You’ve got to hand it to Sky News. It lives its principles. No fewer than three of its female on-air “talent” lined up to bash Sussan Ley. No warm embrace in this cold room for the first woman in 80 years to lead the federal Liberal Party.
“Malcolm Turnbull in a skirt,” spat Newsette #1 Rita Panahi. “She’s a seat-warmer,” scoffed Newsette #2 Prue MacSween, with the dagger that Ley would go for “woke” in Parliament. Newsette #3 Sharri Markson had seemingly compiled a dossier on Ley stretching back well over a decade.
For her sins
Ley’s unforgivable sin was to have been a supporter of the Palestinians. Her sub-sins were: she’d co-chaired the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine; said Israel was occupying Palestinian lands; argued that Palestinians should have a state. The killer revelation was that in 2011, she had travelled to the West Bank but had not declared accommodation, food and transport provided by the Palestinian Authority.
Markson noted that Ley changed her pro-Palestinian position in 2022 after visiting Israel. But this only made her a flip-flopper, which is an almost equal political sin. You can’t win in Sharri-world once Sky’s crack investigator has her gaze set upon you.
Solidarity? Forget it, sister. Imagine being another … Malcolm Turnbull? Or backing statehood for Palestinians? Or supporting the Australian republic movement, as Sky has separately brought to light. The horror.
Fox terrier
So what does Sky want? And does it matter? Much has been written about the collapse of the Liberal Party at the May 3 election and what that means for its chief sponsor (and owner of Sky), News Corporation. Here are some indisputable facts. Every Murdoch masthead in the country backed the Coalition to win. This put them uniformly out of step with the overwhelming mood of the country, a strange place to be if your job is to know and serve your public.
News Corporation mastheads used their front pages to attack Labor in all states (with special mention to Victoria) but appear to have had zero influence on the result. This has led commentators to conclude that it no longer wields influence on voters, hence nullifying its force.
But what, really, is its game? Murdoch outlets continue to wield massive influence where it matters: shaping conservative politics. As the Fox News experience in the US shows in a truly devastating way, If you back the right party then you control the country.
Fake news
The formula has worked in Australia with a succession of Liberal leaders: Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton. Each has been able to count on News Corp to bury negative news and undermine political opponents. This often takes the form of manufacturing crises as it did with its reports falsely linking a caravan full of explosives to a planned mass casualty attack on the Jewish community. At the same time, News has played the vital, if not well recognised, role of defending the Liberal Party against criticism from other media outlets, especially the ABC. This dilutes the collective power of the media to bring the government to account.
In attacking a long-term Liberal loyalist like Ley for being a pro-Palestinian moderate, Sky signals that it’s business as usual. The voting public will realise what a dreadful mistake they’ve made. As the return of Donald Trump shows, never say never.
Right wrongs
The clear transactional bet of News Corp is that one day the Liberals will return to power and life will return to normal, with an Abbott-Morrison-Dutton zeal for a far-right conservative agenda. The question to the Abbott-Credlin Liberals and News Corporation is: are you delusional?
The challenge for Ley and the dwindling band of “moderate” Liberals is to convince them that Sky and its fellow travellers are indeed living in a bubble far removed from reality. Good luck with that and any “radical inquiry” into the Liberals’ performance, as some are advocating. Admitting you’re wrong is not part of the business model. Just ask Sharri.
I do wonder whether these women (and the other Sky “commentators”) really believe the rubbish they spout, or they are just following the company line and selling their souls for the dollars – “I was just following orders!”.
I can tell you from personal experience with these individuals that they genuinely believe they are right.
As for the Corporation and ‘The Family’ (as they are referred to by senior management), it’s all about the money and influence.
That makes Markson, Panahi et al useful idiots.
Sorry I don’t watch Sky
I have often wondered the same as Wayne. Would be interesting to hear more of your personal experience. Simply to better know and grasp the contortions of their thought processes and what psychological factors are involved.
Just idiots I think
Wayne, that is all these typical Fox News ‘harpies’ are capable of. They do just follow orders from above, the accept this as their raison d’etre, because they wouldn’t be embraced by ‘real news outlets’, you know those that have ‘real journalists & report the truth’. It is embarrassing from a woman’s point of view. They can sell themselves so easily because why? Because they would not make the grade in real journalism. They will always be just ‘wannabes’. Sad, but true – that has been their choice, live with it girls & learn. If you can!!! And thank you David Hardacker for a great article.
Hookers
Mythinformation specialists with a splash of vinegar from Prune, whoops Prue.
But what is the ‘business as usual’ that Sky is trying to promote? They got what they thought they wanted in the USA but are really getting the demolition of the economy.
Here in Oz they can keep promoting their far-right agenda but the world is changing too fast for that to be acceptable, especially to younger people.
I think they are dealing themselves out of the game.
They-re useless either way.
They, like the rest of the Sky people, are simply taking an opposing line to what anyone else says. No sensible debate here: my mind is made up and there isn’t anything you can do to change it. Just like the blokes (Andrew Bolt, Paul Murray et al) they are birds of a feather who flock with themselves.
Young people don’t watch any of these commentators – therefore they have NO influence now and in the future. They are redundant.
Young people are listening to podcasts & watching people their own age on reels. They’re better informed than many people think they are and their number 1 issue is the environment and everything that emanates from that. Number 2 will be housing.
So true Trish. My kids (23 & 19) wouldn’t even know what the free to air tv channels are.
Sky is so terrible that only Bornhoffer’s stupid people would take any notice of it. Judging by the election result we have far less stupid voters than I thought. Our under 40s are Australia’s best hope and if they follow people like Hannah Ferguson Australia may well become the country the world can be proud of.
