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PowerPoint Presentation

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Seven's Barnaby flop
Aired: 04/06/2018
Watch in conjunction with Sunday Night episode A Family Affair 03/06/2018

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BARNABY JOYCE: You know, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed. And, you know, I'm sorry. The biggest failure of my life was the failure of my marriage, I'm very aware of that.

- Sunday Night, Channel Seven, 3 June, 2018

Hello, I'm Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

And there was plenty of honesty on display in last night's $150,000 interview that was supposed to stop the nation.

But in one hour of often excruciating viewing there was even more sickly sentiment on show:

BARNABY JOYCE: That's beautiful.

ALEX CULLEN: What's he like at changing a nappy?

VIKKI CAMPION: You know what, surprisingly very good.

BARNABY JOYCE: Surprising.

VIKKI CAMPION: Surprisingly, yeah.

- Sunday Night, Channel Seven, 3 June, 2018

Saccharin aside, there were also intrusive personal questions from the unctuous Alex Cullen, which were surely none of the nation's business:

ALEX CULLEN: Had the love gone out of your marriage?

BARNABY JOYCE: No, I'm not going to into that space ...

ALEX CULLEN: Does part of you still love Natalie?

BARNABY JOYCE: Look, once more, I'm not going to start dragging other people into it. That issue stays, that stays completely off grounds.

- Sunday Night, Channel Seven, 3 June, 2018

Meanwhile, most of the important questions went missing.

Like, did Joyce and Campion misuse their parliamentary travel allowance?

Did Barnaby help his lover get a new taxpayer-funded job?

Why did he stand for re-election in October when, as he admitted, he knew his career was over?

And why did he not tell voters about the baby before the byelection?

ANGELA BISHOP: It was all personal. At no stage, except for one comment I think from Vikki where she says I accept there was a public interest question, we didn't go into the public interest questions. This was all about the relationship, this was all about personal.

JOE HILDEBRAND: I'm not having a go at the guy that did it but you saw him pulling away. Like he said 'aw I don't want you to name names'. Well why not? A journo's job is to get people to name names.

- Studio 10, Channel Ten, 4 June, 2018

Not surprisingly, today's front pages were also pretty much unanimous in giving the show the thumbs down:

Pay per EWW!

- The Daily Telegraph, 4 June, 2018

Sooky Baa Baa

- Herald Sun, 4 June, 2018

Cash and Burn

- The Courier-Mail, 4 June, 2018

And even on Seven this morning's reaction was not much better:

SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE: All of the newspapers today are harping on the fact that there was nothing mentioned about the shifting of her from office to office and taxpayer cost. You know, do you think the people of Australia wanted to hear an explanation on that or just the journos of Australia?

NICK MCCALLUM: No, of course they did. That was the issue, that is really the only thing that is our business ...

And of course it should have been approached. And I don't know why it wasn't.

- Sunrise, Channel Seven, 4 June, 2018

Cash aside, the couple's kiss and tell can surely have done no good at all for Barnaby and Vikki or for his first family, who had media camped outside their house in Tamworth as the program went to air.

Nor did the hugely hyped confessional come off for Channel Seven, because the public gave it the big thumbs down.

Maybe because of cringe-worthy moments likes these:

ALEX CULLEN: Who made the first move?

BARNABY JOYCE: What do you mean?

ALEX CULLEN: Well, do you know what I mean?

BARNABY JOYCE: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean but I'm not going to answer ya.

- Sunday Night, Channel Seven, 3 June, 2018

Almost 300,000 viewers turned off in the first three minutes. And 500,000 dumped the happy couple in the first 10.

Which gave Sunday Night a metro average 630,000 viewers – and left it fourth in its slot behind The Voice on Nine, Ten's MasterChef and the ABC's Mystery Road.

So was it worth the $150,000 and all the pain involved? It's hard to find anyone who thought so:

SARAH HARRIS: I felt sad for Barnaby's wife, his kids, I feel sorry for Sebastian, I feel sorry for Vikki, I just feel sorry for the whole lot.

- Studio 10, Channel Ten, 4 June, 2018

NICK MCCALLUM: I just think the whole thing was just so sad.
RON WILSON: It's just such a sad situation, from beginning to end.

- Sunrise, Channel Seven, 4 June, 2018

I couldn't agree more.

YOUR COMMENTS

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BARNABY JOYCE: You know, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed. And, you know, I'm sorry. The biggest failure of my life was the failure of my marriage, I'm very aware of that. - Sunday Night, Channel Seven, 3 June, 2018 Hello, I'm Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

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A Family Affair
Aired: 03/06/2018
Watch in conjunction with Media Watch Seven's Barnaby - 04/06/2018

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An exclusive interview with Barnaby Joyce and his partner, Vikki Campion, featuring their newborn son, Sebastian. This is Vikki's first interview since her relationship with Mr Joyce were made public.

