Humble servant of the Nation

TV news ain’t news.

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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.

555 Comments

  • Tracy says:

    Maybe the Argentinian coach should have given Maradonna a call he would have loved to give them a helping hand.

    • Lou oTOD says:

      Hah, it seems the VAR has taken God out of the hand business Tracy. Not that it seems to have deterred a few from trying in this tournament. Maradonna wouldnt get a look in these days.

      • Tracy says:

        The Croatia v Argentina was a cracker only watched it last night, good to see Maradonna squirming away in the stands.
        Think overall the VAR has been a success, now if only they would revise the play acting/my leg has fallen off routines and retrospectively award yellow cards after a match that would do wonders for extra time.

    • Milton says:

      Got it!

    • Trivalve says:

      Argentinian coach? They’ve gone cheap and hired George Colombaris. That’s their problem right there!

  • Boadicea says:

    The thinking behind the forced separation of children from their migrant parents in the USA is hard to comprehend, but news that these children have been fed psychotic drugs is appalling .
    To add to all that Melania Trump apparently wore a jacket with the slogan “I don’t care ” as she boarded a plane to go and visit them. Jesus.

    • Trivalve says:

      Parallel universe

    • Penny says:

      Boa, I agree that was not a good look.

    • Bella says:

      The woman is a fashion drone in every sense Boadicea & I don’t think it would’ve occurred to Melania that it was an appalling choice under the circumstances. She always appears agitated & unhappy to me so I actually feel sorry for her state of mind, after all, she tied her whole life to a dead-set monster.
      All the money in the world hey……..👹💩
      As for the separated children being given drugs, I weep, and the footage shows they each wear a number. Haven’t we seen this before?

      • Boadicea says:

        I agree, Bella that she may not have been aware of how the slogan on her jacket would come across, but, crikey, surely she was travelling with some advisors!!! Her husband reckons it was a go at the media. Maybe he advised her to wear it!

    • John O'Hagan says:

      But Bo, they only drugged the children to stop them crying – so they wouldn’t have to listening to their whining. Besides, crying children tend to trigger liberal snowflakes in the media.

      Maybe the boys at Border Force should consider doing it too – although, for all we know, they already do. No media problems in our camps.

    • Not Finished Yet says:

      But Boadicea, feeding children with psychotic drugs is the perfect introduction to the USA. They will feel right at home in no time.

  • Milton says:

    No doubt we deserved a draw but if we had really backed ourselves in attack we could have won.

  • Dismayed says:

    One thing that is not news is that phony will always do what is the worst thing for the nation.

  • Bella says:

    The Gorilla Foundation just announced the death of Koko aged 46.
    She was the beloved western lowland gorilla who was taught to communicate through sign language and was the primary ambassador for her critically endangered species.
    Thank-you for opening our minds to the emotional capacity of your species. RIP Koko.
    https://youtu.be/tEOoGYnKys4

    • Henry Blofeld says:

      RIP Koko indeed Bella. Cheers

    • Boadicea says:

      I wonder what sort of a life the poor animal had, Bella. She probably would have preferred to speak her own language to her fellow primates?
      Reading about the Harlow monkey experiments did it for me with using animals for experiments I’m afraid …😢

      • Jean Baptiste says:

        No Boadicea. At least not if we take Koko at her word.
        From an entry in Koko’s diary , 23rd June 2011.

        “I often hear humans suggesting to each other that I would rather be living with my peers. I say to myself, “yeah sure, you go and live in the jungle with a bunch of ignorant gorillas. I’m a star here and treated like royalty, and this is so much more intellectually stimulating, you idiots.”

      • Bella says:

        Using animals for human entertainment or cruel medicinal experiments is very wrong, I totally agree.
        Koko was born as part of the breeding programme at San Francisco Zoo & I actually appreciate the fact that she could never live in the wild so lived most of her life in the Santa Cruz mountains at The Gorilla Foundation’s reserve.
        Koko lived with two other gorillas until her death & her main caregiver Francine Patterson was with her since the age of one as part of her doctoral research, after the gorilla recovered from a life-threatening illness.
        She likely lived a far longer life than many endangered gorillas in the wild threatened by rapidly reducing habitats and ignorant poachers.

  • Milton says:

    I’m more than happy that sbs is covering the group games otherwise I wouldn’t be seeing them.
    Go Aussies. All tough games in the World Cup.

