Guardian columnist Van Badham’s misfire at Sky News Australia
Columnist Van Badham attacked Sky News Australia only to learn her criticism should have been directed at an unrelated international media outlet.
The Guardian Australia was forced to issue a humiliating apology last week after one of its star columnists penned a 700-word piece attacking Sky News Australia for its coverage of Italian Prime Minister’s Giorgia Meloni’s victory – only to later realise she’d criticised the wrong media outlet.
Van Badham, who is described by The Guardian Australia as “an occasional broadcaster, critic and trade union feminist”, began her recent column on the news website by lashing out at an article written by journalist Adam Parsons from Sky News UK — a media outlet with no connection to Sky News Australia.
“Australia’s Sky News opened its report of far-right Giorgia Meloni’s imminent election victory as Italy’s first female prime minister with the statement: ‘Giorgia Meloni is not a fascist’,” she wrote.
“Seems a helluva disclaimer to feel obliged to make, really, but then even Sky admits Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party is not without ideological baggage.”
Sky News UK is owned by Sky Group, a division of one of Europe’s largest media companies, Comcast. News Corp’s executive chairman Rupert Murdoch sold all his shares in Sky Group in 2018.
A Guardian spokeswoman said the initial reference to Sky News Australia at the beginning of Badham’s September 27 article was removed as soon as they became aware the opinion piece was wrong. “We removed a reference to Sky News Australia on 4 October, 2022,” she said.
“It was corrected to say the report on Giorgia Meloni was broadcast by Sky News UK.
“The correction was made as soon as we became aware it needed to be amended.”
A Sky News Australia spokeswoman said: “This is not the first time, and presumably not the last, that The Guardian has completely mischaracterised Sky News Australia’s content and been forced to correct their misinformation,” she said.
“However, it is the first time they have gotten the entire publication wrong.”
Badham has pinned the article to her Twitter profile, so it sits at the top of her feed.
At the bottom of her opinion piece there is now a disclaimer.
“This article was amended … to remove a reference to Sky News Australia. The report on Georgia Meloni was broadcast by Sky News UK.”
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