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Watch clips from past episodes of Media Watch

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Media Watch is Australia's leading forum for media analysis and comment, screening on ABC TV on Monday at 9.20 pm. Turns a critical eye on the media in general and journalism in particular

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Watch Clips from past episodes of Sunday Night

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TV | Horoscopes, Food, Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle - Yahoo7 Be

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Yahoo7 Be, Find the latest Entertainment, Fashion, Beauty, Food, Travel & Lifestyle News. Also check out your daily, weekly and monthly Horoscope profiles with yahoo7

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Harry & Meghan - The Royal Wedding
Aired 29/04/2018

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Melissa Doyle leads a team of Australia's best reporters, breaking the stories that matter.

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Royal Wedding Capers
Aired 21/05/2018

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KERRI ELSTUB: Let me tell you we had the tissues out here, it was so, so beautiful. But you know what I do think we were ripped off at, where was the kiss? Where was the follow up kisses?

ALLISON LANGDON: Yes, we're not a fan of the kiss. We wanted ...

KERRI ELSTUB: Not happy.

ALLISON LANGDON: We thought we'd get, it'd be a little more amorous, we thought we'd get, you know, a bit of pash we'd say.

KERRI ELSTUB: Yeah.

ALLISON LANGDON: And it wasn't much better than Will's and Kate's kiss.

- Royal Wedding Special, Channel Nine, 19 May, 2018

Hello, I'm Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

And the battle of the royal waffle saw no topic go untouched as Nine, Seven, the ABC and SBS went head to head on Saturday night.

But when it came to the ratings, there was only one clear winner:

MELISSA DOYLE: We are the only Australian broadcaster with a studio on the grounds of Windsor Castle and what a front seat to history it will be.

- Royal Wedding Special, Channel Seven, 19 May, 2018

Yep. Channel Seven – which sent 30 people to London to drive its coverage and had nine "royal experts" to help on the night – easily won with just under 2 million watching.

And when the bride and groom rolled past the Seven studio, Mel Doyle was out of her seat with excitement:

MICHAEL USHER: Here we go.

MELISSA DOYLE: I jumped out of my chair ...

MICHAEL USHER: Mel give them a wave, you can see them first I think, can't you?

MELISSA DOYLE: No, I can, they're coming up...

MICHAEL USHER: Slowing down a little at this point too, which is fantastic as well.

ANGELA RIPPON: And look at all the cameras in the air.

MICHAEL USHER: Yes.

- Royal Wedding Special, Channel Seven, 19 May, 2018

Including an eager producer's camera, here in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The ABC was also there amid the media throng on Saturday, with Annabel Crabb and Jeremy Fernandez offering us not quite ring-side seats:

JEREMY FERNANDEZ: You're watching the ABC's coverage of the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, about to take place here at Windsor Castle. We are in something of a holding pen with the rest of the 5000 media professionals who've descended on this tiny town ...

ANNABEL CRABB: In fact, we are just next to the Danish broadcasters, so if you get a bit of a Borgen vibe from our broadcast, it's not your imagination ...

- Royal Wedding Special, ABC, 19 May, 2018

Back home, news that Crabb and Fernandez would be leading this coverage had incensed some Coalition politicians and ABC critics. With News Corp's Daily Telegraph taking the lead in branding their trip a shocking waste of taxpayers' money:

ABCs of piling on telecast expense

TWO of the ABC's star presenters jetted into London yesterday on taxpayer-funded business class flights to cover the Royal wedding ...

- The Daily Telegraph, 17 May, 2018

Jetted, eh? Yes, seems propellers are out of fashion.

And did they really fly business? Well, no. As the ABC soon made clear:

... The ABC paid for employees travelling to London to cover the Royal Wedding to travel economy.

The ABC has asked for a retraction.

- ABC statement, 17 May, 2018

It didn't get one, of course, or any hint of an apology, initially just adding a denial to the online story. In which, by some strange logic, the Tele's error was transformed into a "sudden backtrack" by the public broadcaster.

Never mind that the Tele's editor-at-large, Matthew Benns, didn't confirm whether the business class claim was true.

Or, heaven forbid, get in touch with Annabel Crabb, who soon tweeted:

Mate you could have checked that yarn with me in about 2min. For the record I flew Thai Airways in seat 52G (spooned against a very large stranger) Then went straight into full day's work.

- Twitter, @annabelcrabb, 17 May, 2018

Benns had also failed to spot this photo on Instagram from Heathrow Airport of Jeremy Fernandez making friends in economy class. Even though Benns had pinched the photo next door to castigate the two reporters for taking a selfie outside the Palace.

But why let the facts get in the way of good, old-fashioned prejudice?

YOUR COMMENTS

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KERRI ELSTUB: Let me tell you we had the tissues out here, it was so, so beautiful. But you know what I do think we were ripped off at, where was the kiss? Where was the follow up kisses? ALLISON LANGDON: Yes, we're not a fan of the kiss.