    And now that Clive is going to run again I get the last laugh for getting my Clive for PM tattoo! I can cut my fringe again, losers…mewehahahah

  • Tracy says:

    Today is a good day.
    Frankie the ferret who has cost me a bomb in vet fees while being diagnosed with cardiomyopathy has lost the use of his back legs, the vet who saw him yesterday was quite happy to consign him down the euthanasia path 👿 but his usual vet this morning has given us the good news that he has had a mild stroke and with medication he should regain some use of his back legs and we can hold off the little fuzzy wheel chair.
    He is a gorgeous little munchkin……..Frankie, not the vet, I did restrain my self from hugging him though, the vet not Frankie.
    Fur kids are family and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

    • Jack The Insider says:

      More power to Frankie.

      • Tracy says:

        He’s on two daily doses of four different pills (ferret size) a day so we’ve bought a human day of the week pill thingy keeps things organised.
        Have to do physio on him three times a day, he has feeling in his legs but doesn’t know where they are so to speak and it looks like the Prednisone for stroke is starting to have an effect, after only 24 hours he’s starting to push off with his back left paw.
        The vet said he’s hoping that the nerves will re-route and give him some movement, holding off on his little trundle tray until we see the vet in two weeks🏎

    • Trivalve says:

      Wheels at the back Tracy

      • Tracy says:

        That’s why you marry an engineer TV, they sort out the complicated stuff.
        Have got some good quality wheels coming from Brisvegas so he’ll have a smooth ride, hips need to be supported with his legs sticking out so he can push with his back paws without putting the strain on his front paws he’s a determined “cute hamster” as you called him.
        The good news is his heart muscle sounds stronger and his lungs are fluid free so he’s doing better than we thought he would on that front
        Thanks for the good thoughts folks, I offered him a home for someone who could no longer keep him last October and I want to do the right thing by him, he’s eating well and hurtles round the room albeit like a little seal, he’s doing ok

        • Jean Baptiste says:

          What’s a “Chutney Ferret.?” Anyone?

          Just an idea for your little fellow. Hubby could modify one of those radio controlled model off road cars. They go like stink, you could certainly bring a bit of excitement into little Frankie’as life!

          • Tracy says:

            Trust you to lower the tone, quelle horreur!
            As for the radio controlled car if Frankie knew of that suggestion he’d be all for it and the dog would be in need of the heart treatment

    • Bella says:

      I wish Frankie the best Tracy, he’s clearly very loved. 💚

    • Henry Blofeld says:

      Well done you, Tracy, do love people who love and care for Animals, dear Frankie is in loving hands indeed. Cheers

    • LouoTOD says:

      Glad you could distinguish between the vet and the ferret in your behaviour Tracy, it could have gotten a little awkward. Tongue in cheek of course. Oops.

      Your damn rght about the creatures. Our daughter just had her dog operated on for a torn tendon, a lazy $6,000 if you dont mind. Still if they couldnt afford it I would have paid. He is the best dog ever, we have his sister from the same litter, and the thought of not having Marley with us filled me with dread.

    • Gryzly says:

      Go Frankie. A few I have backed at Flemington over the years have finished down the track and then the Stewards reported them suffering from cardiomyopathy. or was that cardiac arrhythmia?

    • The Bow-Legged Swantoon says:

      You’ve got a big heart, Tracy. Good on you.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    World Cup Soccer round up Mr Insider as today/tonite Australia play Denmark, we need a win so we can meet the Super Team, Russia or as they might end up being known as “Vlad’s Impalers” Cheers
    https://tinyurl.com/y8jq4s7n

  • Milton says:

    The Guardian shows the pics of 12 people who died in offshore detention. Did they pay tribute to the thousand people, including children, who died as a result of the Rudd Labor govts overturning of coalition policy?

    • Perentie says:

      No, but they appreciate there’s meant to be a difference in the risk in boarding a dodgy boat and heading into the ocean and being an inhabitant of an Australian run detention centre. As we all should.

      • Milton says:

        There are risks everywhere, Perentie. They chose to leave the relative safety of Indonesia to run the risks, in many cases putting minors at risk. It would seem the only appreciable difference in risk is measured by having your name and picture in the Guardian. Furthermore their stay in an Australian detention was not compulsory, they have been offered alternatives.

        • Perentie says:

          Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what the Guardian was thinking. Somehow they got it into their heads that the there was a difference in the duty of care required of Australia (through our Government) compared with that of a criminal people smuggler. Then when people died in our detention centres they concluded that we hadn’t measured up, thought there was a story in it and published photos. Hopeless lefties.

        • John O'Hagan says:

          Hang on a minute Milt, I’m confused. Are we sorry for the people who drowned because Labor killed them, or are we blaming them for taking a stupid risk? Or are we only sorry for the ones that drowned, and only blaming the ones who didn’t drown but then were killed in detention?

