Many years ago, an acquaintance of mine opined that the reality program, Survivor, was the best television show ever made. I didn’t share her excitement and replied, “I saw a man walk on the moon on television. I thought that was pretty good.”
Needless to say we are no longer on speaking terms but it’s reasonable to conclude that what occurred on Sentosa Island Singapore yesterday lies somewhere between the two.
While my memory of Neil Armstrong placing his right foot on the Sea of Tranquillity may be a little hazy, I distinctly recall the coverage of what remains the most outstanding event in human history, was not appended by almost endless commentary and addle-headed speculation from journos and other so-called experts.
The reporting of momentous events has changed considerably, and I think for the worse.
Yesterday I spent the day watching the coverage of the summit on Sky News and a range of US cable news channels on my iPad while ABC 24 was on the television in the background. The ABC’s dedicated news channel was hard pressed. During the many long moments of waiting for anything of any significance to occur, news presenters various sought comment from reporters on the ground in Sydney, Singapore or Seoul.
The fact is the reporters knew almost as little about what was happening than I did. They were forced to stretch as they say in the biz, waffling on about what may or may not be happening and how an outcome they could not possibly know might affect the world in the short and long terms.
It was filler, plain and simple. Most of it worthless commentary or pointless speculation.
The US and North Korean delegations were behind closed doors. The photo-op of President Trump and Chairman Kim shaking hands for the first time had come and gone. Cameras rolled revealing a closed door where Trump and Kim would emerge eventually. They were late as the subjects of press conferences or photo ops often are, leading to even more panicked cutaways to more reporters adding their eight cents’ worth.
For once I would like to see a reporter under questioning from a news presenter offer the succinct three-word reply, “I don’t know.” It might not make for great television but at least it would be honest. The reporters did not know. Not one reporter, commentator or talking head present in Singapore or indeed anywhere else in the world, did. They did not know what had been agreed to by the two delegations or indeed if anything had been.
Even after the two leaders had signed a memorandum of understanding, no one was quite sure what they had signed up to. On ABC 24, the questions put to reporters were of the tedious “Is it good that Trump and Kim have met?” variety. The answers from the reporters on the ground invariably were yes with a but or no with an if, often played over the top of a lot of file footage of missiles being launched, possibly from North Korea but they could have been from anywhere.
Is it good that Trump and Kim have met? Unequivocally yes. The fact that the two nations were on the verge of a nuclear exchange just three months ago and now the two leaders were shaking hands and generally glad handing each other is very good news. It takes the temperature out of arguably the world’s most dangerous hot spot at least in the short term. Beyond that, who knows?
See, I could have answered that question and many others like it promptly and I was four and a half thousand kilometres away at the time.
When something unusual did happen, it was overlooked. After Trump and Kim did finally emerge for the signing ceremony photo-op, a North Korean guard wearing rubber gloves stepped forward to examine Chairman Kim’s pen, presumably to determine if it was some lethal CIA gimmickry, some ghastly tool of assassination. Satisfied it was merely a harmless writing implement, he placed it back on the table and Kim commenced scribbling his ornate autograph.
This was barely discernible on ABC 24 where the camera operator had opted for tight shots on the two leaders but elsewhere it was more obvious. It raised the question, were the North Koreans so paranoid they thought their supreme leader could be knocked off by a poison pen while the rest of the world looked on?
Call me old fashioned but I pine for the days when a network would cut from regular programming to a major news event and then once reported, the scheduled program would resume. I noticed SBS did this yesterday. They ran some old repeats of Nigella Lawson whipping up some scrumptious offerings in the kitchen and interrupted only when something important was happening in Singapore.
But ABC 24 can’t do this. During quiet moments the channel can and does revert to other news which essentially is news that is four hours old or older and therefore not news. The same could be said for scheduled bulletins elsewhere on the ABC like the corporation’s flagship 7.00pm bulletin.
If you spent the afternoon watching ABC 24 as I did yesterday (albeit with a bit of bored flipping to a bit of Nigella on SBS) by the time the seven o’clock bulletin came on, you’d have already seen everything, even some of the lightweight magazine guff that runs between the sport and weather that we in the news caper like to refer to as “cat that does the ironing” segments.
Do yourself a favour and examine the lag between television reporting of an event and what appears through trusted news sites on the web like this one. You’ll find what comes up on the web is at least an hour faster. Worse, once that news is reported on television, it will be reheated and rehashed, almost always without revision sometimes for a day or more.
