A pandemic is no time for political spin, waffle or attempts at soaring rhetoric. Right?
Leaders need to get facts out in clear language. The normal media management that governs modern politicking — drops to journalists, kite-flying, strategic leaks and massaging expectations — need to be ditched in favour of delivering information quickly and clearly. Right?
Not, apparently, for Australia’s “Most Progressive Premier” Dan Andrews and his cabinet colleagues, whose communication efforts with ordinary citizens in recent days haven’t exactly impressed.
When nine public housing towers were put into total five-day lockdown on Saturday, the 3000 residents were given almost no notice. Some didn’t find out what was going on until they saw police outside their windows.
Tower residents were then given a detention notice, written in dense legal language, indicating the lockdown would last 14 days. When asked about the discrepancy on Monday, Andrews said the length of the lockdown would be determined during the week.
Many of the tower residents are migrants with English as a second language. The Andrews government’s strategic missteps in communicating clearly with multicultural communities — failure to translate materials or produce culturally sensitive messaging — have been criticised for months.
But some journalists got a very different treatment yesterday as Victoria recorded its highest number of new cases and Melbourne was forced into lockdown. Until mid-afternoon, well-connected journalists and Twitter speculation replaced the government as sources of information.
Andrews did not hold a press conference to announce the Melbourne-wide lockdown until after 3.15. But for hours before that “sources” in government were briefing journalists about the state of play.
By late morning it was widely reported that Victoria was looking at new cases in the low 190s and that a return to lockdown was looming. But no time was given for Andrews’ press conference.
By 12.45, both The Australian and the ABC (in chronological order) reported the exact number of new cases was 191. This was not confirmed by Victoria Health until just after 1pm.
Still no word from Andrews, although Twitter was awash with speculation, ultimately correct, that the late press conference meant new restrictions would be announced.
Those well-placed sources texting journalists seemed to keep changing their minds about what the restrictions meant. At 12.20 The Australian reported that a four-week return to stage three lockdown was imminent, according to “well-placed sources”.
That wasn’t true. The final lockdown was six weeks and applied only to metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. Less than an hour later, its rivals at The Age were suggesting regional Victoria would be spared lockdown.
By 2pm The Age was reporting that Melbourne and parts of regional Victoria were expected to return to lockdown, according to sources “close to cabinet discussions”. Finally, after 2.30, Andrews announced a press conference for 3.15 where the details of the lockdown were properly communicated.
Was this deliberate media management by Andrews’ team, or ministers eager to keep in journalists’ good books by leaking information?
For Victorians needing to make urgent decisions about the impacts of lockdown — including working from home, arranging childcare and protecting elderly relatives — that’s a distinction without a difference.
After this kind of media confusion, and possibly manipulation, the Victorian government is hardly in a position to complain about false information circulating online.
After working hard to get Berejiklian back in the NSW elections, I see Keane has now turned his attention to Victoria. After attacks on Victorian government teachers my patience with his pro-LNP work is wearing very thin.
Btw, nsw has just managed another Ruby Princess trick with a Jetstar plane, flying from Melbourne to Sydney and letting all the passengers leave.
Chalk up another one to NSW health minister, Brad “Bio” Hazzard.
When Crikey gets its broken email-website-login system fixed then it can criticise others for incompetence and poor messaging. Until then, you are living in a glass house.
DF- Cky dearly want to get the commenters off BK’s back. So as a deflection they threw Kishor into the mix. BK’s new piece on ” you should have seen them kicking Daniel Andrews” is actually a direct reply to all the comments of the previous article. Cky is determined to take yuz all on. – and they are.
The health of the public isn’t dependent upon being able to login to the Crikey website on a single attempt. We all live in houses with glass windows, and some stones are bigger than others.
There is a simple way of conveying one’s view on “. . . need clear messages . . .”
Avoid commenting?
This kind of commentary has me thinking why I subscribed. I was hesitant at first and will reconsider. It looks like very cheap politics to me in the vein of Murdoch
Seconded. Feeling the same. Although it is a more general comment about Australian media – we haven’t had a pandemic for 100ish years but we seem to expect the govt etc to come up with perfectly formed policies, statements, advice, messaging. Everyone is making it up and we don’t really know what is going to happen next. Yesterday, was the first day I can remember hearing numbers early outside of a formal briefing and that didn’t repeat today but is it a problem if we do?
Anyhoo, I think this article is looking really hard for a reason to be negative on Daniel. What I would really love to hear is – what solutions, what other approaches could we be taking.
Not an excuse kris, but ‘we’ who comment, and Crikey who manages, are immersed in most unusual times. And are reacting accordingly. Just very unusual time, content. Crikey is changing the ‘game’. There is frustration, even anger, significant repetition and even severe technical connection hindrance. Bernard’s counter attack today, to Tuesday Post actively promotional. Crikey’s provocation by allowing individual ‘comment’ to run unchecked to merge with next day content frankly, very, very questionable?
But I’m with you kris. Get it sorted Crikey. For you own this game. And for heaven’s sake . . fix your technical failures.
If Crikey’s turning into The Australian-lite I’m on my way out also.
Agree with your concerns lethell. But every ‘voice’ walked away from is one less site open to challenge those under-mining Australian democracy. Yes, it’s up to Crikey to show their cards. I’ll wait until tipping-point is clear.
I’ve already cancelled my subscription renewal after BK’s efforts yesterday.
Hi Colin,
This isn’t a smart-alec trap: keen to know what alternatives in addition to Cky, Grauniad, TSP are worth a look?
The Conversation and Inside Story are both worthwhile.
The New Daily; the AIMN; Independent Australia also provide reliable material and food for thought.
Agreed. Cancelled my renewal the other day. This site is circling the drain. Only reading now to confirm my opinion that I am not the only one.
Also John Menadue’s Pearls & Irritations well worth reading and supporting.
Real brain food, unlike this fairy floss site.
As Field Marshall Helmuth von Moltke noted: “No plan survives first contact with the enemy”. Mr Keane might do well to keep that in mind when he is rabbiting on about Andrews’ alleged failures in managing this situation which, I have noted from the comments of every journalist in the English-speaking world, is unprecedented.
Mike Tyson expressed it equally succinctly: “Everyone has a plan until they punched in the mouth”.
I am starting to wonder if, as part of Crikey’s drive to increase circulation, Mr Keane has decided click bait might be his contribution.
That’s a bit too ancient history for these “writers”.
Iron “the Biter” Mike might be more within their range – “everyone gotta plan till they gets punched inna face“.
If this plague hasn’t been a major blow I don’t know what would be.
oops, sorry DF – I dashed that off after seeing your reference to Moltke before seeing the rest.
‘Polgies.