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Taken
Aired 06/05/2018

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Denham Hitchcock reports on the story of Leanne Mitchell, whose attempts to save her friend from a crocodile attack have ignited fierce debate around crocodile culling.

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Watch clips from past episodes of A Current Affair

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A Current Affair, yet to put the record straight
Aired 09/04/2018
Watch in conjunction with "Road Rage Attack" - A Current Affair

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But now to a challenge that was for real, and a famous road rage incident from last July:

Captured on video, the brutal punch has been shown and shared on social media many thousands of times. And who got the scoop with the victim?

ANNOUNCER: Our exclusive with the mum king hit in a brutal road rage attack on a busy road.

BIANCA SAMS: Trash bag, that's what I'd call him.

ANNOUNCER: A Current Affair, next.

- A Current Affair promo, Channel Nine, 25 July, 2017

Yes, A Current Affair exclusive, and with a watermark like that, how could you forget?

And while their colleagues at Nine News cut away before impact, the folks at ACA figured the punch was just too good to miss:

Except that it wasn't, because viewers had already been shown it three times in the intro. And if they then stayed tuned, they'd have been shown it another five times to make it eight in all:

So, why had he done it?

ACA's Taylor Auerbach relied solely on the victim's account and pumped up the drama:

TAYLOR AUERBACH: In a terrifying Hollywood-style pursuit around the Central Coast, Bianca says the man in the yellow T-shirt began trying to run them off the road ...

BIANCA SAMS: We were both scared, like, out of our minds. We didn't know what to do.

- A Current Affair, Channel Nine, 25 July, 2017

Bianca Sams claimed Clint Pollard, had tailgated her and her best friend Taylor Benbridge – who was behind the wheel – and tried "swerving them off the road".

TAYLOR AUERBACH: In the backseat was Taylor's five-month old baby boy.

BIANCA SAMS: I had to do what I had to do to protect me and me mate and her son.

- A Current Affair, Channel Nine, 25 July, 2017

Yup, two women and a baby against one crazy man. So what chance did she have?

But two nights later, the story did a dramatic U-turn and spun right off the road, with ACA telling viewers of a shocking new development:

Yes, would you believe it? A Current Affair had been conned. And Bianca's exclusive story contained a few pork pies.

As Nine News revealed after she appeared in court last month:

PETER OVERTON: ... for the first time we can show you what happened ...

ELISE BAKER: Is this what provoked a man to punch a woman in the face?

CLINTON POLLARD: You're going straight to the cops, mate.

ELISE BAKER: Bianca Sams leaning out of a car window Dukes of Hazzard-style throwing nails at the ute behind her, while waving, smiling and laughing.

- Nine News, 15 March, 2018

Yep, no sign she's being tailgated or swerved off the road.

And there's another detail she'd omitted to tell ACA, that was also revealed in court:

But it doesn't end there. Because Bianca's story, which A Current Affair lapped up, turned out to be a pack of lies.

Police told the court that the unemployed single mother admitted to instigating the confrontation. And that it was Sams and Benbridge who tailgated Pollard and blasted their horn, then overtook him and slammed on the brakes.

Bianca's friend, the driver Taylor Benbridge, also got charged.

And when she appeared in court in December, Nine News was again there to tell us the story that ACA had missed:

VICKY JARDIM: After this violent altercation the young mother is accused of trying to mow down the man. Magistrate Peter Barnett saying: "You lost it and tried to run him over." She replied: "No, just reversed."

A police investigation uncovered a Facebook post in which Benbridge is accused of writing: "Yeah he ran and once I seen him behind the car I tried running him over for hitting you ... bloody gronk."

- Nine News, 21 December, 2017

All up an amazing story. So, should A Current Affair have had it for themselves?

Well, yes. They gave viewers a glimpse of Benbridge trying to "mow down" Pollard but then conveniently cut out.

And if they'd bothered to talk to this eyewitness, interviewed on Nine's local news, we reckon he could have told them what happened.

So, now they do know, has ACA set the record straight? Answer: no.

But in its defence, Nine says it has updated viewers on the case via its news bulletins and says it "has not made a payment to Sams".

Read a statement from Channel Nine

YOUR COMMENTS

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A Current Affair, yet to put the record straight

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But now to a challenge that was for real, and a famous road rage incident from last July: Captured on video, the brutal punch has been shown and shared on social media many thousands of times. And who got the scoop with the victim?

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Triple Murderer Looking for Love
Aired 2016

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Road Rage Attack
Aired 25/07/2017
Watch in conjunction with "A Current Affair - yet to put a story right" - Media Watch

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PowerPoint Presentation

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Watch clips from past episodes of 60 Minutes
(requires free log in to 60 Mins)

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Where is flight MH370?
Aired 13/05/2018

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MH370: The Situation Room - What really happened to the missing Boeing 777 | 60 Minutes Australia

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Frontline (1994), S01E07 - "We Ain't Got Dames"

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Collection of clips - What have we learned from Current Affairs?

