Scoring an interview with the president of the United States isn’t easy. You have to be cleared by the White House media team, the Australian ambassador in DC, and the prime minister’s office. In short, you have to be in step with the political party of the time — so it comes as no surprise the conservative media were well represented during Scott Morrison’s state visit with Donald Trump.
Favouritism was at the forefront of the media’s visit, with Sky News host Paul Murray hand-picked by Morrison’s office for an exclusive interview with the president himself, something no other Australian outlet managed during the trip. Morrison called Murray over at the end of a pooled picture opportunity — which quickly turned into an impromptu press conference lasting nearly half an hour — to meet Trump, with the conservative journo making sure to grab a photo along with his interview.
Though calling it an interview might be a bit of a stretch. The four-minute-long conversation, which took place as Trump was leaving the Oval Office to get ready for the state dinner, mostly consisted of Murray showering Trump with praise.
“What do you want to say to your many Australian supporters who wish you nothing but the best in November 2020?” Murray pandered, adding “there was a wonderful smile on our prime minister’s face when you were taking on part of the fake news media today.”
“You have very good references, I have to tell you that,” Trump responded.
It’s almost no surprise Morrison picked a Sky News journalist for a personal introduction. Sky News is owned by Rupert Murdoch, and Trump has made no secret of his support for the Murdoch media, often singing praise for Fox News. Fox CEO and co-chairman of News Corp Lachlan Murdoch — the eldest son of Rupert — was one of the lucky few to land an invite to the state dinner.
Morrison also singled out the ABC’s Andrew Probyn during the trip. When he called on Probyn for a question, Trump interjected with, “I assume Andrew is a nice person?”. “To quote you, Mr President, the best,” Probyn quickly jibed back.
The Scoundrel Morrison picked media. No fucking surprise they’re mostly churnalistic / stenographer/ typist bed bugs and Typhoid Mary opinionist from the Rupert Murdoch media NewsCrap organisation.
Morrison in the USA celebrating an Australian billionaire offshoring jobs. Traitor Trump and traitor Morrison with a weirdo cardboard king.
Paul Murray has been criticised for not conducting a more probing or newsworthy interview with Trump .From what I’ve seen, it was a fawning and obsequious encounter that most professional journalists would find completely embarrassing.
Murray, of course , is not a journalist and it begs the question as to why Morrison nominated him : was it pressure from Murdoch ?
What else could it have been?
It’s about time people started to realise that it’s Lachlan Murdoch-even more hard right-wing than his father-who is making nearly all of the Murdoch empire’s decisions these days.
“Trust FUX – like our Pussy Grabber in Chief!”?
SKY is our Oz FUX News.
How much more proof do we need of Morrison’s true affiliations, priorities and aspirations – or his symbiotic relationship with Coach Murdoch?
That Morrison would offer up Sky’s Paul Murray to Trump as a representative of the Australian media confirms the PM’s contempt for the true role of journalists to hold power to account in the name of the people. Murray is a Murdoch hack, dedicated, like his boss, to smothering all journalism that doesn’t tow the Right’s line. The next Australian journalist who interviews Morrison must ask him why he has so much contempt for real journalism, and why he’s so happy to display it on the global stage.
So many words to describe what is basically a Tory circle jerk.
Not mentioned here is, if I heard correctly, that Morrison has committed $150,000,000 to a JV with NASA to colonise the moon and go to Mars. Not only ignoring the very real environmental issues here on Earth, but these have been visited by probes and satellites of various sorts over half a century, and however interesting, nothing has been found but rocks and dust. “Lunatic” and “off the planet” suddenly have whole new meanings. Meanwhile, I can’t even get an aged pension.
We’ve done such a great job with the one planet we have?
…… Ever wonder if this is how viruses work…..