THE editor of Brisbane’s Courier-Mail recently pulled his reporters off the Bligh and Newman campaign buses, drawing praise from MediaWatch for his explanation that the pleasure of being manipulated was not worth his newspaper’s time or expense. Good for him. But why spurn only politicians’ guided tours? It is a question raised by a spate of reports concerning the BoM’s air-monitoring station at Tasmania’s Cape Grim. Suddenly, reporters are cranking out stories all over the place, most mentioning the research outpost’s findings as further evidence of global warming, which The Age’s Tom Arup parrots most dutifully of all in today’s newspaper.
This must be what that quality journalism is all about: Get taken for a lovely ride to a scenic Tasmanian location, read the packaged information the minders hand out, return to the office and … regurgitate immediately and without question.
And it works. Look how many catastropharian recountings have appeared in the past few days, all hooked onto that pleasant afternoon at Cape Grim. As for the fun of being taken for a ride, the independent minds of the modern press just cannot say enough nice things.
If politicians’ spin is to be rejected, why are the warmist establishment’s stunts still seen as worth a reporter’s time?
No need to answer that.
