The Age’s Osman Faruqi ruffles feathers with Emirates spruiking
Colleagues at The Age have grown weary of the culture editor’s newsroom posturing about perceived conflicts of interest, privately quering whether he should dismount from his ethical high horse.
Nine’s bosses would be pleased with the TV ratings for the Australian Open, which were up 27 per cent year-on-year for the first week’s night sessions.
And while the viewership of 2024 was still a far cry from the glorious January of 2022, when Ash Barty stormed to victory, the popularity of this year’s tournament should give Nine comfort that the five-year $425m extension it signed for the broadcast rights last year should offer a solid return on its investment.
It was also all smiles for journalists who were slung free tickets to the tennis, courtesy of the company’s status as host broadcaster.
Among the lucky attendees were The Age’s deputy news director Angus Livingston, and the newspaper’s culture editor Osman Faruqi. The pair were seen hamming it up in the replica Emirates first class cabin, situated in the corporate area at Melbourne Park, with complimentary glass of wine in hand.
“Great to fly with @emirates as always!”, Faruqi gushed on Instagram. He went on to channel Austin Powers, posing next to an air hostess in a separate post with the caption: “oh, a Pinot Gris in business? Don’t mind if I do!”
Oh behave, Osman!
But his spruiking of Emirates – owned by the principal investment arm of the government of Dubai – didn’t go unnoticed by a few of his colleagues at The Age.
Just last month, Faruqi was widely reportedly to have raised his concerns within the newspaper about journalists accepting study trips to Israel, and how it could affect their reporting – a claim he denied on Sunday.
Diary is not suggesting that there’s anything wrong with sucking back a free wine at the tennis – far from it. Indeed, each year, corporate sponsors invite dozens of guests from the media industry (including staff from News Corp), as well as the business and arts worlds.
The point is that Faruqi’s spruiking of Emirates ruffled feathers among some of his colleagues at The Age who have grown weary of his newsroom posturing about perceived conflicts of interest, and have started to privately query whether the culture editor should dismount from his ethical high horse.
When The Australian asked Faruqi about his glowing appraisal of Emirates, he launched into a tirade against this newspaper, accusing its journalists of adopting a “racist undertone” when reporting on him, and of the “racist targeting” of other “non-white Australian figures” for the purposes of clickbait. He did not provide examples.
Faruqi said the only reason he posted the photos of himself “pretending to be on an Emirates plane at Dubai International Airport Lounge” was to see if anyone would be “stupid enough to make the tenuous link” between his trip to the tennis and his promotion of Emirates, to other so-called “junkets” taken by other journalists.
The culture editor said tagging a brand in a post “is not synonymous” with promoting it, and stated he had no commercial relationship with Emirates.
Faruqi added that this columnist was “the only person (willingly) ignoring how funny the posts were – as opposed to being sponsored content”.
Asked about Faruqi’s claims of The Australian newspaper’s “racist targeting”, a Nine spokesman declined to back him up.
“Mr Faruqi is speaking as an individual and not on behalf of Nine,” the spokesman said.
Babbling Basil Zempilas caught out by hot mic
When Perth Lord Mayor and former Channel 7 broadcaster Basil Zempilas woke up on Saturday morning things were looking good. Splashed across the front page of Kerry Stokes-owned publication The West Australian, for which he writes a weekly column, was a smiling pic of Zempilas alongside the headline: “Politics is in my blood”.
The scoop revealed the worst-kept secret in WA that Zempilas would have a tilt at state politics and seek Liberal Party preselection in the seat of Churchlands.
But just hours later when he was holding a press conference to discuss his exciting career change, things turned sour. Fast. Very fast.
Zempilas was having a chat with Perth’s Nine News presenter Michael Genovese – or ‘Genvy’, as he chummily refers to him – before the presser officially kicked off, casually asking him if he would be presenting the news that night. Genovese said he would be, to which Zempilas replied: “Tennis is on tonight, isn’t it?”
Genovese: “Ah yeah, the female finals.”
Zempilas: “It’s a reserves game, then.”
The short exchange caused a furore online, with Zempilas on the receiving end of social media pile-on from the likes of Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who posted: “I’d pay to see Basil play the ‘reserve’ women #Aus-Open2024 finalists … attitudes matter and women are sick of this rubbish.”
