On his Sky News show last night, News Corp veteran Andrew Bolt addressed his employer’s lawsuit against Crikey (he calls us a “far-left internet gossip magazine, quite scurrilous at times”) during an interview with The Australian’s media writer Sophie Elsworth. And while it would be too much to ask that they wouldn’t report on Murdoch’s statement of claim as though it were literal fact, rather than a collection of allegations, Bolt did at least give an indication that the lawsuit may not have been the best idea.
“Frankly I would not have given Crikey this platform, they’re milking it for all its worth, they’re putting ads everywhere. I wouldn’t give this rubbish thing of Eric Beecher’s a platform, or taken the risk of going up against an activist judge,” said Bolt, adding “if you’re on the right, an activist judge [is] gonna slot you if they can.”
He only spends two minutes on us — he’s much keener to make fun of Meghan Markle’s new podcast at the moment, which we can understand.
Bolt has been sued in the past, for defamation and most notoriously for breaching the Racial Discrimination Act, so he has an insight into Crikey‘s current experience. But he’s never sued anyone else in the media — as far we know he’s never even threatened it. Seems his stance on defamation is a bit closer to Murdoch senior than Murdoch junior?
A ‘far-left gossip magazine’?!? Apart from Lewis getting humorous on occasion, who’s writing about far-left gossip? Is the editor of Green Left weekly dating a foxy young thing on the side? Is Xi Jing Ping’s post-baby body ready for the summer swimsuit? Is the late Hugo Chavez’s forbidden love-child about to marry Miss Venezuela? Seriously, has Bolt even read an edition of Crikey, or is he doing what he usually does; making the facts up as he goes along?
Hilarious. I reckon you’ve found a niche market.
Whether he reads it now is unknown but with threats of legal action he managed to get it to drop the Poison Pen section 15 years ago.
“Far-left internet gossip magazine” and “activist judge”…sounds like Andrew Bolt has been drinking the Trump/Republican kool-aid. That’s embarrassing.
More like one of his milder/saner expostuations or expectorations – does he still do that ‘whisky with mate’ segment at the end of the show?
Hard to imagine him having a mate.
Mateship might work if they were both in love with the same person.
That or just a few to many drams when on his whisky tasting nonsense.
“Activist Judge” what hag wash!
I am certain any judge would be offended.
“far left”?!1! – if only ;•P
Yes, rob, I agree. If only! (It’s not bad though, all the same.)
The far-left description tells us how far the definitions at News and Sky have copied US idiocy. Crikey is at best Centre Left, maybe Left on a Guy Rundle dominated day looking at politics and Centre on a Bernard Keane dominated day focusing on economics.
But it is good to have spread and not an echo chamber. Mind you, some commenting here seem to find the Foreign Affairs articles reprinted by Crikey are right or even extreme right. In the USA they would be seen as centre-left or maybe centre.
… But this is Big Bwana ‘Locklyn’ … I can see his biography now :- “How to Make a Small Fortune – Start with a Bloody Big One.”
That is an echo of The Radge Orange Bampot, as the Scots have it.
As Forbes had it back in 2021 he would be richer than he was back then, if he had just invested in S&P 500!
And now?
He would appear to be even further on the way to a small fortune, if not for the MAGAt suckers out there.
in the same low class as that Rowan, and the Tucker Carlons of this world . . .Stirrers to fan prejudices and make money.
Outrage confection is their business model. It’s quite lucrative.