From the Crikey grapevine, the latest tips and rumours …

Retweets equal endorsement? Is it on? It could be, according to the front page of today’s Australian, which has carefully analysed the tweeting patterns of Labor veteran Wayne Swan to come to the conclusion that the former treasurer supports Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek in a leadership challenge against Bill Shorten. How can we tell such a thing? Because Swanny has retweeted Plibersek a total of four times in the last four months, as well as turning up to the same event in Ethiopia last week.

While many people would see this as a long bow to draw, we wondered if the theory could be applied to other politicians — how many pollies are forming unlikely alliances and subtly letting us know through Twitter? With a level of scientific social media analysis that would rival a teenage girl raking through her ex’s Facebook photos for evidence of a new squeeze, we have uncovered leadership plots all over the place — just through the power of retweets. Labor MP Tim Watts has ruined all the fun by tweeting this morning “PSA: My RTs do not equal leadership endorsements”. Watts is a frequent retweeter so we’re glad for the warning — otherwise he could be supporting Bill Shorten, Plibersek and Joel Fitzgibbon for the leadership of the party all at once — he retweeted them all yesterday. Anthony Albanese isn’t much of a retweeter — he must back himself for the top job.

Over on the Liberal side of the aisle, Julie Bishop retweeted the Wallabies multiple times recently — is she supporting captain Stephen Moore for PM? It’s a sure sign. Social Services Minister Scott Morrison has retweeted his colleague Concetta Fierravanti-Wells twice this month, so a conservative revolution must surely be on. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t get a lot of retweet love from his parliamentary colleagues, so Abbott must be safe there. If we use the Oz‘s methods there are leadership alliances forming all over the shop — or perhaps people are just using social media as it was designed to be used. But that’s no front-page exclusive.

Labor Herald lacks full disclosure. The Labor Herald launched yesterday after more than a year of spruiking and fundraising for the site. It’s not surprising that one of the first pieces published by the site is something on online piracy by the member for Chifley, Ed Husic. It is a favourite topic of the shadow parliamentary secretary to the shadow treasurer. In the article Husic slams the recently passed Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015, which allows film studios and TV companies to get a court order to force internet service providers to block sites like The Pirate Bay. What a great way to appeal to the yoof and show Labor really gets it.

Husic bemoans the “legislative bureaucratic hammers” imposed by the government under the legislation and the proposed three-strikes scheme, but the piece curiously fails to note that the legislation only made it through the Senate thanks to the support of Labor. Husic told the Federation Chamber the day after the legislation passed the House of Representatives that he didn’t like it but had “lost this round” in his own party. Is the party having second thoughts about legislation it passed?

The wild fringe of the ALP. The Labor Herald has launched just in time for the ALP national conference, which starts on Friday and will include a launch party for the website as part of its “fringe” program. Alongside the official program, which will include debate on the party’s socialist objective as well as other policies, the fringe program includes a few items that had us raising an eyebrow. Young Labor will be holding a session titled “Labor Staffers: Lessons for the Next Generation”, which sounds like a great way to teach factional wheeling and dealing to the young members of the party. Along with various unions, the Australia Institute is running a session on “How to Win and Economic Argument with a Right Wing Shock Jock,” which promises “audience members are encouraged to adopt the role of right wing commentators. Bring your favourite stupid arguments” — can’t wait. The Australian Christian Lobby is running “Policy Solutions for Persecuted Religious Minorities”,  interestingly a presentation by Rainbow Labor is at the very opposite end of the schedule to the ACL. Sounds like while the sparks are flying on the main stage, there will still be some fun at the fringe.

Paying for news. The price of a digital Herald Sun subscription went up this month, to $7 a week, making it the most expensive tabloid masthead in the country. The Daily Telegraph and The Courier-Mail will each set you back just $6 a week, The Sydney Morning Herald is $5.80 a week, and even an online subscription to The New York Times costs less, at just $5.50 a week for Australians. Interestingly, a digital subscription to The Australian is also less than one for the Hun, at $6 a week. The prevailing theory within the Crikey bunker is that the Hun may be more expensive because of its wildly popular fantasy footy program Supercoach. While the cover price of a physical newspaper has risen astronomically in the last few years, the prices for dead-tree papers still reflect the idea that you pay more for in-depth analysis and a more intellectual approach to news — the Oz is still $2.50 a day, while the Herald Sun is $1.40. Like newsprint on your fingers, paying more for broadsheets looks like a thing of the past.

ABC reaction continues. Following yesterday’s tip that ABC staffers read Sunday’s profile on the high profile women at the ABC with cynicism, we hear from another staffer:

“That fairfax piece was the most offensive piece of shit I’ve ever read about ABC working conditions. Good on the stars for securing a great deal.

What about the radio producer who recently had her permanent contract terminated after she fell pregnant? What about management deciding to downgrade the pay scale of producer positions and then telling the employees to either find something else or suck it up? What about the News 24 APs or regional reporters who constantly get shafted? Give me a break.

There are many merits in working for the ABC. You are surrounded by talented people – talented people who more often than not make content in spite of the organisational ineptitude rather than because of it. From time to time, you actually get to do journalism. But it has the worst – THE WORST – human resources policy of any organisation I have ever worked for. And women bear the brunt of it.”

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