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Current Affairs and Chasers war on everything - YouTube

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What passes for investigative journalism
Sign in to ClickView to access
Aired: 19/07/2010

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ClickView Online allows you to watch your ClickView videos on the go. Empower teachers and students with 24hr off campus access to your school's video resources.

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Exclusive
(Baby under the train)
Watch in conjunction with "World Exclusive" - ACA
Sign in to ClickView to access
Aired: 26/10/2009

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ClickView Online allows you to watch your ClickView videos on the go. Empower teachers and students with 24hr off campus access to your school's video resources.

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The shameless airing of an un-current affair
(Clive James Expose)
Watch in conjunction with "Secret Affair" - A Current Affair
Aired: 30/04/2012

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And finally tonight, one of the more shameful pieces of television I've seen in more than four years in this chair...

The promo worked a treat. Nine's A Current Affair had its highest ratings for more than a year when Leanne Nesbitt, the first Mrs Geoffrey Edelsten, coyly...

Martin King: What did you call each other?

Leanne Edelston: He's always been and always will be, Mr Wolf.

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

...shamelessly...

...and in embarrassing detail...

Leanne Edelston: We would always drink tea with a Cherry Ripe, so...

Martin King: A cup of tea? Before?

Leanne Edelston: Yes, always. With a Cherry Ripe. And after.

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

...told a slavering Martin King about her eight-year affair with Clive James. I don't really need to say much about it.

The Australian's Amanda Meade has already done it...

And the Daily Telegraph's Miranda Devine has done it...

And even Channel Nine's own Georgie Gardner has done it...

So it was. And stunningly hypocritical too.

Martin King: Clive asked you for privacy. He asked for your discretion. Do you think you're breaching that?

Leanne Edelston: Well somebody's breached mine.

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

That somebody is Clive James's wife of over forty years, who has found out about the affair, but so far hasn't said a word to anybody.

Martin King: If you keep shtum, nobody will know.

Leanne Edelston: How do I know that? Because I don't know how she found out.

Martin King: So this is a pre-emptive strike?

Leanne Edelston: Yes.

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

Leanne is particularly concerned that the photographs she sent Clive James might get into the wrong hands - so she gives them to Martin King, and well over a million viewers - to leer over...

Martin King: If Clive's wife Prue was livid when she saw those emails. Imagine her reaction when she saw these.

Leanne Edelston: He wanted photographs of me because he was missing me, and he asked me to send him some.

Martin King: You were busted.

Leanne Edelston: yes

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

And then ACA flew Leanne to Britain, where with two cameramen and a sound recordist in tow, she accosted a frail-looking Clive James.

Leanne Edelston: It's okay..just tell me..

Clive James: Nice to see you - and all of you...

Leanne Edelston: I'm just worried about who has the photos...

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

A Current Affair has the photos, Leanne. You know that.

She's worried about her privacy. But neither Leanne, nor Nine, gave a damn about the privacy of Clive James or his wife. He's seventy two years old, he has leukemia. Did he really deserve this?

Martin King: But for Mr Wolf, the game is up and he clearly wants to move on. But Miss Hood has one final sweet treat from Down Under.

Leanne Edelston: Here's a Cherry Ripe - put it in your pocket. Come, I'll walk to your...

- Channel Nine, A Current Affair, 23rd April, 2012

Just nauseating.

The Commercial Television Code of Practice has a clause which says that licensees...

The public was certainly interested. But what was the public interest in exposing this tawdry, and very uncurrent, affair? Tracy Grimshaw could only come up with this...

Tracy, you're better than that.

In a few months, if anyone complains, ACMA might tell Nine it's been naughty.

Next week, we'll have a look at the new system of media regulation proposed today by the Convergence Review. Something to look forward to.

Till then, goodnight.

YOUR COMMENTS

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The shameless airing of an un-current affair

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And finally tonight, one of the more shameful pieces of television I've seen in more than four years in this chair... The promo worked a treat. Nine's A Current Affair had its highest ratings for more than a year when Leanne Nesbitt, the first Mrs Geoffrey Edelsten, coyly...

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Nine's Week of Apologies
Aired: 30/05/2016

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Especially since it's not the only apology the network has made this week on 60 Minutes behalf.

Last Wednesday, remarkably, The NRL Footy Show was at it as well.

PAUL VAUTIN: Before we get started, we know it's been a difficult relationship between Channel Nine and yourself over the past 12 months. With regards to those issues, on behalf of the Nine Network, we want to apologise to you and your family.

- Channel Nine, The Footy Show (NRL), 25 May, 2016

With State of Origin kicking off this Wednesday on Nine, the network went the full grovel to Cameron Smith, who is captain of the Queensland team and one of the game's biggest stars.

