In case you’ve been living under a rock, Channel 7 recently threatened to sue New Matilda for describing Today Tonight as ‘trashy journalism’.
It looks increasingly likely that Channel 7 won’t be proceeding with the World’s Most Ham-Fisted Attempt At Bullying. We haven’t heard boo from their lawyers since sending them this reply a month ago.
That’s disappointing for several reasons.
Firstly, I attached an invoice for $3,600, being for my time they wasted in dealing with a ridiculous defamation threat. That bill remains unpaid, and is a long way outside New Matilda’s seven day trading terms. We’ll be following up on that soon (any collections agencies who would like to purchase the debt, sing out).
Secondly, the prospect of putting Today Tonight’s journalism on trial is, to put not too fine a point on it, intoxicating.
Can you imagine being given the opportunity to turn a blowtorch onto some of the most odious, bullying media characters in the country – and in a court of law no less, where there’s real sanctions for lying? Had the trial proceeded, I was genuinely considering auctioning to the highest bidder the opportunity to run the cross-examination of Today Tonight journalists and Channel 7executives.
In any event, Seven appears to have gotten cold feet. We’ve heard from insiders that there was never any intention to sue. Which begs the question, why threaten in the first place?
I think the treatment of people like Amber Harrison, Amy Taeuber, Talitha Cummins and many, many others might provide the answer.
Channel 7 has a rabid, toxic corporate culture. In order for it to flourish – and flourish it most definitely does – it requires many people with profiles in the Australian media and entertainment industry to turn a blind eye. Doesn’t happen to me, so doesn’t matter to me.
That’s disappointing, although let’s face it, it’s not all that unexpected. Self-interest can be a powerful motivator, or demotivator in this case.
If you get five minutes and feel like causing a bit of trouble, you might like to tweet or message your favourite Channel 7 celebrity and ask what they think about the behavior of their employer. Use the hashtag #shame7shame
You can also get involved by contributing to our Pozible fundraiser. We’re closing in on our goal of $25,000, with about 48 hours left to run. Kicking in a few bucks will help us expose more media bigotry and deceit.
Most Australians are tired of trash journalism. They’re tired of corporate bullies. They’re tired of media playing divide and conquer. We are too. And we need your help to expose it.
Don’t be a spectator. Supporting New Matilda is a big middle finger to big media in this country, and the bonus is you’ll help honest writers get paid to fight hard for people without a voice.
We all get the media we deserve, and I don’t think we deserve Channel 7 or Today Tonight. I think we deserve a well-resourced New Matilda.
You can help us keep the bastards honest by clicking here. Takes less than a minute of your day. You can also help by sharing this story on social media, and with family and friends.
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New Matilda is a small, independent media outlet. We survive through reader contributions, and never losing a lawsuit. If you got something from this article, giving something back helps us to continue speaking truth to power. Every little bit counts.