For all their sins, our very conservative under 40’s are sensible.
I’d have to agree that I can’t watch Andrew Bolt or Paul Murry . . . I just seeth with contempt when I see their rubbish interpretation of the news and the people in the news to suit the Murdoch Ultra Right Wing Agenda . . . My solution is to NOT WATCH THEM . . . Full Stop Unkalen
Agree Trish that they’re en route to oblivion. Particularly so in the regions where Network Ten being the new owner with their networkingbpartners is about to axe Sky from its programming. The younger members of our communities have little time for irrelevance in their busy lives trying to float with their heads above water, and to them, Sky shrill harpies are well off their radar, with their lickspit dribbling clickbait
The Sky after dark presenters are so grossly partisan, it’s almost laughable. These three in particular are vicious, nasty snipers. The service has a miniscule viewing population. Unfortunately, a significant number of the power brokers within the Coalition seem to take notice of this rubbish. This badly divided party is all the more irrelevant if they take heed of these irrelevant commentators. Nonetheless, I fear they are right in describing Sussan as a “seat warmer”
It’s just business to News Corp. Selling crap to their viewing base. The outcomes of elections are secondary considerations.
Their viewing numbers are slightly higher than they used to be since they made it free to air in the regions. Follow the money.
What TV channel is this?
Sky News Australia.
If you have a good sense of humour you can check some clips on You Tube.
Sky after dark.
The RWNJs are on fire and say all sorts of weird stuff. Hate this. Anti that.
They would have been at home goose stepping and saluting in 1920s-30s-40s
Germany
Well said. Ignore these people.
the only good outcome here is Sky drives a wedge between Ley and Littleproud and the end of the coalition. With the Nationals out of shadow cabinet, they can take their nuclear plans off to the far right fringe and just maybe we get on with the renewables transition and some progressive policy development for this term
A split of the LNP would see the same result as the split between the ALP and the DLP, and political oblivion for the next 25 years… oh, it is to dream!
Sky is a talent free zone.
The little influence sky news has definitely helped Labor and the Independents so keep producing your nonsense .
Unfortunately, there will always be fools on the extreme right who accept the Sky News distorsions, regardless of any truth.
Just look at the Yanks!
As Jonathon Swift one said “There are none so blind as those who will not see”
Thanks for the spot-on quote Alan Loveard.
Sky News – neither heavenly nor news, simply a cesspit of disinformation and truth twisting; nay, the epitome of mendacity.
Sky News- no time for nasty bile and brain dead ignorance to be spewed into our lounge room to disturb our mental wellbeing.
Let the SAD crones and Tiny Kenny the climate scientist howl at the moon for its indifference. It’s over for them. They’re in a circle of chairs in rehab.
It’s more than a little heartwarming to see these Murdochettes have their regrettable arses burned by following the Master’s poisonous directives.It’s well past time these ridiculous liars were outed, despite their very limited audience.They all suffer from inflated self regard, including the egregious ‘blokes’.
They are all infected with a terminal dose of fecal incontinence of the mouth.
Media Commission of some sort…like NOW.
I remind you that Murdoch is a FOREIGN NATIONAL, having renounced Australian citizenship for the (un)holy dollar of USA.
But the viewing base? What is it even, now?Not to forget that Comrade Bob Hawk presented Rupert this privilege on a velvet cushion.
With the way they wallow in the mud and excreta of reactionary hypocrisy, the sooner both the Reprehensible Reptile and the Goldilachlan, with their minions of 10th-rate, amateurish semi-literate scribblers, and hydrogen sulphide-filled radio and television airheads are all taken down a step or two, the better. I would go further and nationalise their media empire, without compensation and operate it in the interests of The People, and under joint worker/community control, since both the Reprehensible Reptile and the Goldilachlan run them like a 12th Century feudal Norman seigneur. Thinking particularly of the retiring reprehensible reptile, and his replacement, the Goldilachlan, I wonder if they also claimed ‘le Droit de Seigneur’ if and when any women he employs enter into wedlock.
You have my fucking vote.
What do other people think of these ideas? I think that after all the LNP losses particularly federally, since 2022, watching Peta Credlin witnessing the results, her theme song could be “It’s My Party and I’ll cry if I want to”, although Peta Credlin can’t even hold a match to the late Lesley Gore, who lived her lifestyle, courageously, totally rejecting the homophobic attacks regarding her personal life.
With Potato Head, with his campaigning for his LNP Mobsters campaign internationally, and losing Dickson as well, his theme song would have to be the Lennon and McCartney classic song “Mr. Nowhere Man”. Do others agree with my suggestions? Keen to hear from you.
I suspect that there is an intersection between News ecosystem and the viewing and reading habits of Liberal preselectors.
Crumb maidens!
A while ago, I used to watch some of the Murdoch crap so I could hammer it, but it became so ludicrous that it became like Whack-a-mole, so I gave it away. An example of how daft it became was this: https://blotreport.com/2019/05/13/rowan-dean-is-not-a-liar/
Larry, Curly & Mo
The remarks from this unholy trinity are no more than I would expect from denizens of the Murdoch (or, as I prefer to say, “Moremuck”) empire. But why loose sleep over them, or the likes of Credlin and Blot? That empire is becoming less and less relevant by the minute, and deserves to be ignored. Direct your attention to those who present a more balanced and relevant view of the world
After the absolutely disgusting phone hacking scandal in the UK Murdoch should not have a licence to publish anything anywhere!
The sky after dark mob provide the most fertile material for satire that one can imagine. It’s bewildering to me that they have been largely overlooked.
Since when did Prue McSween become a political commentator? Do these people have any qualifications whatsoever?