CAMERON SMITH: Yeah, thanks Fat. Yeah it has been a difficult 12 months and I just want to thank you for that apology on behalf of the network. Yeah, I think it's no secret I was pretty disappointed with the 60 Minutes episode that aired last year and everything that, sort of, happened afterwards, too.

- Channel Nine, The Footy Show (NRL), 25 May, 2016

During and since the last State of Origin 12 months ago Cameron Smith has been boycotting the network.

And with the 2016 series set to start, they needed him back, as veteran rugby league writer Brad Walter explains:

It was a huge embarrassment to Channel Nine when he refused to be interviewed during the Origin series last year ... Every time that Channel Nine couldn't get access to him, it highlighted the fact that their relationship had soured and it drew everyone's attention to the 60 Minutes story that caused the rift.

- Brad Walter, SMH Rugby League reporter, Statement to Media Watch 26 May, 2016

So what was the 60 mins story that caused the rift?

It was a profile last July by Liz Hayes of former league player Alex McKinnon ... Who had been left paralysed by a dangerous tackle in a game against Smith's team, the Melbourne Storm.

McKinnon and 60 Minutes accused Smith of acting callously as the player lay severely injured. And they failed to give him a right of reply.

LIZ HAYES: The player who truly angers Alex is Cameron Smith, the Storm's captain.

ALEX MCKINNON: Is he still debating? Is he f**king serious?

LIZ HAYES: This was the first time Alex had seen this footage.

REFEREE : But it's lifted, and mate, Cameron, he goes in a dangerous position, the tackle....

ALEX MCKINNON: Wouldn't you just shut up?

LIZ HAYES: As Alex lay paralysed, and even eight minutes later when he is carried off the ground, Smith continues to argue that Alex caused his own injury.

CAMERON SMITH: If he doesn't duck his head that doesn't happen.

REFEREE: Alright, I understand what you're saying mate ...

- Channel Nine, 60 Minutes, 5 July, 2015

Not only did 60 Minutes not give Smith the chance to comment, but as Sydney Triple M's Grill Team pointed out, it made his behaviour look worse by failing to show viewers this comment to the ref:

CAMERON SMITH: It's unfortunate and I don't want to see that happen any time in our, in our game. But if he doesn't duck his head that doesn't happen.

REFEREE: Alright, I understand what you're saying mate ...

- You Tube, July 2015

More to the point, 60 Minutes implied that Smith argued the toss for eight minutes while McKinnon was lying on the ground.

Which is a claim that's not borne out by the unedited footage.

Last week, the Grill Team welcomed Nine's belated apology, but former player Matthew Johns wondered why it was the Footy Show which had to say sorry.

MATTHEW JOHNS: I think I speak on behalf of just about everyone to say, wouldn't you think it'd be up to 60 Minutes to apologise?

GUS WORLAND: Absolutely.

MATTHEW JOHNS: I mean, just comparing it, if say for instance someone on The Footy Show unfairly abused someone, would it be fitting for Liz Hayes to apologise on The Footy Show's behalf?

- Triple M, Grill Team, 26 May, 2016

We agree 100%.

But stranger still, it seems 60 Minutes may not have known it was happening.

At least to judge by this tweet from reporter Liz Hayes.

I'm o/s but for the record I was not aware of a planned apology.

- Twitter, @thelizhayes, 26 May, 2016

We asked Nine's Head of Sport Tom Malone, who was boss at 60 Minutes when the profile was made, who decided on the apology and why? But he didn't respond.

Nor did he respond to this allegation in News.com.au that Hayes had:

'... "fought for a right reply from Smith in the original story, which was overruled or ignored" by the program's former EP, Malone.

- news.com.au, 27 May, 2016

However Malone did tell News that the apology was quote, 'part of a private agreement reached with Cameron'.

YOUR COMMENTS

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Mediawatch - 30/05/2016: Nines week of apologies, part two

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Especially since it's not the only apology the network has made this week on 60 Minutes behalf. Last Wednesday, remarkably, The NRL Footy Show was at it as well. PAUL VAUTIN: Before we get started, we know it's been a difficult relationship between Channel Nine and yourself over the past 12 months.

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60 Mins Story is a ratings winner...for Seven
(Watch in conjunction with "Beirut : The Inside Story - Sunday Night)
Aired: 12/09/2016

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MIKE WILLESEE: Adam, are you being paid for this interview?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: Absolutely not.

MIKE WILLESEE: Any money going to third parties, family, charities?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: No nothing at all.

MIKE WILLESEE: You know why I'm asking that?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: Sure

MIKE WILLESEE: Because it's the history of this whole story.

ADAM WHITTINGTON: Yes, absolutely.

MIKE WILLESEE: So why are you doing this interview?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: The, I'm speaking to you guys because obviously the truth needs to be told.