          • Milton says:

            JohnO’H old mate, you, as you state, are confused. a whole lot of we and sorry and nothing more.
            What are your feelings for the thousand people that drowned at sea heading towards a Rudd, labor, abc, care fest?

    • Dwight says:

      That would be balanced reporting, so no.

    • Henry Blofeld says:

      Spot on Milton the Labor Party headed by Rudd/Gillard should hang their heads in eternal shame at the deaths at sea their failed policies caused. Todays Lib/Nat government is still trying to clear up the shocking mess they created. The Greens too aided the Labor Party in the failed Asylum policies they are just as shameful imho. Cheers

      • Bella says:

        Yet the Fibs turned NZ’s offer down without blinking. What about the global “eternal shame” Dutton has brought on our country by not closing down those off-shore prison camps and lying his head off about the children still languishing there with no hope of resettlement.
        Mate, the only difference between that grub Trump’s sickening family separations & the Liberals cruelty to refugees is that what’s going on with ours is a big secret. Shame on them all.

      • John O'Hagan says:

        Indeed Henry, and in that regard the govt would do well to emulate your idol Mr Trump’s take on the “Australian model” of border control, by rounding up all the children into little cages, and putting their crying faces on TV as a warning to the others.

        And he would have gotten away with it too, if his pinko snowflake traitor of a wife hadn’t been brainwashed by the liberal elite coastal media to believe anyone important gives a hoot about brown children.

        • Henry Blofeld says:

          I think Australian Labors over 1000 deaths at sea towers above anything the USA has or is doing John, won’t let you forget buddy. Cheers

          • John O'Hagan says:

            And towering over that, in turn, Henry, is the policy adopted by both major parties: pushing refugees away with a long stick to die in their thousands on the way to anywhere else but here, as long as we don’t have to watch. And just to make sure they get the message, if a few get through, we impale their heads on the battlements of Fortress Australia, again, as a warning to the others.

            I agree Henry, it certainly makes your Don look a real softy.

    • Jean Baptiste says:

      Typical conservative. Always ready with confected concern to trade on the deaths of the unfortunate while going to any lengths to avoid contemplating the fate of those who have had another avenue closed off however ,risky, to escape from terrible fates. You lot of frauds are beyond belief.

      Same with climate change, and the suffering and mass deaths of the most vulnerable to come. You people couldn’t care less and even less if it costs you a damn cent.

      I pray for all of you, I pray there is no God to confront you. Heaven? Oh so sorry , it’s full.

      • Milton says:

        Nothing confected about it, merely stating facts.

      • Carl on the Coast says:

        Yes, and some folk are swift with their targeted tirades of criticism, but appear to avoid contemplating, commenting and couldn’t care less re the root causes why so many are fleeing to escape from terrible fates.

        • Penny says:

          CotC…..well said. But no-one wants to know why people are fleeing to escape these fates….not while they live in comfortable Australia and choose not to worry about poor people in other countries……not sure they care about the needy in this country either for that matter.

        • Penny says:

          Sorry Carl, I misread your statement. I thought you indicated you care about those people fleeing, when it seems what you are really doing is chastising JB to simply score a point. Poor form Carl unless you are willing to comtemplate, comment or show if you even slightly interested in why people are fleeing their terrible fates. It was a poor comment from Milton, but I expect that from him and the others, not you….
          I have said this before, we shall be remembered for our terrible, terrible refugee policies for many years. But then again who cares Carl, Milton, Henry…..???

          • Milton says:

            Rudd’s terrible refugee policy paved the way for a thousand people to die, Penny. This was at a time when there were about a handful of people in detention. This reversal of Howard’s policy caused deaths and filled our detention centres with thousands, including children. We also have comparatively large intake of immigrants and refugees.
            On the reasons why people are fleeing I have posted a comment very recently. Yet Penny, as you know, the people concerned here had successfully fled the country from which they were seeking refuge, as they are not Indonesian’s. Indeed many had flown into Indonesia.

          • Carl on the Coast says:

            Penny, yes I was having a dig at JB and I also know a bit about “people fleeing their terrible fates”. Some members of my extended family from the Baltic states attempted to flee but ‘uncle Joe’ had other plans. They never survived their “trip” to Siberia. But of course that part of history is no longer sujet du jour, eh?

            Poor form indeed.

          • Boadicea says:

            “It was a poor comment from Milton, but I expect that from him and the others”……..

            Poor comment, Penny.
            Milton and “the others” may simply have an opinion that differs to yours?

