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Media Bites

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Media Bites, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 20253 sources
Media Watch
Company typeTelevision program
IndustryMedia criticism, Television
Founded1989
Headquarters
Australia
ProductsTelevision series
Websitewww.abc.net.au/mediawatch/

Media Watch', initially known as Media Watch: The Last Word, is an Australian television series produced and aired by ABC Television. The program scrutinizes and critiques the Australian media landscape, including its connections to corporate and political entities. Since its launch in 1989, the show has been presented by various journalists; as of March 2025, Linton Besser serves as the current host.

History

The series premiered in 1989 under the title Media Watch: The Last Word, with Stuart Littlemore as its first presenter.[1] By 1992, the subtitle was removed, and the program became known simply as Media Watch.[1]

Format

Running for 15 minutes per episode, Media Watch examines shortcomings within Australian news media. The format typically involves a solo presenter speaking directly to the audience, addressing issues ranging from minor mistakes like incorrect photo captions or typographical errors to more significant concerns such as media bias and violations of journalistic ethics. Over time, the program has increasingly concentrated on these more serious critiques.[2][3]

While most editions focus on recent instances of media malpractice, some episodes delve into broader topics such as election reporting.

Presenters

The original host of Media Watch was Stuart Littlemore, who led the show for nine years. Since then, a number of journalists have taken on hosting duties. Paul Barry, who briefly hosted in 2000 and 2010, returned in 2013 and became the longest-serving presenter until his departure on 2 December 2024. Currently, Linton Besser holds the hosting role.

Notable pieces

"Cash for comment"

In 1999, Media Watch uncovered undisclosed payments within the talkback radio sector involving high-profile broadcasters Alan Jones and John Laws. These hosts received financial incentives to deliver favourable commentary about companies such as Qantas, Optus, Foxtel, and Mirvac without revealing these arrangements to listeners. The program also criticised the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) for its inadequate regulation of broadcast media. This investigation earned Media Watch journalists Richard Ackland, Deborah Richards, and Anne Connolly two prestigious Walkley Awards: the Gold Walkley and TV Current Affairs Reporting (Less Than 10 Minutes).

Further impact came in 2004 when Media Watch played a role in prompting the resignation of ABA chief David Flint, after it emerged that Flint had sent overly supportive letters to Jones during an ABA inquiry into additional cash for comment allegations. This coverage won another Walkley Award for staff members David Marr, Peter McEvoy, and Sally Virgoe.

1995 Srebrenica Massacre Report on 60 Minutes

In 2002, Richard Carleton, a reporter for Channel Nine's 60 Minutes, initiated legal action against Media Watch over accusations of plagiarism concerning a 1995 report on the Srebrenica massacre. The court dismissed the claims as unfounded and did not award any damages.

ACON and ABC Collaboration

In 2022, Media Watch alleged that the ABC exhibited bias against "anti-trans voices" by examining its partnership with the LGBT health organization ACON and its involvement in ACON's "Workplace Equality Index," where ABC twice received "Gold Employer" recognition. This report faced backlash from ABC journalists, including Patricia Karvelas, who pointed out that ABC also engages with other diversity benchmarking programs such as those run by the Diversity Council Australia, Reconciliation Australia, and the Australian Network on Disability. Luke Siddham Dundon emphasized ABC’s wide-ranging diversity affiliations and questioned why only LGBTQI+ partnerships were singled out. ABC technology correspondent Ariel Bogle noted that anti-trans rhetoric frequently aligns with far-right groups.

The ABC clarified that participation in these benchmarking initiatives does not affect editorial decisions or content commissioning. The broadcaster stressed the importance of carefully handling transgender topics to deliver well-informed reporting while avoiding harm to vulnerable groups.

Program Cancellation and Revival

Due to its provocative nature, Media Watch was temporarily discontinued. In 2000, Paul Barry was controversially dismissed as host, followed by the show's cancellation in 2001 by ABC director Jonathan Shier. After Shier’s own contentious exit in early 2002, the program was reinstated with David Marr taking over hosting duties. During this break, former presenter Stuart Littlemore hosted Littlemore, a thirteen-episode media analysis series broadcast from March to May 2001.

Media Bites

Between 2017 and Paul Barry’s departure in 2024, Media Bites operated as a weekly online companion to Media Watch. These approximately two-minute episodes were released every Thursday across the program’s website, social media platforms, ABC iView, and ABC’s YouTube channel. Unlike the main show’s polished studio setup, Barry presented these segments informally from the production office without professional lighting.

Each installment contained two concise stories addressing media-related issues alongside a weekly "Alternative Fact," frequently referencing then-US President Donald Trump. Episodes concluded with a preview of the forthcoming main program segment. Barry’s trademark sarcasm and witty remarks characterized the tone throughout.

The editing style resembled that of the primary show, incorporating relevant visuals and text elements; however, subtitles were permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen rather than offered as optional closed captions.

Reception

The program's hosts have openly acknowledged its frequent and sometimes severe critiques; at one stage, the opening sequence displayed a compilation of such negative remarks, including referring to original presenter Stuart Littlemore as a "pompous git." In 2002, David Marr, then-host, received a dead fish from Campbell Reid, the editor of The Daily Telegraph at that time. This gesture inspired the creation of the Campbell Reid Perpetual Trophy—known as "The Barra"—which is annually presented for poor journalism and plagiarism.

Media Watch conducts thorough examinations of all media entities, encompassing its own broadcaster, the ABC. While Marr was host between 2002 and 2004, the program regularly scrutinized his employer, John Fairfax Holdings.

In 2007, Robert Manne observed that Media Watch had historically been unapologetically left-leaning. Although occasionally unbalanced, it remained fearless and effective in revealing political and media partialities, such as Islamophobia and "cash for comment" controversies. Its perceived lack of neutrality contributed to both its controversy and importance.

Criticisms from News Corp outlets

Commentators from Sky News Australia have accused the show of persistent left-wing partiality. Following the 2019 federal election, Chris Kenny of Sky News asserted in The Australian that Media Watch predominantly depended on journalists affiliated with the Labor Party or trade unions when criticizing News Corp. He argued that failing to disclose these connections weakened host Barry's trustworthiness.

The Australian, a frequent target of Media Watch, has consistently expressed disapproval of the program. In August 2007, it published an editorial declaring that Media Watch "lacks journalistic integrity," functioning as an insiders' circle promoting ideological bias funded by taxpayers.

In June 2007, an episode titled "Have Your Spray" condemned The Daily Telegraph and other outlets for inadequate moderation of racist remarks on their forums. However, the show itself briefly permitted strongly anti-Semitic comments on its own forum before their removal. This incident prompted an internal ABC investigation after News Corp alleged that Media Watch had relied on IslamicSydney, described as an Islamic website disseminating anti-Semitic and jihadi content, as a source for this report.

See also

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named austlit
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named About
  3. ↑ Kalina, Paul; Enker, Debi; Ricketson, Matthew (2006-10-18). "ABC chief hints at Media Watch review". The Age. Fairfax Media.

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