While the debate rages over the diplomatic and geopolitical consequences of the summit, one question was answered: television news is often not news at all.
I read in the Guardian, after the rape and murder of a beautiful young lady in an inner city Melbourne park, that men need to change. That should be a minority of men need to change and just saying that wont make it happen. That sort of behaviour, and I think in this case the accused may have significant mental issues, needs to be addressed from the very early years. It is a cultural concern that is best fostered in the formative stages of development. This is developed in sporting, artistic and educational (blue collar and white) arenas. Both males and females are victims of violent and sexually violent crimes; inappropriate behaviours need to be nipped in the bud, and humane, respectful behaviours need to be modelled from the get go and at all levels.
Vale Eurydice Dixon.
Milton, I’ve been disturbed by the widespread reaction to this appalling event . What you have said is quite correct and the lack of acceptance by so many people that there are sick, nasty bastards out there is mystifying to me. It’s the fault of all men! The police can’t even suggest that people (women) be careful. Logic is out the window. It’s not about rights (which exist) it’s about common sense.
As a woman who used to feel safe walking a couple of kilometres alone in the early evening, I’d agree with you.
It’s about judgement now & avoiding that awful creepy feeling I get when a (probably decent) man is jogging behind me. A few weeks ago a guy in an gym hoodie ran past me, pulled up ten feet away then turned & I froze in that second.
Turned out we knew each other but I would’ve been defenseless so that one incident changed my mind about exercising in the dark.
As for isolated walking trails & parks, forget it, even in the morning. Logic wins over independence for this girl.
The deceased Bob Ellis is getting some press, amongst others. Personally i think if these accounts (and I don’t doubt there truth) are to be published, especially on events from 40 yrs ago, why not air them whilst the would be protagonists are still alive?
And here is something Gerard Henderson would have endorsed from the following article:
“Had Ellis been a right-wing polemicist, his slander, kooky theories and serially inaccurate forecasts would not have been overlooked or dismissed as charming eccentricities. I suspect the same holds for his lechery.”
As always, double standards, no surprises.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2018/06/16/dorothy-hewett-bob-ellis-art-and-exploitation/15290712006379
Firstly, I feel for Bob’s partner, Anne. These revelations would be causing her real pain. I knew Bob. He was a deeply flawed person. Brilliant with pen in hand. Not much good at human interaction.
No doubt, Jack. We are all flawed and not guilty of our fathers sins, or indeed our friends, or partners. Henderson’s point concerns the duplicity. Rolf Harris scrubbed, the RC church depicted as the major institution of sexual abuse and so on. It is not a pretty argument, or discussion, but the facts remain that what went on in the 60’s/70’s and early 80’s (when i first quenched my thirst) wouldn’t be encouraged, or tolerated, today except in certain, regional or closed environments (though I could be wrong on this).
And sorry, certainly before the 60’s. Child abuse has long been prevalent. Personally I consider sexual abuse of minors worse than murder and the courts should treat it so. The victims of the latter serve a life sentence. The offenders deserve the death penalty as a harsher sentence would offend the bleeding hearts.
Go a
Sorry JTI but poorly worded by you. You have previously said he was a mate. Best to have said nothing. If the allegations are true. He was the lowest type of grub.
Is that QPS motto, mate? Best to say nothing.
Could you imagine the outcry if it was Chris Kenny or Andrew Bolt?
All criminals are deeply flawed. It doesn’t excuse their actions. Particularly when it comes to the sexual assault of a child.
Ah, another cheap shot from the cheap seats. His criminality exists in allegations made posthumously but I am not silly enough to dismiss them. I knew Bob because he attended a lunch club I am a member of. I knew he was a deeply flawed person because another member of that club was a publisher who had been put through the wringer via the Goodbye Jerusalem defo drama. It cost the publishing company a lot of money but worse Bob had lied to the publisher and her staff and they were subject to humiliation and trauma in the witness box in that case. His desk editor in particular suffered greatly. I got used to this dandruff-flaked, shambolic figure at the venue but I had no association with him outside it. I do feel sorry for his wife, Annie, because she’s a very nice person who had to put up with a great deal with Bob and these allegations will have brought great anguish to her. If you’re going to insinuate some knowledge or criminality through a loose association, I’d think long and hard about it. You have form in this area and I remind you of the nasty and stupid insinuations you made about me and Denis Ryan after we’d asked Peter Fox to attend a book event in Sydney and speak on police corruption and child protection. Two years later you were writing letters full of praise to Dinny and offering to buy him a beer. There’s no wisdom in hindsight, mate.
