Mike Dalton to run Nine News in Queensland after Choppergate sackings
Veteran Nine staffer Mike Dalton has been shifted to Brisbane as acting news director following the Choppergate debacle.
He will fill in for Lee Anderson, who resigned last week after the faking of two live crosses to the Nine News chopper which were presented as coming from near the search for Daniel Morcombe’s body. Anderson is understood to have resigned in protest at the sacking of two reporters and the show’s weekend executive producer.
Dalton, who has spent a significant part of his career covering Queensland, is not to be confused with the Mike Dalton of the same name who spent five years as a reporter on light-touch pieces for the Today show.
Also headed up to Queensland to help fill the gap left by journalists Melissa Mallet and Cameron Price is Davina Smith.
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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Truly I don’t understand the moral outrage and the network’s heavy-handed response to this. Anyone who thinks the nightly news represents ‘reality’ could do with enrolling in a critical thinking class. News is a construction of what happens in our world – not a mirror. Yes, it was silly to pretend the journalists were at Beerwah for the cross but surely not a sackable offence – particularly for the poor mugs who would have had little say in the original decision. Those who want to campaign for truth in journalism would be better off expending their energy rallying against Australia’s current affairs shows. They are all completely staged and scripted from beginning to end – even before the cameras roll.
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Rebecca has a point that attention should also be pointed towards the commercial Current Affair’s programmes. Let’s hope that Choppergate will push the re-set button for some journalists that want to ‘over-please’ their producers.
The difficult for Nine’s senior management is they were faced with a truly tragic story, with a comical presentation. Before the internet this incident would have been nothing more than television canteen talk. Now media monitors and plane spotters have instant access. The incident can be quickly locked down, proven and become industry canteen-talk for us all.
Once the incident becomes ‘laugh-able’ and the stand up and sit-com writers are tapping at their keyboards, Nine managers will move into ‘brand protection mode!’ No long term, loyal, news servant or the next promising young thing will be able survive that protection process. It’s brutal, but a news brand needs creditability.
Let’s hope that all broadcast managers provide the correct editorial and technical resources so there won’t be another Coppergate.
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