Chinese embassy and 60 Minutes go to war over use of drone

Full-time score in the latest diplomatic media stoush involving China is 60 Minutes 1, Chinese ­embassy 0.

Cartoon: Johannes Leak.

Full-time score in the latest diplomatic media stoush involving China is 60 Minutes 1, Chinese ­embassy 0. At the centre of the spirited, shouty dispute was the Nine Network program’s investigation into Chinese influence in the South Pacific and, more particularly, the program’s use of a drone to film the Chinese embassy in Vanuatu. This met with the great displeasure of Saxian Cao, the Australian embassy’s head of media affairs, who rang executive producer Kirsty Thomson ­before the program’s June 17 broad­cast. Cao had attempted to get in touch with Nine Network executives but was referred down to Thomson.

“She shouted at me, ‘Take this down and take it to your leaders!’ ” Thomson says. The EP maintains the drone was used legally and safely and on public land and did not fly over the embassy, which didn’t satisfy Cao, who said she was “reserving the right to take further action” and, according to Thomson, shouted in parting: “You will not use that footage.”

Reporter Charles Wooley wrote up the encounter, which was forwarded to Diary. “Alien though the notion of a free media is to the Chinese, it is an inconvenience they will have to deal with in Australia,” Wooley wrote. “Shouting at an editor or a producer might work in China but in this country such behaviour will not scotch a story. Indeed it is ­likely only to generate more ­reportage and comment.”

The report went to air a week ago, with footage. But then it was all quiet on the eastern front. 60 Minutes offered the embassy a right of reply. Diary contacted the Chinese embassy in Australia and we were asked to submit an ­inquiry via email, which we did. So far we have not received a reply. “I suggested to her that she make her complaints in writing but she didn’t,” Thomson told Diary. “They have gone very quiet.”

Footnote: Cartoonist Johannes Leak, who drew the cartoon above this item, appears in each Monday’s Media section. He also draws the daily cartoon in The Australian every Tuesday.

Cartoonist Johannes Leak says there is no shortage of material on political cartooning.

MORE: https://t.co/ykweMevBOK #kennyonsunday pic.twitter.com/KRe8amzKbR

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 24, 2018

Not all he appears to be

Last week Diary received this email: “Hi Stephen, Thought I’d let you know that I just read your article on Andrew Jaffrey — after he’s spent some six months talking to our company purporting to be a creative consultant for Al Jazeera. Thankfully all that has happened to us is nothing more than a waste of time, but thought you may be interested to know he’s still out there pretending to work for Al ­Jazeera Australia.”

That was from Luke Downs, managing director of RMK Management, a talent agency that supplies artists for voiceover work.

Andrew Jaffrey appearing on a Nine online news program.

In April this column exposed the activities of Jaffrey, which ­included posting an offer of employment to become Australian news director of Al Jazeera (not true), tweeting that police were raiding the Kenthurst property of Don Burke (not true), about how he was writing a big feature in the Sydney Morning Herald about a horrific crime in Guilford (not true). Now Jaffrey appears to have a second wind. He led RMK on a run-around, promising one artist a weekly rate of $2000 and then complaining to that artist that RMK agents refused to return his calls. He was unsuccessful in creating a rift between the agency and a longstanding client. “Then he’s telling me he’s on a flight to Doha and would contact me next week,” Downs told Diary.

Jaffrey did not return Diary’s phone calls. He still claims to be a Media Entertainment and Arts ­Alliance member on his Twitter handle. But his listing on the MEAA freelance journalist page has been removed and Diary under­stands he is no longer a member of the union. On the plus side, Jaffrey does appear to be friends with former SBS newsreader George Donikian.

Down to the wire

News and information agency Australian Associated Press has concluded its round of job cuts, making 29 staff redundant. The wire service had planned to make up to 25 staff redundant but let more go after the process was, as editor-in-chief Tony Gillies put it, “well subscribed”. The redundancies were announced after some media customers dropped or reduced AAP services while rationalising their own businesses.

Diary was told AAP staff were to learn their fate via email but ­Gillies says he held an initial meeting to announce the process ­(described by one attendee as being something of an interminable “Rob Oakeshott-style monologue”) then held follow-up meetings around the country ­before informing staff personally or via a phone call. AAP will now continue to reshape the newswire in consultation with its subscribers. “I will be honest with you. We over-file and there is a reasonable amount of our content that gets very little or no use,” Gillies told Diary, adding that AAP is producing about 450 stories a day. He wants to refocus the wire service on what subscribers need. “It’s not about volume, it’s about relevance and making it sharp,” he said.

Weekly revival

Nice to see the once-great Australian Women’s Weekly once again setting the news agenda after a very long fallow period, through its ­exclusive interview with Natalie Joyce, estranged wife of former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce.How did the AWW get its great scoop? Talks went on for months and the deal was done before the Sunday Night interview.

Natalie Joyce did an interview with the Australian Women's Weekly.

“The unpaid and candid interview was secured by The Australian Women’s Weekly’s journalist and friend of Natalie’s Lizzie Wilson and was agreed upon prior to the Sunday Night exclusive with Barnaby Joyce and his current partner Vikki Campion,” the Weekly said in a statement. “At no point was the topic of payment for the story raised, despite numerous offers from other media outlets. The courageous mum was ultimately driven to speak to the Weekly by her four daughters. She says in the interview: “I’m normally a very private person but I knew I had to find my voice. I’m doing this so the girls feel empowered, and know their mum stood up and defended our fine name.” Editor-in-chief Nicole Byers cleverly reached out to Mrs Joyce and asked her to be part of the Weekly’s rural women tribute. Some say the Weekly is a shadow of its former self thanks to Bauer cuts, so nice to see some well-planned journalism can still rise to the fore.