Teal MP Zali Steggall even rolled out the poo emoji. “Don’t be a Basil … what a (poo emoji)!”
Angela Pippos, a former high-profile sports reporter turned chief of staff for independent MP Zoe Daniel, suggested Zempilas’s remarks have poisoned his political aspirations: “Here’s a great example of how to destroy your credibility in just 15 seconds.”
Ten newsreader and journalist Stephen Quartermain was more composed, but his message was the same – Basil’s slip-up was a shocker. “A great reminder today for all broadcasters. The microphone is always ‘live’,” Quartermain posted on X.
A great reminder today for all broadcasters.
— Stephen Quartermain (@Quartermain10) January 27, 2024
The microphone 🎤 is always “liveâ€.
But The West was quick to defend their columnist, splashing its website on Saturday afternoon with a headline that read: “Baz slams fake news as journo confirms quotes out of context.”
In a lengthy statement, Zempilas said his conversation with Genovese was “reported totally incorrectly”.
“Before today’s press conference Michael and I were talking about how presenting the news when a big sporting event is on at the same time means a small audience will watch the news,” he said on X.
“It is totally disingenuous and flat out wrong to suggest otherwise and I will not be accused of having said something I did not say.”
Genovese even backed up Zempilas with the comments on X and wrote, “This conversation has been taken completely out of context. @BasilZempilas was referring to the tennis and the news going head to head.”
This conversation has been taken completely out of context. @BasilZempilas was referring to the tennis and the news going head to head. https://t.co/Aagnu0WjaO
— Michael Genovese (@GenoveseMichael) January 27, 2024
Teenager Leo Puglisi, who runs Melbourne-based streaming service 6 News Australia, said on X the original live feed of the press conference was from one of their partners, Perth-based online news service partner WAMN.
Puglisi said 6 News is “now reviewing our practices and further looking at how we can best ensure we have 100 per cent of all available feeds to guarantee full context” after sharing the vision on social media.”
It’s not the first time Zempilas has fired up the outrage machine. In 2020 he suggested homeless people should be “forcibly” removed from Perth’s malls “if necessary”.
And in the same year he offended the transgender community after he told 6PR listeners, “if you’ve got a penis mate, you’re a bloke”. If you’ve got a vagina, you’re a woman. Game over,” Zempilas said.
He then offered a $100 Retravision voucher to any callers who “have a penis but you’re a woman”.
Tom’s helping hand
ABC Middle East correspondent Tom Joyner has taken it upon himself to offer emotional support to his colleagues from afar, as the fallout from the sacking of fill-in radio host Antoinette Lattouf and the ongoing disquiet over the broadcaster’s wider coverage of the Israel-Hamas war continues to reverberate within the media organisation.
“If you are a young member of ABC staff (particularly if you are non-white) and have felt scared, intimidated, upset or angry or put under unfair pressure over your reporting on Israel – whether it’s online or at work – you are not alone. I am here to listen and offer confidential support if you need it.”
The public call out to staff was made via an Instagram story to his 2500-plus followers, including other ABC employees Tony Armstrong, Michael Rowland, Dan Bourchier, Jeremy Fernandez, Lisa Millar, Leigh Sales and Bridget Rollason.
The Istanbul-based journalist decided to offer his pro bono support hours after about 200 ABC staff, who are also union members, held a meeting to voice their disgust over the handling of Lattouf’s sacking and grievances about the coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Joyner then explained in his Instagram post that he too had been the victim of unpleasant criticism.
“I have been there and I understand what it’s like,” he wrote.
Joyner courted controversy shortly after the October 7 attacks, telling a WhatsApp group with more than 600 members of the international media covering the Israel-Hamas war that reports about babies being beheaded by Hamas terrorists were “bullshit”.
It prompted an internal investigation but the findings were not made public, due to being “confidential matters”.
An ABC spokeswoman said at the time: “Tom expressed regret on the WhatsApp group about his comments and is deeply apologetic for any offence caused.”
Joyner is still filing regular reports on the war.
