Journalist and author Latika M Bourke made headlines after asking Prime Minister Anthony Albanese if he felt "a bit of a fraud" accepting a global citizen award. The question, posed at a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in New York, drew a one-word response from Albanese: "No."
Question sparks media frenzy
Bourke, writer-at-large for The Nightly in London and co-host of ABC Radio National's Global Roaming program, was at the press conference where Albanese was promoting Australia's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN security council for 2029 and 2030. Initially, questions focused on a UN report on racial discrimination that found Indigenous children were over-represented in Australia's justice system.
Bourke then asked: "Here in New York on Wednesday night, you will receive an award for being a global citizen. Don't you feel like a bit of a fraud accepting this award when, at home, you screwed up the response to the worst massacre since Port Arthur? In the polls, you are taking Labor to one point shy of Julia Gillard when you rolled her, and your net negatives are worse than Scott Morrison."
The Nightly's front page on Monday featured a picture of Bourke in a Ukrainian army baseball cap, with the quote: "Don't you feel like a bit of a fraud." The story was also picked up by News24, news.com.au, 2GB and the Herald Sun.
Reactions and response
Daniel Wild, deputy executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, praised Bourke on The Rita Panahi Show, asking "Why don't more journalists do this?" Panahi described it as "the best question I have heard posed to the Australian prime minister".
An ABC spokesperson said Bourke's role with Global Roaming "does not mean the ABC endorses the opinions she expresses outside the editorial output of the program" and her appearance in New York "was not as a representative of the ABC". The spokesperson added: "ABC workers are members of the communities they serve and the ABC does not wish to unnecessarily curtail their engagement in civic life, including by expressing personal views outside of their ABC work." Bourke was approached for comment.
9News airs KKK interview
In other media news, 9News aired the first episode of Trump's America on Sunday, which included an interview with Thomas Robb, national director of the Knights Party, a faction of the Ku Klux Klan. Reid Butler travelled to Arkansas to interview Robb, who he described as "the KKK guy", to interrogate "ugly racism".
Robb brought up Pauline Hanson, saying the One Nation leader was "demonised by the same element of people that wants to demonise us", and agreed it was "encouraging" to see her doing well. Hanson claimed the network was "attempting to draw a link between the white supremacist organisation and One Nation", writing on X: "Nine should be ashamed of itself."
The national news director at 9News defended the reporting, saying "the inclusion of Mr Robb's comments does not constitute endorsement of those views, nor of the comparison he chose to make". They added: "Their inclusion was an editorial decision made in the context of reporting on the racial and political divisions examined by the documentary."
BBC crocodile rowing story corrected
The BBC reported that central Queensland's Fitzroy River, a crocodile habitat, had been chosen to host rowing at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, declaring "River with 500 crocodiles chosen as Olympic rowing venue". However, the video used showed crocs at Fitzroy River in Western Australia, not Queensland, and the estimated number of saltwater crocodiles in the correct river area is many fewer. Queensland's environment department reported 32 sightings in the Rockhampton region in 2023.
Corrections were issued and some BBC footage was deleted, though one video still claimed 500 crocodiles in the river as of Thursday. Nationals leader Matt Canavan called out the broadcaster for "BS FAKE NEWS", writing: "The BBC used stock footage from the WRONG Fitzroy River. The 500 figure is also total BS."
The BBC said the 500 figure was provided by Reuters, which issued a correction "to clarify that Australian government estimates put the number of saltwater crocodiles in the Fitzroy River at around 100, not 500". The figure, which has no scientific backing, was also quoted in the Daily Mail, the UK's Telegraph, Vice, People and the Sun, but no corrections have been issued across those mastheads.
Four Corners programs found in breach
The ABC's ombudsman found two Four Corners programs by Mahmood Fazal, Cocaine Nation and Meth Highway, failed to meet the public broadcaster's editorial standards. Both programs and associated content aired on Background Briefing have been removed. The ombudsman found audiences were given a "misleading impression" of sources, "the basis on which the ABC was relying on them and the level of confidence that could reasonably be placed in their claims", which "undermined confidence in the integrity of the programs".
Reasons for the breaches included "management's failure to properly interrogate", "a culture that favoured limiting knowledge about sources given perceived risks" and "insufficient verification and factchecking". The ABC has accepted the ombudsman's recommendations in full, stating managers are "working closely with editorial leaders to ensure every team understands and consistently upholds the ABC's Editorial Policies". Every senior editorial figure involved has now left the ABC, including Jo Puccini, Justin Stevens, Matthew Carney and Alice Brennan.
Chessell moves to Rampart
James Chessell has left his role as editor of the Australian Financial Review to edit Rampart, the subscription-based business and finance publication launched by former AFR columnist Joe Aston. Five AFR alumni write for Rampart, including Amelia McGuire and Julie Hare. Cosima Marriner will take over from Chessell as the AFR's first female editor-in-chief when he departs on 9 October.
Tory Maguire, managing director of publishing at Nine, thanked Chessell for his "fantastic contribution" in an internal email. Aston described Chessell as "the best newspaper editor in the nation" and said "there is no one in our industry I am more aligned with on what great journalism looks like". Chessell was approached for comment.
