Media Watch host Holmes: unlike ACMA and the APC we can be brutal
Media Watch host Jonathan Holmes has claimed industry regulators are “slow, legalistic, and relatively toothless” and that his show is a more effective watchdog.
His comment came ahead of Monday’s return for the ABC programme which scrutinises the activities of Australia’s journalists.
He said:
“The power that journalists have to criticise, shame, ridicule or expose other individuals and institutions is very seldom used to scrutinise each other. The watchdogs – the Australian Press Council and the Australian Communications and Media Authority – are slow, legalistic, and relatively toothless. By contrast, Media Watch is swift, and when necessary, brutal.”
The weekly show, which will air at 9.20pm on ABC1, will be Holmes’ third year in the hot seat.
According to OzTam data, in the five metro markets on free to air TV, Media Watch attracted an average of 805,000 weekly viewers last year.
Prior to Holmes, David Marr hosted the program for more than two years. The first presenter was Stuart Littlemore who left the show after nine years.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Always a good watch this!
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Hey, feel free to forget Richard Ackland and Paul Barry, but there were hosts between Marr and Holmes. Liz Jackson only held the post for one season, but Monica Attard held it for two years.
MediaWatch’s hosts, from the Wikipedia article:
Stuart Littlemore (1989–97)
Richard Ackland (1998–99)
Paul Barry (2000)
David Marr (2002–04)
Liz Jackson (2005)
Monica Attard (2006–07)
Jonathan Holmes (since 2008)
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One of the best things on TV.
Proves week after week that we shouldn’t believe everything we read (or see or hear).
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Cheers to another year of picking on understaffed and undervalued small or regional publications and easy fodder from shock jocks. The expected fare from a bunch of over-educated and out of touch toffs. the only people who watch this are those who are being talked about, or the sad ones who want to be. Let’s see if this year’s voiceovers can smash the smarmy-meter into the stratosphere.
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Mick, have you ever watched the show? It highlights mistakes from every single major media broadcaster and publisher in the country. Seems to be malice coming from somewhere in your comment. Mediawatch is must see tv for anyone who works in media its true, and its a shame its not watched by more people (like my mum) who still believe that if its been on TV or in the papers, there MUST be some truth too it.
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Love the show, and love Johnathan Holmes!
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Everybody loves it; until they’re on it.
Don’t take the criticism so badly, Mick. Use it to improve yourself 🙂
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MikeyMike. Yep, watch it religiously to see if they have a crack at someone their own size. Ocassionaly they do, and that’s good. I’ve worked for both regional and metro publications in Australia and overseas. I’ve also been heavily involved in the rather slimey world of gossip mags. Never been criticised by it personally, but take exception to the smarmy snipes it has at small operaters – which does nothing to “better them” – or the cheap digs at talkback jocks. They’re talkback jocks! It’s like reporting on beer having alcohol in it. Also, the notion that this self-important bunch of what I assume are failed lawyers and pretend journos floats like a halo over the Aussie media and keeps those journo bastards honest is something that bugs me. This show is for the intelligentsia and out of touch wannabes.
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It’s true, damn intelligentsia. I hate how smart people are always, going around being smart n’ shit. Thank God we’ve moved on as a country rather than allowing us to be mislead by our betters…
Also Mick, to imply these are “failed lawyers and pretend journos” is to really demonstrate a severe lack of knowledge/ability to research people such as Mr Littlemore, Marr or Holmes.
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Fair enough, I think everyone is entitled to their view, but I don’t believe that Media Watch makes trivial swipes. What I see is a program that fact checks the reporting and statements of all media, and I don’t think it matters what size an organisation is, you must research and fact check before you present something as a fact. I also like the way Media Watch highlights hypocrisy and fabricated stories, plagiarism, and poor standards of journalism overall. I don’t want to get into a debate about standards, it is just my belief that the potential threat of being picked up by media watch may improve the standard of our media here, and I love that.
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I would like to extend my sympathies to the many small and regional publications and gossip mags who get picked on by media watch
it must be terrible to be the subject of the same type of unfair and defamatory beat-ups as the people who are hurt or humiliated within your own pages
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It’s true, damn intelligentsia. I hate how smart people are always, going around being smart n’ shit. Thank God we’ve moved on as a country rather than allowing us to be mislead by our betters…
Also Mick, to imply these are “failed lawyers and pretend journos” is to really demonstrate a severe lack of knowledge/ability to research people such as Mr Littlemore, Marr or Holmes.
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The disgusting level of what passes for “journalism” in this country needs Media Watch,
If only we could get a similar show onto a commercial channel so that the sheep that watch the ilk of Today tonight and ACA, might actually see the show and learn how they are being deceived and taken advantage of.
I want to see Crikey Live 🙂
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