Last week, about 3 per cent of ABC staff passed a motion for a vote of no confidence in the organisation’s managing director David Anderson in relation to the recent issues plaguing the public broadcaster, including the sacking of Lattouf.
One day later, ABC chair Ita Buttrose described the attack on Anderson as “abhorrent”.
Joyner recently threw his support behind Lattouf following her abrupt exit from the ABC after she posted about the Israel-Hamas war. She completed only three of five fill-in radio shifts before she was shown the door.
Joyner posted on Instagram, “Solidarity to @antoinette — lattouf.”
The Middle East correspondent’s latest post offering support via WhatsApp was followed last week by a desperate plea from ABC news boss Justin Stevens in an email titled, “ABC News team culture”.
Stevens called on editorial staff to “stay united, not just for each other but for the public we serve”.
Lattouf’s GoFundMe page, set up to help fund her legal case against the ABC in the Fair Work Commission, has so far raised more than $98,000. Diary asked Lattouf what she will do with any excess funds from her public appeal; she replied “no comment.”
In-house spray
Nine Entertainment’s Sydney talkback radio king Ray Hadley took a dim view of his company’s newspaper coverage of Anthony Albanese’s broken election promise last week, even suggesting that one of Nine’s most senior political journalists was a direct mouthpiece for the prime minister.
On Wednesday, Hadley – the morning show host on Nine-owned 2GB – launched a blistering take-down of the PM, branding him a “liar” over Labor’s changes to legislated tax cuts. The next morning, Hadley reloaded and took aim at the Nine-owned Sydney Morning Herald over its coverage of Anthony Albanese’s broken election promise.
“If you read the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald, you’d be thinking you were in a parallel universe because their headline is … ‘11 million to get bigger tax cuts’. How do you turn a lie into a positive? I guess David Crowe (chief political correspondent for the SMH and The Age) may have an office in Canberra attached to the PM’s office? I’m not quite sure.
“How you can turn this particular pig’s ear into a silk purse? I’m buggered if I know.”
In response, Crowe told Diary: “The old line is that a politician complaining about the media is like a sailor complaining about the sea, and that’s also true when media people complain about the media. It’s a yawn.
“We broke news several times through the week. For instance, we broke the news of the Wednesday caucus meeting in an exclusive the Saturday before it, and that did not come from the PM’s office. We did a pretty good job reporting on a moving target, as others did.”
Long goodbye
The movers and shakers in Melbourne – some of who have fiercely butted heads with 3AW broadcaster Neil Mitchell – will be gathering for the broadcaster’s “Thank You Luncheon” at the city’s Town Hall next month.
Nine Entertainment is putting on the shindig for Mitchell who retired last year after 34 years, with the promise that the party “won’t be too serious”.
“It’s a bit fun with no long silly speeches.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to attend, as too are Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Victorian deputy premier Ben Carroll. But one notable absentee at the February 9 event will be none other than former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews.
Mitchell said Andrews wasn’t invited. “Why would I do that?” Mitchell quipped when approached by Diary.
Mr Andrews famously put Mitchell in the freezer, refusing to appear on his program between 2017 up until his resignation from politics last September. The relationship between 3AW and the Victorian Labor government has since thawed somewhat, with new Premier Jacinta Allan appearing on Tom Elliott’s first show as morning host earlier this month.
Others who will help celebrate Mitchell’s illustrious career at 3AW include former AFL identities Gillon McLachlan, Sam Newman, and Mick Malthouse, and retired Victorian Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp can’t make it, while Eddie McGuire – who Mitchell clashed with on air numerous times – will be out of the country attending the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Former Prime Ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott were invited but are unable to attend.
Mitchell said there will be a “smattering of 3AW people” in attendance including Ross Stevenson, Russel Howcroft, Jane Holmes, as well as Nine Radio boss Tom Malone and Nine’s chairman Peter Costello.
Mitchell told Diary he’s been busy since his departure from the mornings show.
“I’ve recorded a couple of podcast interviews this week, I’m in the middle of writing a column and I’ve done a radio spot. I’m working at a different pace but I’m working every day,” he said. His podcast duties have shifted from fortnightly to weekly and he will still be on 3AW once a week appearing on the station’s drive program hosted by Jacqui Felgate.
Nick Tabakoff is on leave
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