News and non-News

Both Phillip Coorey and Peter Hartcher know that Gillard will not be believed over the carbon tax and the compensation that flows from it until the money starts to flow, from people's accounts and to them. Hysterical nonsense following the release of a poll should be beyond these guys.

Polls are released all the time. The fact that a poll is released is not news, especially when it says basically the same thing that other recent polls have said. These guys should know better - especially when those self-same guys have said, time and again, that an announcement wouldn't matter much by itself, that people would judge the carbon tax price thing when it's in place and affecting the way we work and live (remember all that coverage on he day the carbon thing was announced: "proof is in the pudding ... devil is in the detail"). Instead of this hysterical nonsense, why not back off and see what happens and find something else to write about in the meantime?

Tonight they and other journos will be glued to the Bek, Jimmy & Rupe Show live from London. The House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Committee had better have some members who can actually conduct a thorough examination of slippery witnesses; it doesn't sound promising. Any half-witted bloviators like Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Doug Cameron or Michael Ronaldson will see those characters get off scot-free or even attract sympathy. This is the very period when real news will get lost.

Almost all the coverage in tomorrow's media will add nothing to the story: most people will ignore it and those who don't won't learn anything new by reading the commentary ("proof is in the pudding ... devil is in the detail"). Worse, any press secretary and PR dolly who has bad news to announce will be throwing it out there as we speak, knowing that the journosphere won't be paying attention and won't pick it up later.

This article has a point, but coming from a media outlet known for its jowl-wobbling outrage it will be interesting to see whether it finds itself in breach of the Practice What You Preach Act. Besides, all frenzies, by their very nature, are out of control. Is there any journalist who will be content to have Bek, Jimmy & Rupe burbling away in the background while looking for interesting announcements (assuming that journalists are only allowed to follow a story once a press release has been put out) and applying actual journalism to non-Murdoch-related issues?

Elsewhere: The Referral on what is or isn't news.