By Kishor Napier-Raman and Noel Towell
Just months ago, Seven insisted it hadn’t paid former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann for a sit-down interview with the network’s Spotlight program.
“7NEWS Spotlight made no payment to Bruce Lehrmann for the interview, however, the program assisted with accommodation as part of the filming of the story,” was the official line.
Credit: John Shakespeare
That piece of spin was blown up in the Federal Court on Tuesday, when, under cross-examination from barrister Sue Chrysanthou, Lehrmann admitted that the Kerry Stokes-controlled network was paying his accommodation costs for a year.
Lehrmann is suing Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation, alleging an episode of the Project accused him of raping his former colleague Brittany Higgins. A criminal trial over Higgins’ allegations was aborted last year after juror misconduct, and the charges were dropped by ACT prosecutors.
Media insiders have long been sceptical about Seven’s line, which made it look like the network had simply covered a few nights in a hotel. After all, Lehrmann’s legal team had made it clear to other journalists that he wouldn’t be going on camera without payment.
As for how much Seven is paying, well Chrysanthou seemed incredulous when Lehrmann said he didn’t know the figure in court on Tuesday. We reckon it’s not cheap.
Similar apartments in the Maroubra block where Lehrmann was living were being rented for between $1200 and $1500 a week. He’s since moved up in the world, to a northern beaches three-bedder with sweeping ocean views, where the rent recently doubled to $2500 a week. So for a whole year, we could be looking at six figures.
Meanwhile, Seven’s piece of chequebook journalism was nominated for scoop of the year at last week’s Walkley Awards, where the network’s representatives were busy disgracing themselves with a sit-in protest for war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith. Fortunately, it didn’t win.
A spokesperson for the Walkley Foundation told CBD it was “considering its position” after learning what Seven had paid for its “scoop”.
Seven, meanwhile, kept on spinning when contacted by CBD on Tuesday.
“We said at the time we were assisting Bruce Lehrmann with his accommodation costs. It was well reported back then,” a spokesperson for the network said.
“The 7NEWS Spotlight report was rightfully judged by the esteemed Walkley Foundation as one of the top three scoops of 2023.”
We reckon those judges might’ve viewed things differently if they knew what it cost.
IN A PICKLE
In the already deeply cringe world of online betting companies, Picklebet punches well above its weight.
First, its key selling point in a saturated market is letting punters bet on e-sports. Clearly after a special sort of gambler. Second, Picklebet was backed by fund manager Clayton Larcombe, recently reported to have spruiked a non-existent University of Sydney degree on his LinkedIn page.
After media coverage of Larcombe’s fabulist approach to the résumé, his PAC Capital was forced to close its e-sports gaming fund which held the Picklebet investments. At least he’s got the $33.5 million Bellevue Hill mansion.
On top of all that, there’s Picklebet’s intensely irritating social media presence, fronted by Jon-Bernard Kairouz, better known as “TikTok Guy”. Kairouz, an aspiring influencer, achieved brief online fame during the hell days of Sydney’s 2021 lockdown, where he correctly “predicted” the NSW COVID-19 case numbers ahead of then-premier Gladys Berejiklian’s press conferences. He later started popping up at anti-lockdown rallies and avoided a conviction last year for encouraging people to breach COVID restrictions.
Clearly, Picklebet saw in TikTok Guy someone who could help hit their target market of 20-something males hopped up on Joe Rogan podcasts and disposable vapes, because they’re giving him the red carpet treatment.
Fresh from making videos about getting kicked out of Randwick Racecourse for some reason, Kairouz has been off in the US, making #content by annoying people at NFL games. A crossover truly nobody needed.
FESTIVE CHEER
We thought that the bunch of federal parliamentary crossbenchers, with their Love Actually-themed Christmas party, had set the benchmark for naff this festive season.
But maybe we spoke too soon. Labor’s Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keogh have set themselves up in open rivalry for whose office can lay on the Christmas schmaltz the thickest.
The battle is under way to decide whose ministerial wing Christmas decor is better, Rishworth’s or Keogh’s, in a battle they’ve dubbed “Rishmass versus Mattmass” and with all ballots cast requiring a donation to the Giving Tree Foundation.
Whichever of the minister’s trees makes the most money wins one leg of the contest, with the best overall prize to be awarded on Wednesday morning by the Speaker of the House of Reps Milton Dick and Senate President Sue Lines.
And, what a job those two will have.
Rishworth has brought in a real tree and fake fireplace, going up against Keogh’s which has inflatables, plus baubles with his face on them.
God bless us, every one.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.