At no stage have I insinuated anything against you and if you consider that to be the case then I unreservedly apologise. I just considered the wording of your initial post seemed a bit soft on him. I have nothing but respect for you and your commentary.
As for Fox I do not resile from my view on him and the Special Commssion of inquiry supports my position. Again my view was it is unfortunate you or your publisher at the time considered he had credibility in the area. Mind you, from memory, that was before the Special Inquiry. Doesn’t reflect on you or Dinny nor the veracity of your excellent book. You seem to have taken 1 plus 1 and got 3. At no stage did I question your book. I questioned the use of someone whose credibility was in doubt at the launch.
I’m simply indicating how often you get it wrong. Fox made mistakes but whistleblowers do. If you had a tad more curiosity you might ask yourself how so few prosecutions took place in Maitland-Newcastle (none at all until 1991) while there was offending going on at Guinness Book of Records levels. The Cunneen Inquiry stuck a toe in the water at best. It was not designed to do anything more. I watched one senior copper unload on Fox one afternoon and the following morning prior to cross examination, recanted the lot. This astonishing event didn’t even rate a mention in the final report. Two decades earlier, the Wood Royal Commission investigated cop-paedophile collusion and found numerous examples of police corruption of the worst kind. Dolly Dunn had two NSW detectives on retainers. This is a matter of record. Generally speaking, child sex offending was not professionally investigated nor even taken very seriously in NSW until very recently and in this environment there is no great leap between ineptitude and corruption. Given NSW policing’s dismal history it’s virtually an inevitability. So on balance I am inclined to believe Fox. You should open your eyes. Better still stop passing judgment on matters you know little or nothing about. Above all resist the temptation to believe that reading a couple of newspaper articles makes you a fucking expert.
Actually JTI don’t print that post I just made. Your blog I’ll leave it at that with you having the last say. Though I do feel you haven’t understood what I was trying to convey.
Reply by email if you feel you have to.
Too late.
Milton a good comment regarding Bob Ellis. If I might just add to this discussion though, my daughter’s father-in-law, a deeply religious and moral man, went to school with Bob Ellis and remained friends with him until they were in their early twenties, when obviously they both took different paths in their lives. When Bob died this man (whom I like and have enormous respect for) wrote a moving tribute outlining the friendship, the fun they had as youngsters and saying how much he had benefited from having known him.
Now I don’t know what he would have thought of these allegations, or what he’s thinking now, but as all this has come about posthumously, it does seem that there is no recourse for his friends and family, particularly his wife. I am sure as JTI has said he was a deeply flawed man, but when we call him a scumbag or grub it has to be hard on those left behind. If indeed as Razor said, what if it was Andrew Bolt or Chris Kenny, well that is irrelevant, they are still here to defend themselves. I am not condoning what Bob Ellis is alleged to have done here, but I am saying that you can often judge a person by the friends they have and the fact that his family have a right to their memories…. both good and bad.
Reasonable comment Penny. I think what plays out here though is the way the normally outraged left have been conspicuously absent from the conversation.
Hoover is a classic example. The left love portraying him as a cross dressing, corrupt oligarch. Well when it all comes down to it there is only some evidence for the Oligarch stuff. As for the other two, contrary to popular leftist dogma…..NIL, ZILCH, ZERO!
By the way I’m not a J Edgar fan just pointing out a fact.
Good call, Penny. Our best poet, Les Murray from what I have read was a good friend of Bob Ellis; and in earlier years a flat mate. I would not diminish him through association. Not keen on witch-hunts and as I stated not keen on posthumous accusations.
In this matter it wasn’t about legal redress but book sales. Tawdry from woe to go.
Nevertheless the original point remains that if similar accusations were directed towards a conservative or RC person or institution the abc and left leaning media outlets would have blown it up bigger than they have. And as you know this also concerns other artists, not least the parents!!
If BE was also a dab hand with the Waterman, one may opine his pen is/was as mighty as his sword.
No doubt about that.
They may not be believed Milt, just have to look at the some of the evidence from the RC.
Great post Milton.
