hayson.
Episode 30, 22 August 2016
Free publicity for Party for Freedom A stunt carried out by anti-Muslim group 'Party for Freedom' gained plenty of mainstream media coverage, despite most of it being critical. And that was precisely what the group wanted.
4 Corners bias allegations A leaked letter from a 4 Corners reporter to the then NT Corrections Minister has lead to allegations of bias levelled against the program and its report on youth detention in the Northern Territory.
Sex sells in Rio Sport wasn't the only story the media was focussed on in Rio.
Episode 29, 15 August 2016
Mack caused hack attack? Did gold medal winning swimmer, Mack Horton's comments really contribute to the ABS website meltdown on census night?
Turning a blind eye Why did so many media outlets turn a blind eye to last weeks's release of the Nauru report?
Gerard's Grandstand gold This call by Gerard Whateley was our (allowable) Olympic moment of the week.
Catching Pokemon stories The media is jumping on the Pokemon go bandwagon, finding tenuous links to the game to sell stories.
Awkward alert An awkward moment between Channel Nine's Rebecca Judd and Tony Jones left viewers cringing, and it wasn't the first encounter.
Episode 27, 1 August 2016
Instagram effect The amazing success of Instagram and why its bad news for main stream media.
Power of pictures The power of a picture: why it took so long for people to care about indigenous kids in detention in the NT.
Turkey press crackdown Post the failed coup, Turkey is targeting the media and causing concern about freedom of press.
Karl's humble pie Apologising is not something journalists typically do well, but Karl Stefanovic's apology was a winner.
Episode 26, 25 July 2016
Beating up a ban The Daily Telegraph did not hold back with its story on a high school wanting to ban the word 'girls'. But what checks did it make to verify the claims?
Leading us to war In the wake of the Chilcot Report, has the media learnt any lessons from Iraq and reporting on WMD?
Womb watching at the women's mags Celebrity wombs are under constant surveillance by gossip magazines, and readers lap up the fake pregnancy stories. But the future of these publications does not look bright.
Episode 25, 18 July 2016
Press freedom post coup Post the attempted coup in Turkey, keep in mind the fate of the reporters now facing or under arrest.
Hoax, lies and videotape A number of viral videos that made the news have been confirmed as fake and part of an 'experiment' by an Australian production company.
Muddying the waters on the Great Barrier Reef An article in The Australian suggests there is division among scientists on the danger posed to the Great Barrier Reef. But who is making these claims?
Borrowing an idea about borrowing ideas An ABC online story bears remarkable resemblance to one published earlier on Junkee, about pinching ideas off the net.
Catalyst cops more criticism For the second time in three years, ABC's Catalyst has been found to have breached editorial standards. How did it happen and what are the possible outcomes?
Rip and reproduce More often now mainstream media is taking user generated content from online and using it in news stories without proper verification.
Episode 23, 4 July 2016
Marathon with no winner After a marathon campaign with still no clear winner, Media Watch looks at the good, bad and ugly of the election.
Episode 22, 27 June 2016
Are we there yet? It's been a long campaign and many people have tired before the finish line. But then #FakeTradie came along ...
Facts missing from the menu The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has denied claims made by the Herald Sun and Daily Mail, that special crockery was requested for a Ramadan dinner.
Perfect storm facing digital news From ad blockers, to Facebook and consumers who refuse to pay. It's the challenge facing digital news and no one's sure what the solution is.
Episode 19, 6 June 2016
Racist memes raise ire Racist 'joke' memes that appeared on an AFL Facebook fan page caused a storm of outrage and complaints to Facebook were initially rejected by the company, which added to the anger.
Unfunny racist 'jokes' continued... The footy related racist 'jokes' continued, this time on the NRL Footy Show, with a poorly judged segment by Beau Ryan.
Media merger in the west Perth may soon be the latest one paper town as Murdoch's The Sunday Times looks set to merge with Stokes owned The West Australian.
Fairfax prints Chinese propaganda Times are tough, especially for newspapers and we can only assume that’s why Fairfax Media has recently agreed to take money from the Chinese for spreading their propaganda.
Episode 18, 30 May 2016
Light shed on 60 Minutes 'darkest hour' Last week Channel Nine released its much anticipated review into the 60 Minutes Beirut bungle and veteran producer Stephen Rice was shown the door. Did he pay the price for everyone's failures?
Nine's week of apologies, part two Channel Nine's second apology of the week was to NRL player Cameron Smith over allegations made on 60 Minutes in 2015. So why was it The Footy Show that said sorry?
Falling for PR tricks Vapourware is a product announced by a manufacturer that doesn't actually exist. So why does the media keep falling for this obvious marketing ploy?
Episode 17, 23 May 2016
Secrecy laws here to stay? Friday's AFP raids strike at the heart of the public's right to know. But governments aren't prepared to change our secrecy laws.
Whittington story absent on Nine News coverage of Adam Whittington's recent court hearing and a protest by his supporters has been conspicuously absent on Channel Nine.
No disclosure by Cam from Cairns Cairns has a new Facebook breakfast show called Good Morning Cairns. But what is its relationship to the LNP?
Subscribe
Subscribe to Media Watch's RSS feed to receive latest site updates, including video segments and transcripts. Read more »
You can also subscribe to Media Watch vodcast to get episodes downloaded directly to your computer.
Read more »