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, 11 September, 2016

Hello I'm Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

And that was the one we've all been waiting for. Child recovery expert Adam Whittington talking to Sunday Night, in an exclusive tell-all interview about 60 Minutes and its bungled Beirut child snatch.

So what did we learn? And did it live up to his promises to reveal the truth? Or as Seven's breathless promo put it:

VOICEOVER: The explosive facts they didn't want the world to know.

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, Promo, 7 September, 2016

In short, the answer is no. Unless you count Adam Whittington's remarkable claim in the promo – but not in the program – that the recovery went according to plan.

MIKE WILLESEE: So much went wrong. How much of that was your fault?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: Nothing went wrong. The recovery went just to plan.

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, Promo, 9 September, 2016

Now that is a revelation.

So did Whittington plan for the snatch to be on CCTV?

To knock over the children's granny?

To get caught by the police within 24 hours?

Be forced to hand back the kids?

And languish for months in a Beirut jail?

If that's all going to plan, I'd hate to see a snatch that went wrong.

And this claim by Whittington was also a little hard to believe:

MIKE WILLESEE: Were you breaking any law?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: As far as we knew, no.

MIKE WILLESEE: If a group of Lebanese had done what you had done in an Australian city, can you imagine the outrage?

ADAM WHITTINGTON: Absolutely. I can see their point of view but if they look behind all that, and, and if they were in Sally's shoes or another left behind parent's shoes who receive no help from anybody why wouldn't you try and get your children back?

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, 11 September, 2016

Whittington, remember, was jailed in Singapore two years ago for doing much the same thing.

Yet Mike Willesee or Sunday Night didn't bother to challenge his claim.

Apart from that, we learnt little we didn't already know.

And News Corp—which did an excellent job reporting the Beirut saga— was busy hammering that theme before it even saw the broadcast, accusing Whittington in advance of:

Rehashing documents and claims already made public by News Corp Australia ...

- News.com.au, 9 September, 2016

But it must be said that this was new:

The actual cheque from Channel Nine for $500,000 to father Ali Elamine's lawyer to get the 60 Minutes crew out of prison.

Leaving Whittington, as we were told many times, to rot in jail.

Where he had not been treated like the rest of the team:

ADAM WHITTINGTON: We were all going through the same conditions. It's just they were getting a lot of, a lot of good things being brought in, they were getting pizzas when they were going upstairs getting coffees.

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, 11 September, 2016

And that thread ran through the Sunday Night story—an honest, decent, family man, betrayed by a powerful TV network who lied about what they had done:

REPORTER: Did you fund the child recovery operation?

DARREN WICK: No

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, 11 September, 2016

And who betrayed their foot-soldiers so the generals could escape the blame.

ADAM WHITTINGTON: So for them to get rid of Stephen Rice was exactly what they did with us in Beirut, left us there. Threw him under the bus just like they did to us, you know. I've seen that review, I received a copy of it in the prison. It was passed around and used as toilet paper.

- Channel Seven, Sunday Night, 11 September, 2016

And the beauty of Channel Seven's attack on its rival's morality was that Sunday Night's executive producer is an old Nine warrior, Hamish Thomson, who was made redundant back in June.

Better still, Thomson was executive producer of 60 Minutes for five years and, wait for it, was the man who recommended that Nine should pay to film the Beirut child snatch for a special on Inside Story.

Hilarious eh? Ex-60 Minutes boss takes aim at his old program over a story he wanted to do himself and, according to Nine, actually brought to the network.

But despite its faults, it was entertaining stuff and it pulled in an extra 200,000 viewers to easily out-rate 60 Minutes, which it did by bringing us the ripping yarn that Nine was never able to show. Which I guess is poetic justice of a sort.

YOUR COMMENTS

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60 Mins story is a ratings winner ... for Seven

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MIKE WILLESEE: Adam, are you being paid for this interview? ADAM WHITTINGTON: Absolutely not. MIKE WILLESEE: Any money going to third parties, family, charities? ADAM WHITTINGTON: No nothing at all. MIKE WILLESEE: You know why I'm asking that? ADAM WHITTINGTON: Sure MIKE WILLESEE: Because it's the history of this whole story.

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Beirut: The Inside Story
Aired: 11/09/2016

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The man who spent 104 days in a Lebanese prison for a child recovery operation financed by Nine's 60 Minutes says the program 'cut him loose' and paid half a million dollars for their freedom.

"I've sat in a Lebanon prison, the most horrible place ever, spent four months nearly away from my kids. I missed my, my five-year-old's birthday," Adam Whittington told Sunday Night.

"As soon as they pulled out their chequebook everything went downhill."

Adam described the prison as a dungeon with maggot-infested water in letters to his family - joking that he began to name the rats - but it was not so for the TV crew.

"They turned it into an absolute joke the way they acted and behaved in Beirut to get what they wanted."

"We were all going through the same conditions. It's just they were getting a lot of a lot of good things being brought in they were getting pizzas when they were going upstairs getting coffee."

