Business of Media
War crime allegations came out in media because ‘system failed’, MP tells Ben Roberts-Smith lawsuit
“The system has failed” at handling war crime allegations and it had fallen to the media to do the job of government, Andrew Hastie has told the defamation trial of Ben Roberts-Smith, reports News Corp’s Perry Duffin.
Roberts-Smith is suing Nine newspapers and journalists over a series of articles that allege he committed war crimes, including six killings, while in Afghanistan with the SAS.
The former elite soldier denies every claim and over the past few days has watched federal MP Hastie testify against him in Sydney’s Federal Court.
Hastie was a captain in the SAS and served alongside Roberts-Smith, briefly, in 2012.
Allegations against Roberts-Smith had been spreading like wildfire in the SAS regiment at that time, the court has heard, including that he had killed unarmed Afghans.
News Brands
Chris Wallace says life at Fox News became ‘unsustainable’
“I just no longer felt comfortable with the programming at Fox.” Chris Wallace uttered those words matter-of-factly, in between bites of a Sweetgreen salad at his new desk inside the Washington bureau of CNN, the network he joined in January after nearly two decades at Fox News, reports The New York Times‘ Michael M. Grynbaum.
For those on the left who admired him, and those on the right who doubted him, it’s a statement that was a long time coming.
A down-the-middle outlier at Fox News who often confounded conservatives by contradicting the network’s right-wing stars, Wallace was also one of the channel’s fiercest defenders, disappointing liberals who hoped he might denounce colleagues like Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson.
“I’m fine with opinion: conservative opinion, liberal opinion,” Wallace said in his first extensive interview about his decision to leave. “But when people start to question the truth — Who won the 2020 election? Was Jan. 6 an insurrection? — I found that unsustainable.”
Agencies
LEXIGO announce the appointment of Tony Lee as head of strategy
LEXIGO has announced the appointment of Tony Lee in the newly created role of head of strategy.
Lee brings a depth of experience to the translation and CALD (Culturally And Linguistically Diverse) communications agency having led strategic branding, marketing, creative and digital projects and teams as a consultant to iconic brands, businesses and government departments.
Tony Lee
For over 25 years, he has been a leading strategic stalwart, helping to transform government departments, not-for profits, consultancies and businesses of all sizes into digitally-savvy, culturally-informed and brand-led cultures.
The appointment comes as LEXIGO continues to win more work across the public and private sector.
Mark Saba
CEO Mark Saba welcomed Lee to the team and said he looks forward to the impact his appointment will have not just on the business, but on the industry more broadly.
“I believe that diversity in people brings diversity in thinking. Tony is one of the industry’s great thinkers, and his experience in helping brands and businesses to grow, coupled with his passion for authentic, intercultural communication has had a positive impact on LEXIGO’s own culture and capabilities.”
Driven by a global network of 10,000+ native translators, LEXIGO’s own cloud technology harnesses advanced AI to deliver authentic, peer-reviewed and culturally-informed translation.
Awarded as one of Australia’s most innovative companies in the Smart100 index and a Top 10 SME in the DELL Business Excellence Awards, LEXIGO is leading the way in accurately translating and managing multicultural content for hundreds of organisations every month.
Entertainment
Oscars 2022: Will Smith slapping Chris Rock unacceptable in any other workplace
Is Hollywood the only place in the world where someone can commit an act of violence and then get a standing ovation, asks News Corp’s Karlie Rutherford?
For years now, Hollywood award shows have become a lightning rod for celebrities and the academy to preach from on high about what makes a good person – think climate activism, promoting diversity and gender balance.
Yet, on their night of nights, some of those same celebrities leapt to their feet to applaud a man who engaged in behaviour that would not be acceptable in any workplace.
In a time when the Oscars are struggling to maintain their position as a cultural touchstone, the 94th Academy Awards will now go down in history as the ugliest ever after Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on live TV after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved hair.
Oscars launch formal review of Will Smith after Chris Rock slap
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has launched a formal review following Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony. The organization behind the annual film awards show initially said it condemned violence without mentioning Smith by name, but now it is making its displeasure over the incident more explicit, reports Variety’s Brent Lang.
“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” a spokesperson for the organization said. “We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law.”
It appears that Smith may face some type of disciplinary action or sanction, though it’s unlikely he will be made to forfeit his prize. In its official standards of conduct, the Academy states it is “categorically opposed to any form of abuse.”
Radio
Melbourne radio station suspends Russian broadcaster for ‘offensive’ programs
A Melbourne community radio station has suspended a Russian broadcaster over complaints his program was airing Kremlin propaganda on the war in Ukraine, reports SMH’s Nell Geraets and Marta Pascual Juanola.
Last week The Age revealed the country’s media regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, was investigating the program hosted by volunteer Oleg Bydanov after receiving complaints about its content.
In a statement on behalf of the 3ZZZ council on Monday, president George Salloum said the radio station condemned “all acts of war and violence” and had stood down Bydanov after a complaint he was broadcasting offensive material.
Bydanov’s program, which is largely followed by non-English-speaking migrants who are unlikely to get their information elsewhere, regularly espoused Russian disinformation as recently as two weeks ago.
Television
Viewers rip into Nat Barr’s awkward Channel 7 Oscars red carpet coverage
Sunrise star Nat Barr’s Oscars red carpet coverage provided endless entertainment for her colleagues and those watching along at home — but not in the way you’d expect, reports News Corp’s Bella Fowler.
The red carpet rookie looked visibly stressed as she braved the star-studded event, waving a packet of Tim Tams around and nervously playing with her hair as she tried to grab the attention of the megastars walking by.
Barr copped it on the chin and made light of the tricky task, making for an eye-opening glimpse behind the curtain of what it’s really like at the film industry’s night of nights.
Delays on Channel 7 coverage of the Oscars leaves the Sunshine State an hour behind
Queenslanders keen to watch this year’s Oscars ceremony have had to steer clear of social media or be hit with spoilers, as Channel 7 delayed airing the ‘live’ event in the Sunshine State, reports News Corp’s Fia Walsh.
Channel 7 has exclusive rights to air the event in Australia, promising ‘live’ coverage of the extravaganza.
But many Queenslanders have been left disappointed as the state’s TV coverage was delayed an hour, apparently due to daylight savings.
Channel 7 decided to begin the broadcast at 11.00am across Australia, meaning New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania were the only places lucky enough to see the action live.
Angry viewers have taken to social media to air their frustration with Channel 7’s decision.
Uncensored peek into mind of Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan has shared where he reckons he sits on the political spectrum, his desire to see his kids fail and why his feelings about Meghan Markle are not racist, ahead of his show’s late-April debut Down Under, reports News Corp’s Siobhan Duck.
The UK host discussed these topics and more – including why Twitter can be dangerous – in a chat with his Sky News colleague Paul Murray, which aired on Monday night.
His new show Piers Morgan Uncensored will premiere here at 9pm AEST on Tuesday, April 26, on Sky News. It will also be broadcast in the UK and US.
Screen Forever 2022: ABC challenges streamers to release ratings
Producers gathered on the Gold Coast yesterday for the annual Screen Forever conference, reports TV Tonight.
In a special Q+A industry session, panelists were asked about the lack of ratings available for producers from streaming platforms.
Que Minh Luu, Netflix’s Director of Content in Australia and New Zealand, said, “‘We do share insights with the producers we work with. It’s obviously not wholly made public, but there’s information that we share with our partners, because they should know. We tell a story and we give a pretty accurate insight into how these titles performed.
“I don’t think anyone’s really showing the raw data but what we can do as your partner is take you on that journey to understand how your title reached the audience that you were going for.”