In this week’s On Background, a News24 journo joins One Nation’s naughty list; Senator Sarah Henderson’s clarification; and a former interview subject of Karl Stefanovic gets convicted of harassing journalists.
Behind One Nation’s blacklist
On Tuesday night this week, viewers of News24 saw the unusual spectacle of its highest-profile presenters tearing shreds off each other.
asserted
presenters → join → other
Political editor Andrew Clennell was clearly upset.
asserted
Clennell → upset → ?
He went onto Peta Credlin’s program with a pre-written statement and couldn’t wait for the host to get to the topic he really wanted to address: One Nation’s national director James Ashby.
asserted
he → go → topic
What was it that got Clennell’s goat?
asserted
that → get → goat
Was it being called a “dickhead” by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson via Ashby over SMS on Monday morning?
asserted
it → call → morning
Was it Credlin not challenging Ashby when she had him on her show that night and he doubled down?
asserted
he → challenge → show
That probably contributed, too.
asserted
That → contribute → ?
But it’s also likely that in the full text exchange between Clennell and Ashby – which has been seen by On Background – he tried to stand up to Ashby after his access to Hanson was pulled, and it hasn’t worked.
asserted
it → ’ → Hanson
Moreover, none of his colleagues publicly stood up for him after Ashby told Credlin that he, too, thinks Clennell is a dickhead, as do a number of people “within News24”.
asserted
number → stand → News24
That must sting.
asserted
That → sting → ?
The messages reveal some of the power dynamics playing out in Canberra, but also how One Nation’s growing journalistic naughty list gets made.
asserted
list → reveal → Canberra
All it took initially was Clennell pointing out that the party’s Please Explain cartoons depicting violence, specifically ones like those showing Hanson running over Lidia Thorpe, are “unhelpful”, particularly in the context of the Helen Haines attack.
asserted
Hanson → take → attack
Look, “unhelpful” isn’t exactly a hosing down.
asserted
unhelpful → look → ?
But it was enough for Clennell to receive an early morning text message from Ashby saying the leader of the nation’s second most popular party thinks he is a “dickhead”, and as such, she wouldn’t be appearing on his show as planned that day.
asserted
she → receive → show
The text messages show the subsequent pushback from Clennell left him stranded in the same spot as the ABC and The Guardian have been this year, struck off from access to One Nation’s leader.
asserted
ABC → show → leader
Other journalists in the gallery have also copped individual bans from Ashby.
asserted
journalists → cop → Ashby
“You might be able to intimidate other journos but you’re not doing it to me champ.
uncertain
you → intimidate → me
Just try me,” Clennell said.
asserted
Clennell → try → me
“Easier we don’t have anything to do with each other from this point forward, Andrew,” Ahsby responded.
asserted
Ahsby → have → point
“That’ll work well for you in politics,” the sign-off from Clennell read.
asserted
off → work → Clennell
But kicking journalists out of press conferences or telling Four Corners’ Steve Cannane to “f--- off” on camera suggests Ashby believes this is exactly what will work well.
uncertain
what → kick → camera
Apparently still hot from the exchange, Clennell put out a public call to arms on his own show, asking viewers for other examples of “run-ins” with Ashby.
asserted
Clennell → put → Ashby
Then, during an interview with Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, he couldn’t get a bite on questions like “What do you think of James Ashby?” and “You told Andrew Bolt earlier this year a One Nation official called you in April and warned you of an online campaign to be launched against you.
asserted
official → get → you
Can you confirm that was James Ashby and what did he say?”
asserted
he → confirm → what
And then there was Clennell’s pre-written statement and “hijacking” of Credlin’s show, which handed him an almighty smack-down that left him looking like a sad puppy told off by his owner.
asserted
that → be → owner
The whole exchange was embarrassing, and sources inside News24 reckon it made the network look entirely amateur.
asserted
network → reckon → News24
On Background went to Clennell, Credlin and Ashby for comment this week, but none wanted to talk.
asserted
none → go → comment
On the plus side for News24, it’s never had so much publicity.
asserted
it → have → publicity
Welcome to the party, pal
On Monday, Clennell said the response “raises questions about whether Ms Hanson or Mr Ashby have glass jaws”.
asserted
Hanson → say → jaws
“Feels a bit like Mr Ashby can dish it out, but he isn’t so good at taking it,” Clennell continued on his program.
asserted
Clennell → feel → program
On Background applauds Clennell for calling out One Nation’s bullying behaviour to the media, even if it took him becoming the target.
asserted
it → applaud → him
You speak out, you lose access.
asserted
you → speak → access
It is why Ashby and Hanson prefer to speak to News24’s late-night opinion line-up, where there are fewer challenges, or directly to their prospective voters on social media where there is no push-back at all.
asserted
Ashby → prefer → media
This is a recalibration of traditional media norms happening in real time, with One Nation increasingly unwilling to play by the established set of rules.
asserted
Nation → happen → rules
This might work for them in opposition, but with major gains expected in Victoria next month and Ashby himself expected to run for the federal seat of Capricornia in 2028, that dynamic becomes even more challenging.
uncertain
dynamic → work → 2028
Anyway, at least News24’s leadership stood up for its political editor.
asserted
leadership → stand → editor
Oh wait, Hanson was invited back the next night.
asserted
Hanson → wait → ?
This week at Senate Estimates, shadow communications spokesperson and Victorian Liberal senator Sarah Henderson spent much of her allotted, limited time pressing the ABC on its apparent hiring of a “Hamas operative” to help put together some content for 7.30 in 2023.
asserted
Henderson → spend → 2023
That stringer’s name is Roshdi Sarraj, a Palestinian journalist who was briefly engaged by the ABC to help the broadcaster on the ground in Gaza before he was killed by an Israeli airstrike on October 22, 2023, just 15 days after the Hamas attacks on October 7 prompted a new phase of this long-running conflict.
asserted
attacks → engage → conflict
This was, as Henderson put it, prima facie evidence the ABC had employed a terrorist, and they should answer for it.
asserted
they → put → it
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
