Albo takes on Tele over infrastructure. Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese has taken the unusual step of attacking in detail The Daily Telegraph’s coverage of infrastructure issues this morning, going on the record after Labor’s regular caucus briefing of the press gallery to forensically dissect the work of Tele journalist Simon Benson — who did not attend the briefing.
Benson’s “exclusive” based on “secret documents” allegedly detailing how Albanese blocked the extension of the M4 East in Sydney turned out to be based on the same documents used for a similar story in February 2009, blaming Karl Bitar for blocking the project; Albanese pointed out the project was to be funded by proceeds from the Iemma-era electricity privatisation and didn’t go ahead purely for NSW-related reasons, and that his electorate stood to benefit from the project, rather than be adversely affected by it.
He then went on to give a list of factual errors in The Telegraph’s recent coverage, which has been even more savagely anti-Labor under new editor, former Australian editor Paul Whittaker, than it was under his predecessor Gary Linnell. Has Labor finally decided to respond to the partisan coverage from sections of News Limited or was this just too good an opportunity for Albo to miss? — Bernard Keane
Front page of the day. Ryan Giggs is a Machester United legend. He is also destined to adorn myriad newspaper front pages over the next few days…
The Department of Corrections. This correction from the Ottowa Citizen in its May 21 edition stinks…
Twitter gag order collapses as soccer star outed
“A gag order imposed by one of the country’s top judges has been flouted on the social networking platform, by members of the news media, and now by a parliamentarian who has revealed the name of a soccer player involved in a s-x scandal.” — The Australian
NineMSN in the market for another CEO
“NineMSN’s chief executive Joe Pollard has resigned after three years in the job, and will leave the company in September 2011. She leaves to spend more time with her family initially, the company said in an announcement.” — Mumbrella
More ads before your YouTube clips
In the early days of online video, commercials that appeared before viewers could watch clips, known as preroll, got “thumbs down” from most computer users. That attitude seems to have softened more recently, a change of heart that Web giants have noticed.” — The New York Times
Do journos have too many style guides?
“I remember a fellow journalist telling me how her J-school professor once ordered students to write out the entire AP Stylebook by hand as part of a class project. The exercise, I was told, was designed to help the students memorize the Stylebook entries.” — Poynter
NY Times outs first gay op-ed writer
“Bruni becomes the paper’s first openly gay Op-Ed columnist. He has been, variously, a political reporter, a Rome bureau chief, a food critic and, as of late, a writer for the New York Times Magazine. He also wrote a book about his struggles with food.” — The Huffington Post
“The Tele”?
Meanwhile, up here, in Q, this morning, in our one paper, Dennis Atkins treats us to an amusing reporting of an embarrassing slip of the tongue by Greg Combet :- “fear should always get in the way of facts in this important debate”?
LOL – then again, could have been Combet quoting an Abbott campaign directive? Or “a Murdoch editorial direction”?
Maybe the government is tapping their phones, this time?
What on earth has “that bastard” Bob Brown started?
A correction of the correction is needed, it is the Ottawa Citizen, not the Ottowa Citizen, Ottawa is even written in the article.
I am very impressed with the contents of your piece, Bernard. Anthony Albanese deserves a big round of applause for fronting up to set the record straight in yet another Ltd. News paper. I really, really hope this new activity catches on. You couldn’t have a word to the rest of the front bench could you, Bernard? Just think, if they all decided to follow Anthony’s lead, you (and we) could have lots of fun at Crikey!