Three former deputy secretaries of Australia’s Defence Department – strategists Hugh White, Paul Dibb, Richard Brabin-Smith and hard right wing founder of WorkNOchoices Skeeter Hendy have come up with the bright idea that we should have our own nuclear weapons. Gawd I have been arguing for this ever since the day this blog started all those years ago. I copped huge criticism from bloggers. Shanghai Tony even said we should be considering nukes. As I have always said- that vast expanse of water between us and the rest of the world makes it a no brainer.
Oh and Clockwork Lemon (Howard) has bobbed up again “Malcolm Turnbull will win the election”. Well of course he will. Labor is no opposition. They need Shanghai Tony to teach Stan how to lead from Opposition.
INGLIS:- ““The [Origin eligibility] rules changed, mainly because of me,” he chuckles”(Sydney Mourning Herald). My connection with Queensland, it just feels like home”. Angry or not, he says his dominant performance against NSW was purely born out of his love for his state which is still difficult for some to comprehend because he was born and raised on the NSW north coast. Although Souths is my lot, Inglis should be banned from Origin for life for being such a traitor. He is NSW through and through as are many others from NSW who have played for Qld. They all should have been banned for treason!
“Clockwork Lemon”, “Shanghai Tony” dear BASSMAN you’ve got our Pollies slotted in nicely. If anyone but Shorten was leading the Labor Party Malcolm would be toast. Newspoll still running against the Turnbull Government though. Cheers
You Say “Newspoll still running against the Turnbull Government though”.
But the difference is quite gettable running a khaki/refugee/terrorism campaign. Never forget
what Poodles said:-
Christopher Pyne:- “That has been a hallmark of ultra-conservatives for centuries, to sow fear in the community,” 17th September, 2017.
and with attack dogs like Abbott, Dutts, Fifield and Co the Looters are well in the race.
I find it quite disconcerting to click on the Australian and find myself largely agreeing with Alan Jones.
I think we may have discussed this before, but the ARU has trashed rugby.
For those of you who think our politicians are beyond belief, I give you someone running in Colorado’s 6th district primary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UYurrW7GVg
Levi Tillerman you total goose. What an idiot Dwight. Cheers
I thought it was Todd Sampson for a minute. What would you do Dwight?
I used to pack TV. Although I gave my girlfriend pepper spray to keep her safe.
That’s funny, Triv!
Well, I missed the start of this one. I’ve made my low opinion of TV news well-known here before and I’ll bore you stupid if I get going about it, so I’ll just have a go at my latest gripe: ‘Breaking News’. I seem to remember when this meant that a dramatic situation had arisen and was ongoing. ‘Breaking’ meant fresh and continuing. The 9/11 attacks were a perfect example. Now any news is breaking news. Last week we had on the breakfast show I love to hate, Today, ‘Breaking news – Fog in Melbourne’. Unbelievable. Fog FFS. The only breaking news factor would have been later when the sun broke through, which was singularly unnewsworthy. The next day these simpletons outdid themselves because the fog had somehow migrated to Sydney and that was that day’s Breaking News. We had the obligatory blonde bimbo at the Rocks describing how heavy the fog was. Unfortunately for her, you could see North Sydney quite clearly.
Channel Seven, who wouldn’t get a look in at my house in the morning, being an even more primeval species than Nein, keep telling us that they are Australia’s ‘most watched news’ (citation?) ‘where knowing matters’. Sick bag please. There are no words to describe my scorn for such arrant drivel. A pox on them all.
For these reasons I must defend ABC24 to the extent that they recognise that there is a world out there beyond house fires, stabbings and cars driving into bedrooms, the standard news fare on the commercials when the weather is not foggy. Their content is a cut above the other half-literate, sniggering morons and if they suffer from the 24 hour news issue of constant regurgitation, well, the Beeb and CNN have the same problem.
As for the extrapolation the news media of the world have made about the Sling in Sing, we’ll have to wait and see whether anything remotely concrete comes of it. The fact that they met was pretty impressive. But I also have more doubts that were on the verge of nuclear war recently than JB does about the moon landings. I’m old enough to remember Cuba.
I’ll stop now Jack. Sorry about the length. And congrats on the recovery.
Boy, that must have been cathartic! Given up the haiku for spontaneous prose?
You are right though and i’d give the morning ‘news’ shows a miss if I was you. Pure drivel.
I watch it (i.e. am in the room) or I become a hermit Milton. Maybe I’ll dredge up a haiku on it later.