He told Sunday Night's Mike Willesee that 60 Minutes distanced themselves from Adam and his team in order to side with the children's father and buy their freedom.

While Nine's Head of News and Current Affairs, Darren Wick, publicly claimed they did not fund the operation Adam said they were quietly striking a deal with Ali for US$500,000.

"I instructed my legal team to produce the invoices which clearly shows payment from 60 minutes Channel Nine, to our account."

"Everything they said in the media ...we could prove was a lie."

This story began last year when former flight attendant, Sally Faulkner allowed her estranged Lebanese husband Ali Elamine to take their kids Lahela and Noah back to Beirut for a holiday.

Once they got there, Ali refused to send them back.

In desperation, Sally approached Adam Whittington to seize back her kids and, after being granted an Australian court order giving her full custody, she commissioned Whittington to go to Beirut.

A former Aussie soldier who grew up in Sydney's west, he set up Child Abduction Recovery International - or CARI, 5 years ago. Whittington claims to have been involved in the successful retrieval of 174 children.

"Absolutely the rescue the satisfaction of seeing these children reunited with their mother or father after certain amount a period of time away from them absolutely there's no doubt about it yeah.

60 Minutes funded the operation in order to do a report on it.

"60 Minutes paid us directly for us to help Sally ... $115,000," Adam said.

"It covered our fees, boat hire et cetera, expenses."

In the days leading up to the operation, Adam Whittington sailed a yacht from Cyprus to Beirut. It was to be used as the getaway boat.

To work out the kid's daily routine, Adam and his team took surveillance photographs of Lahela and Noah with their father, grandmother and a nanny.

On Wednesday, April 6, just after 7AM, Whittington's team moved in while he was at the marina preparing the getaway boat.

The grab was caught on CCTV and later broadcast by 60 minutes, generating accusations of brutality and staging.

"Nobody was touched, except the two children there was no assault, and, ah, they drove off, and out of the area. It's very grainy, it's very hard to see, but no one was injured at all, and that's how we do things."

"The recovery was supposed to be on the other side of the street, away from the CCTV camera, but the grandmother and the nanny crossed the street, crossed the road, and came down the opposite side, so this is why it was done there, not purposely in front of the camera"

Sally and the kids were taken to a safe house. The rest of the 60 Minutes crew joined them and Whittington said the children were excited to go home.

"I spent 20 minutes with Sally and the kids in the safe house they were so happy, so, so happy all they kept saying 'Mummy we're going back to Australia, we're going back to home' that's all they kept saying."

"We went back to the boat and we were sort of finalising the departure papers with customs, immigration and the marina as well and the police just turned up, Hezbollah turned up, the army turned up."

Adam Whittington was arrested. Within hours the rest of his crew and the 60 Minutes team were also picked up.

Two days later, Sally Faulkner was found in the safe house and everyone was accused of kidnapping.

Adam faced 20 years in prison.

Then two weeks after being imprisoned, the four members of the 60 Minutes team and Sally Faulkner were allowed to leave Lebanon.

"I was shocked when they walked out and they had their champagnes and not a word..." Adam's wife Karin Whittington told Sunday Night.

"It would have been easy for them to correct some mistakes or give me a call and just say "he is fine, we are trying to do everything we can" but nothing."

In the fallout from the crew's return to Australia Channel Nine launched an internal inquiry and producer Stephen Rice was sacked.

"It is Darren Wick that should be sacked not Stephen Rice."

"So for them to get rid of Stephen Rice is exactly what they did to us in Beirut, left us there, threw him under the bus just like they did to us."

After 104 harrowing days, Whittington was released on bail.

Team member Craig Michael was finally released last week, Lebanese driver Khaled Barbour went home to his four-year-old son this week but Mohammed Hamze is still locked up.

Adam and the rest of the team have still not been charged but could still face charges. It has changed Adam's life.

"We're not doing any more jobs like this. I'm not risking my family."
Sunday Night approached Channel Nine for a response, their statement is below:
Adam Whittington's company CARI had a contract to provide a service to Sally Faulkner, a desperate mother who believed he was her only hope to be united with her children. In particular:

Clause 2 of the contract between CARI and Ms Faulkner states "that CARI will use accepted standard professional practices particular to the abducted child recovery field, as and when deemed appropriate in CARI's sole discretion, to secure a positive result in this matter" (emphasis added) and "CARI will continue our services until your child is home and will not request any more money for our fees".

Clause 3 states "client shall at all times fully cooperate with CARI in any and all ways requested by CARI;....(i) not attempt in any manner, during the Term of this Agreement, to take any steps independent of CARI including making contact with any organisation not previously approved by CARI to recover the Abducted Person."

After the contract between CARI and Ms Faulkner was agreed to, 60 Minutes entered into an interview agreement with Sally.