            • Dismayed says:

              Dr Penny’s comment was spot on. Milton and the others opinion is bigoted wilful ignorance. No Surprises. None that you would have a go another woman for having and opinion and holding an old white male to account either. Normal MO for you. No suprises at all.

          • Dismayed says:

            Hear Hear Dr Penny Hear Hear watch out the bigots will come at you now. They have nothing but to project their own self loathing and fear and use human tragedy to further their toxic ideology.

        • Jean Baptiste says:

          Yes, we have plenty of money to spend n assisting the US and GB in their sordid wars manufactured to control oil supplies and make their corporations stupendously rich, but little to help those who suffer the collateral consequences.

          • Carl on the Coast says:

            “sordid wars” JB? As distinct from the moral, honourable and righteous conflicts I assume me old mate?

      • Henry Donald J Blofeld says:

        Bollocks! Cheers

    • BASSMAN says:

      What a Miltless low act of a comment. Every single attempt Labor engaged to pass fair legislation in regard to the refugee issue the Liberals blocked. 600 more died because Abbott would not support the Malaysian option which he later said in this paper was a mistake. No comment about the over 300 that died on the SIEVX during Howard’s term plus the many who have died that we do not know about? And don’t forget those who have been turned back to die elsewhere ‘as long as it is not on our watch’.

      • Milton says:

        Your comment confirms the blatant hypocrisy and bias of “left” leaning commentators. There is a memorial for the SIEV X. That is because it happened under Howard’s “watch”. And your myopia see’s sense in sending people to Malaysia from Indonesia via Australia. To suggest labor had some “fair legislation” to pass is farcical when it was their legislation that killed hundreds and filled up detention centres that were basically empty.

        • Jean Baptiste says:

          Bottom line sport. The conservatives used the refugees as a political football in their selfish nasty way to hang onto to power. They sustained a vicious campaign of scaremongering to harden the hearts of Australians, previously lauded world wide for their kindness and acceptance of refugees.
          They forced Labor into a sad place to remain competitive in part at least, which is awful but to let the conservatives have carte blanche would be even more so.
          You can try as hard as you want to put lipstick on the pig of Australian conservatives , that’s your right.

          • Bella says:

            Excellent comment JB.
            Refugees have been successfully demonised in the minds of those who are comfortable with ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ by politicians using their despair to get votes.
            They disgust me.

          • Milton says:

            Balls, JB. “forced Labor”, my bum. it was Keating that introduced mandatory detention, if you recall.
            refugees, political football? that;s greenie, left labor emotive, adolescent politics. the type of remote, insular, emotions that are happy to ignore a thousand dark skinned peoples deaths to elevate their fragile self worth.
            and the morons continue to play politics with the marginalised and aspirational.

      • Jean Baptiste says:

        Damn right BASSMAN. You have the courage to see ourselves honestly.

    • Trivalve says:

      Doing my best to ignore this thread.

    • John O'Hagan says:

      That comment is a bit like turning up at the funeral of someone who was murdered and yelling “What about the road toll?” from the back pew. Classy.

  • Gryzly says:

    Another Thursday night game in the AFl so get your tip(s) in. I will be glad when these Thursday night games and bye rounds end.

    In the round ball code the question is how to turn Australians of softball )Association Football)? Just let the Australian national team qualify every 4 years and local softball will spend the next 4 years chasing fans.

    • Trivalve says:

      Thursday footy sucks. Who asked for it? So do Friday evening 6pm NRL matches. Who’s even home to watch. Don’t like Sunday twilight matches either. Grrr.

      • Jack The Insider says:

        It also impacts on FTA broadcasts. Ch.7 is obliged to cover the Thursday night game across Australia on one of its channels, depending on which state or region you live in, similar treatment for the Friday night game and then with a Saturday arvo game (Swans or Giants must be covered in NSW/ACT) and that is Ch.7’s contractual commitment done. This leaves no FTA coverage of Sunday games. For example, there is no FTA of the Carlton v Collingwood match this weekend, even in Victoria. This might spare some Carlton supporters a lot of humiliation but I imagine Pies’ fans (there are quite a lot of them) would not be happy. VicPol should put the Riot Squad on high alert.

        • Trivalve says:

          Lucky for me I have Foxtel. But I agree.

          Also wondering why we’re playing Carlton for the second time when we haven’t seen the likes of Port or the Weagles yet. Who does these fixtures?

          • Jack The Insider says:

            It’s bizarre. Carlton have already played Geelong twice. In the NRL, it’s the same with some sides playing twice in a month.

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