Conjuring a champion

Jobs will go at the ABC as a result of the $84 million indexation freeze that hits the national broadcaster from next year, managing director Michelle Guthrie has confirmed. Guthrie said as much at the Melbourne Press Club last week after a question from RN Drive’s Patricia Karvelas, who asked if the ABC was making plans for the cuts brought about by the indexation freeze, which hits in July next year.

Guthrie pointed out that the ABC would be handing back $50m from this July in efficiencies as the last instalment of the 2014 budget cuts. Trying to increase drama and children’s content was difficult as costs rose and funding was flat.

ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie. Picture: Aaron Francis

“Further cuts will impact content services and ultimately jobs,” Guthrie told the room. “We are 12 months out from that being a ­reality but we are obviously working through that.”

Guthrie also pushed back at outspoken ABC Melbourne host Jon Faine, who chastised his boss for not being outspoken enough. “Thank you for your talk today and no one could be more pleased than me to see you do it,” Faine said. “We need a lot more of it. As one staff member, but I know I speak for many … we do want to know why you have been so reluctant to do more of what you’ve just done. We need a champion, we need a public champion. We don’t need a managing director who hides often from public engagement.”

Guthrie replied: “I wouldn’t agree with you when you say that I hide from the media.” Faine then complained about the difficulty he and his rivals had getting an interview. His managing director ­responded: “The key thing for me is … delivering. The more you speak, the less you’re heard … I do believe that … speaking with ­impact matters.” Note: Diary hears Faine’s contract is up for ­renewal at the end of the year.

Fitz goes walkabout

What could possibly dislodge star Sydney Morning Herald column Peter FitzSimons from his inside backpage slot in the once-mighty Saturday Sydney Morning Herald? This weekend The Fitz Files was buried further back in the paper than Roy Masters and even, er, Malcolm Knox. Worse still, replacing Fitz was a full-page ad paid for by the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, with whom he is warring over its megabucks NSW government handout for the refurbishment of Allianz Stadium. At least the ad was for FitzSimons’ beloved Wallabies. And would have gone an incremental step towards recouping the tall man’s ginormous salary. So smiles all round.

On the other hand

If you want to make your mark as a member of the commentariat, consistency is key. Otherwise you start looking like an empty vessel. And so to Karl Stefanovic, who has been sounding off about stars not attending Sunday’s Logies awards, to be held for the first time on the Gold Coast after a long residency in Melbourne. Last week Stefanovic directed a spray at actor Hugo Weaving, who is nominated for an acting award, and also at his rival breakfast presenters on Seven, Sunrise hosts David Koch and Sam Armytage.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018: “He’s a disgrace,” Stefanovic said in reference to Weaving. “The ­Logies are recognition for the hard work of those who work in a great industry, an industry that entertains all Australians … It survives and thrives on people like you promoting it, people’s jobs depend on it. So you aren’t coming to the ­Logies? No worries. You don’t want to thank a producer, a camera operator, or someone who paid for your show to be made, paid your wage, Hugo?”

Karl Stefanovic to Lisa Wilkinson, September 4, 2017: “I’m telling you right now — if the Logies move from Melbourne, I’m boycotting them. I will not be going to the Logies if they’re outside of Melbourne.”

Falling out of favour

In times gone past, the strength of a corporate entity could be discerned by one important metric — the status of their corporate entertaining effort at the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativ­ity. In years gone by, tech giants like Facebook have slain the ­opposition. This year, in what could be interpreted as a sign of the times, News Corp’s Cannes Summer Garden Party was the town’s hottest ticket. So much so that media-buyers, marketers and creative agency heads who RSVP’d to Facebook warned the social media giant that, because of a scheduling clash, they were unlikely to make their way there as News Corp’s party was on at the same time.

Simon Le Bon of British rock group Duran Duran.

Facebook pulled the start time of its own party forward, which featured a performance from Duran Duran. Meanwhile, News Corp had a DJ set from British actor Idris Elba and by Fatboy Slim ahead of a star turn by Kylie Minogue performing her greatest hits. Notable absentees prowling the famous Cannes Croisette this year were Facebook’s top cadre, who were staying away and keeping a low profile following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Hot: Kylie Minogue.

Scott joins Ten

Not so much a new broom at Ten as a new shoe. Neil Shoebridge’s replacement at Network Ten is Vida Scott, who has been appointed head of communications. She starts next Monday (July 2) so will miss all the fun of the Logies but presumably not all the press ­releases Ten will pump out.

Scott will report to Ten chief operating officer Annabelle Herd, looking after external corporate communications, internal communications and trade marketing. She has held marketing and corporate communications roles at Red Agency, which had Fairfax Media as a client, News Corp Australia, APN News & Media (now HT&E) and Westpac.

Scott said: “It’s a great time to be joining Network Ten. The media industry plays an important role for all Australians and Ten is a key part of that landscape. There are a lot of exciting things happening at the company and I’m looking forward to working with the team to shape Ten’s future.”

Diary said: Yep, it’s a tough gig.

Vida Scott, new Network Ten head of communications.