60 Minutes’ Lebanon story damaged reputation of media industry, claims HuffPost editor
Maguire: 60 Minutes incident involved “an appalling set of decisions”
The editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Australia has suggested the 60 Minutes bungled child kidnapping story in Lebanon has damaged the entire journalism industry, not just the 60 Minutes’ brand.
Speaking at yesterday’s Australian Press Council conference, The Huffington Post’s Tory Maguire said: “It’s damaging for the industry that high-profile cock-ups get so much attention. 60 Minutes has done enormous damage to the entire media industry, not just the 60 Minutes’ brand or just to Nine.
“The general public would say that just reinforces what we knew about journalists. They’ve made it hard for all of us by doing what they did.”
Did 60 Minutes really have that great of a reputation prior to this anyway? I thought it was public knowledge the program had really gone down hill. I blame the loss of Peter’s mailbag.
‘The general public would say that just reinforces what we knew about journalists.’
Which is what?
Anyway, I demur, Tory. There’s always been low rent ‘journalism’ and proper journalism. The 60 Minutes story–indeed, the program these days–is nothing more than a reminder of the distinction between the two.
Ah, but is there more hate in society? Because if there is, then that’s a win and lots of profits.
We may have lost this battle, but the aim of the war is a ultimate dystopian society, and another 58 of these incidents and we’ll be home and hosed!
See, we think long-term….
60 Minutes pays sources for stories. Huffington Post doesn’t pay contributors for columns. I think this whole thing has a nice equilibrium.
It’s easy to take the moral high ground on this particular topic, but I bet Peter and Tory weren’t shedding tears when they reaped a traffic bonanza from Tara Brown’s incarceration.
We’re all as bad as one another, just in different ways. Reptiles of the media, unite.
and of course they then milked the story for an episode on…. 60 minutes….
Oh, the irony of it! The Daily Mail, where too much Kardashian Krap is never enough, and the Huffington Post, where amateurs write for free because no one else would publish their dross, pontificating on the shortcomings of others in the wacky world that is the Australian media .. well, we all need a good laugh now and then.
If you compare ABC TV’s very recent exposé of Air Asia’s problems done in a quiet and insightful style, you see the difference between sober reporting and blatant sensationalism. 60 Minutes can never moderate itself.
How about how it’s fucked the Nine News brand in the eyes if the consumer?
They are losing audience all over the shop as a result of this debacle…..
Certainly wasn’t the first time for 60 Mins. Paying megabucks to Belle Gibson and the Baden-Clay mistress are two mistakes that come to mind.
If after the internal investigation heads don’t roll then that is systemic of TV in 2016 and beyond. Someone or some people approved the story and it’s content presentation, booked airfares, paid professional kidnappers and filmed away as kids were snatched. It’s about as stupid as the Chaser stunt were 1 or 2 of them could have been shot with some random unfunny skit a number of years ago. 60 minutes has been the measuring stick on commercial TV for over 30 years in terms of quality content. I have a remote and have made my choice. Watch 60 minutes ratings slowly dwindle away.