Sally Faulkner elected that her interview fee be paid directly to CARI, as she owed them money under her contract. Nine has previously publicly acknowledged that we made these payments.
Sunday Night also received this response from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
The 60 Minutes EP had no knowledge of any member of the Nine team being in the vehicle during the recovery.

Mr Whittington was solely in charge of the operation. This includes the selection of boat that was to be used by Mr Whittington. Mr Whittington has never requested any further payment from Nine other than a substantial payment to NOT "tell his story."

Details of the court approved civil settlement with Ali Elamine's family are confidential.

Australia commenced negotiations with Lebanese officials to provide consular assistance to Mr Whittington as soon as they became aware of his detention. Our consular officials visited Mr Whittington on 8 April. We were advised that because he entered Lebanon on a British passport, he was being treated as a British citizen and therefore the UK would take the lead in consular representations.

Thereafter Australian consular officials, in coordination with UK consular officials, continued to visit Mr Whittington and on numerous occasions he confirmed that he was satisfied with the consular arrangements.

In early June Mr Whittington requested that Australia take over the lead consular role and the Lebanese authorities agreed.

For the entire period of his detention Mr Whittington received the same level and quality of consular assistance from the Australian Embassy as others involved in this matter. There was no preferential treatment nor any exclusion.

Mr Whittington benefitted from both UK and Australian consular assistance.

From the outset, I advocated to Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil on behalf of all the Australians detained, including Mr Whittington, to ensure their welfare was being attended to and their case would be resolved expeditiously.

I remained in contact with the Lebanese Foreign Minister regarding Mr Whittington's case following the release on bail of Sally Faulkner and the 60 minutes crew."

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'I had maggot-infested water, they got pizza and coffee': Adam Whittington slams 60 Minutes for 'leaving him to rot'

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The man who spent 104 days in a Lebanese prison for a child recovery operation financed by Nine's 60 Minutes says the program 'cut him loose' and paid half a million dollars for their freedom. "I've sat in a Lebanon prison, the most horrible place ever, spent four months nearly away from my kids.

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Frontline (1994), S01E04 - "She's Got The Look"

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Frontline (1994), S01E02 - "The Desert Angel"

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Dreamworld Tragedy
Aired: 26/10/2016

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Secret Affair
(Clive James Expose)
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Aired: 23/04/2012

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ClickView Online allows you to watch your ClickView videos on the go. Empower teachers and students with 24hr off campus access to your school's video resources.

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The Killer Storm - Part 1
Aired 14/05/2017

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60 Minutes Australia: The killer storm, part one (2017)

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The Killer Storm - Part 2
Aired 14/05/2017

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60 Minutes Australia: The killer storm, part two (2017)

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Ice Storm - Part 1
Aired: 14/04/2015

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Ice Storm - Part 2
Aired: 14/04/2015

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Mehajer the Maniac
Aired: 22/08/2016

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
St Johns College Dandenong Helps Students Cheat

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ACA. Mehajer The Maniac. (Culture Clash and Rape Rhetoric)

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Salim Mehajer loses control after his Anglo-Saxon, possible wife, leaves him and refuses to take phone calls. Salim resorts to rape threats and violence. Salim Mehajer become wealthy from property development and the rate-payer's money they paid into the Shire-Council he was positioned in, and also had links to development approvals he presided over.

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World Exclusive
(Baby under the train)
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Aired: 26/10/2009

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Ice Epidemic in Australia Becomes Pandemic
Aired: 29/04/2014

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Control In Redfern | Public Housing Horror

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Crystal Meth Addiction in Regional Victoria

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Ice Epidemic In Australia Becomes Pandemic

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It's a highly addictive drug with lows that far outweighing its highs. Cheap and easy to make, the number of people using the drug known as 'ice' in Australia is reaching pandemic proportions. And it's not only the users who it's hurting.

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Click on the document attachment to read the AJA code of ethics. This can be used as evidence/quotes to support your editorial exam.

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Fire Danger: Washing machines can burst into flames
Aired: 16/04/2014

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A humble household appliance, turned ticking time bomb. On A Current Affair tonight, we show you how potentially dangerous an everyday washing machine can be. Faulty washing machine almost destroys home

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Bad Hair Day | Salon Owner Goes Mental
Aired: 29/04/2014

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Control In Redfern | Public Housing Horror

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McDonald 's Drive-Thru Attack | Fast Food Rage

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It's the salon owner meltdown you have to see to believe. He smashes our camera, attacks our female staff, steals our gear - and claims he's the victim. Salon owner's bad hair day

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The Block: Houses go under the hammer
Aired: 29/07/2011

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A Current Affair -- The Block houses go under the hammer -- 29 Jul 11

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Ruth Roberts and the Woodards Carnegie team on A Current Affair discussing the phenomenal pre-acution interest in the four houses of The Block 2011.

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1. The Big Squeeze
2. Fashion Ban
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Aired: 06/11/2009

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