Hydrants of hatred gush open after attack on Helen Haines

Australia’s craven newsrooms are trying to outdo each other with their vicious attacks against the Prime Minister, as Alan Austin reports.

MP HELEN HAINES had barely arrived at the Wangaratta hospital’s emergency wing last week when News24, the Murdoch newspapers and The Nightly began their frenzied attacks against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Whatever misfortune befalls Australia, it seems always Albo’s fault. Resign!

Pile-on from rabid reporters

Destructive headlines from the Murdoch newsrooms included:

‘PM dodges question on Helen Haines dirt sheet circulated weeks before she was allegedly attacked’ (21 October);
‘The PM who ignored the flames now demands we lower the temperature’ (21 October);
‘David Pocock hits Anthony Albanese over Helen Haines dirt sheet’ (22 October);
‘Coalition accuses Prime Minister of hypocrisy over calls to lower political tensions after his office circulated a damaging dossier’ (22 0ctober); and
‘Labor’s nasty Haines attack exposes our spineless PM once again’ (23 October).

These are from The Nightly:

‘Albanese spin hits new low over Haines dirt file’ (22 October);
‘Albanese rejects dirt file on Helen Haines distributed by his office was personal criticism of the Indi MP’ (22 October);
‘PM’s inability to say sorry is now an issue’ (23 October);
‘One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce rips into Anthony Albanese over dirt file into Helen Haines’ (23 October); and
‘Pauline Hanson apologised — so why can’t Albo?’ (23 October).

These all contain multiple embedded lies.

Helen Haines and the climate of hate: Bad apples or orange by-products?

As we watch the horrifying news of Federal MP for Indi Helen Haines unfold, there is both the temptation to blame it on one “bad apple” and to conclude that the entire orchard is tainted.

Neither of this year’s horrific attacks was provoked by anything the PM did or said. There is no trace anywhere of a negative word from him about Helen Haines, the Independent member for the federal seat of Indi. Not ever.

He did not circulate a dirt file. Yes, a background briefing document was sent privately by a Labor staffer, apparently in response to a request for information. It contained nothing false, damaging or extraneous to the subject and nothing provoking anger, fear or violence. It was not made public, except by the malicious newsrooms — after the assault. The person who drove into Helen Haines never saw it.

Coalition complicit in fuelling violence

Day in, day out, week in, week out, the news media foment fear and loathing with blatant lies about the state of the nation and the performance of the Government. Given the ceaseless barrage of disparaging headlines, it is a miracle attacks against lawmakers are as infrequent as they are.

What was unusual last week was that the victim was someone other than the Prime Minister, who is the principal target of the newsrooms’ venom and hatred. Currently, about 20 court cases are prosecuting defendants who have threatened the PM.

The other unusual aspect was that, tragically, the attack was physical rather than verbal and succeeded before it could be thwarted.

Several malevolent reporters attacking the PM last week used conniving Liberal, National and other politicians as the source of their falsehoods and smears. These included Michaelia Cash, Barnaby Joyce, Sarah Henderson, Pauline Hanson and David Pocock, and former Coalition staffer Peta Credlin.

History of tawdry newsroom lies

Background to last week’s attack is four years of non-stop attacks against the Federal Government in Canberra by the mainstream news organisations.

While all newsrooms participate, the following examples are from The Nightly and Murdoch’s News Corp.

From The Nightly:

‘Labor move beyond chaos to be a dysfunctional rabble’ (2 April 2024);
‘“Wrong direction”: Stark warning on Australia’s economy’ (16 October);
‘Small businesses pay the price for Canberra’s ineptitude’ (19 October);
‘How Albanese failed for two years to see the emergency brewing’ (9 January);
‘The Australian economy right now is rudderless’ (30 September);
‘Labor civil war erupts as Chris Minns attacks Anthony Albanese over bracket creep’ (19 May); and
‘Newspaper editors criticise Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ Budget as financially irresponsible’ (26 March).

In the wake of the Helen Haines alleged attack we only have ourselves to blame

When we get better journalists, we get better politicians, and then we’ll get better solutions to society’s critical problems.

These are from Murdoch newsrooms:

‘Sheer incompetence: PM urged to sack Chris Bowen after shock Snowy Hydro cost blowout’ (23 October);
‘Grayndler’s had a gutful: PM’s own voters rebel’ (23 October);
‘Lib slams Labor’s 800 days of failure’ (12 October);
‘Budget debacle: PM has 48 hours to backtrack or great pain awaits’ (21 May);
‘All of us will end up paying under Labor’s dud health rebate plan’ (8 August);
‘People are giving up hope: Angus Taylor rips into Labor’s economic strategy’ (5 May);
‘Labor blamed as anger over interest rates grows’ (10 February);
‘Liar and a fraud: Angus Taylor tears into Albanese’s character as golf club saga deepens’ (17 September);
‘Melongate, golf and favouritism: Anthony Albanese plunges to worst disapproval rating ever’ (23 September); and
‘Joyce warns the sharks will soon start circling a struggling Albanese’ (22 September).

None of the above articles reported the topic accurately. Most contained multiple blatant falsehoods. None served Australia’s people. All exacerbated a toxic social environment.

Many of them relied for their content on opinion polls which are notoriously prone to being woefully inaccurate if not deliberately faked.

The way through this

Few other developed countries have mainstream newsrooms so committed to spewing falsehoods as openly and constantly as Australia. Few nations have citizens who tolerate such brazen falsification of the record and provocation of anger and hatred.

The other developed countries where social cohesion is crumbling, and violence is rife – Britain and the USA – also have influential toxic newsrooms owned by Rupert Murdoch. Coincidence?

Yes, other forces operate, including mental illnesses, gender violence and social media posts. YouTubers also lie routinely. But these lack the resources and reach of the news networks.

The solution is to get reporters to cease fomenting fear and loathing with their malicious lies. If they don’t, they must be boycotted out of business.

British citizens closed down News of the World. Australians should follow suit.

Alan Austin is an Independent Australia columnist and freelance journalist. You can follow him on Twitter @alanaustin001 and Bluesky @alanaustin.bsky.social.