Yep. I remember “duck and cover” drills in school during the Cold War. We’re nowhere near that level. But I will admit that I am careful discussing Putin in the interest of marital harmony. And the fact I’m likely to apply for a visa soon.
Me and the missus don’t canvas the old Put In much either, Dwight but we’ve been together for yonks!
That’s a mouthful honey but you got it out in the end sweetheart.
Thank you sweetie
Excellent post. No, we have never been on the verge of a nuclear war. For all the posturing, in the modern age the promoters of wars are aware that a major or nuclear war could see serious elements of war visiting them in their comfortable homes.
I am only mildly offended that you infer I have any doubt about the, ahem, splutter, alleged manned moon landings.
I have probably just been lazy in expressing my hilarity.
Are you aware of the Russian sub incident off the coast of the US during the Cuban crises.
One person refused to endorse the launch of a nuclear tipped torpedo while many others did.
One man stood between total destruction and life as we know it.
How close is close JB?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasili_Arkhipov
Well maybe. If they had destroyed an American ship it doesn’t necessarily follow that nuclear war would break out. In fact it would be unlikely for the reason I gave earlier.
Ironically if a nuclear war had happened then the human race would now have a better chance of survival than it has now . Much reduced in numbers and burning a lot less fossil fuel in the intervening period.
Tick
They’re getting worried in NYT land.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/opinion/trump-midterms-robert-de-niro-samantha-bee.html
There’s an old saying Milton that any publicity is good publicity and boy have the Democrats helped to keep POTUS Trumps name in lights! Still no sign of any reorganisation of the dishevelled and defeated Democrats they may have to wheel Grandma Hillary out for another go in 2020! Cheers P.S. watch Stephen Colbert he’s turned Donald into a media sensation by bagging him but boy is he helping Trump in spades, personally, I think Trump is paying him
Well Henry there is now talk that Kim Kardashian may yet become POTUS…..your hero Trump’s close personal friend has basically said “never, say never”……and this was on Channel 7 , not that dreadfully biased ABC, so it must be true….
I think the fact that in large parts of the country, Nancy Pelosi is as popular as Ebola, will seriously hurt the Dems in the mid-terms. They need to put her on a cruise ship that doesn’t make port until mid-November.
No point in worrying. The owners of the USA are up and about, it’s a foregone conclusion.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/koch-brothers-pledge-nearly-400-million-to-promote-conservative-policies-republicans-in-midterm-elections
George Soros?
George Soros what?
there are precedents for this, Labor spent ten years telling the Australian voters they were stupid and racist for voting for John Howard instead of Paul Keating, and that more than anything kept them out of government.
Likewise, the Democrats seem determined to keep the House and the Senate in GOP hands.
Of course, the election is months away and they may get their wish of Trump imploding, or some actual evidence of something approaching an impeachable offence may turn up, but waiting for the either of these two outcomes is not much of a strategy.
Fan – bloody – tastic
I am smelling a rat, Mr insider, and a smelly one it just might be. That game last night in the Soccer World Cup between Russia and Saudia Arabia had in the crowd Mr Putin and the Crown Prince of SA and sitting between them the top FIFA official. Russia had not won a game for 7 games yet trounced SA 5-0. Strewth
Things that make you go hmmm.
Three of the goals in the last few minutes, his maj from “The Kingdom” didn’t look happy.
Aus v the moaning 🐸 tonight, skitch em lads
I’m going a 1-1 draw, my love!
Are you surprised, HB? I reckon Russia will make the finals!
Even Vlad is not that bold.
Whenever there is a TV new story about the battle of the Coral sea in which the fleets did not sight each other and no battleships were present they footage shown is either of the Austro Hungarian dreadnought Svent Isatsa capsising after being torpedoed by Italian MAS boats in 1918, or HMS Barham (another battleship) capsising and exploding after being torpedoed by a Uboat in the Mediterranean in 1942..
Whenever there is snow in Katoomba Seven drags out footage that is 20-25 years old…
Harsh with the snow footage UQ. It snowed heavily in Katoomba about 3 years ago. You can check the vintage of the vehicles. But you’re quite right. I’ve discussed the lack of relevance with a relative who has been with a TV news outfit for over 40 years. he agrees with most of my gripes but says it’s a visual medium, you have to show something. I do see his point but they wander a long way from the facts of the matter with extreme regularity.
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