Tinfoil hats and counting same-sex chickens before they’re hatched

Labor and the Greens are already jostling to claim credit for marriage equality.

Translated: “We don’t want Labor to get all the credit if the same-sex vote passes.” Media release, Greens senator Janet Rice, yesterday:

With Bill Shorten announcing ... his own marriage equality bill … it is now time for all parties wanting to end discrimination in marriage to work together on a common goal.

Granny gets confused. Darren Davidson, The Australian, Tuesday:

The Sydney Morning Herald has incorrectly claimed that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp made a bid for Time Warner Cable … The SMH’s story, which is unsourced, has no byline and features a prominent picture of Mr Murdoch, has muddled recent events with an entirely separate story from last year. Overnight, The Wall Street Journal reported that Charter ­Communications is nearing an acquisition of Time Warner Cable … The SMH’s story has confused Time Warner Cable, the second largest US cable company, with Time Warner Inc, a separate entity which owns film, television, and cable assets … Both companies are separately ­listed entities with different sets of shareholders.

Granny sets things straight. Tuesday evening:

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation had bid for Time Warner Cable. Mr Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox was in talks last year for Time Warner Inc not Time Warner Cable which is now subject of a bid.

Davidson says Granny is all right now. The Australian, Tuesday evening:

Fairfax this evening published a correction after The Australian pointed out the factual errors, changing the headline to “John Malone moves on Time Warner” and reworking the copy. The correction reads: “An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation had bid for Time Warner Cable. Mr Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox was in talks last year for Time Warner Inc not Time Warner Cable which is now subject of a bid.”

Granny’s journos, however, aren’t. The Sydney Morning Herald’s Michael West decides it’s all a conspiracy to get him over his reporting on another matter. Perhaps he’s worried that his bosses aren’t so sure about the stories. Four tweets from Tuesday night:

@darrendavidson I see, you’re referring to a correction in a story I didn’t write.

@darrendavidson Where is the correction Darren? And the one you said would be made on the story before that?

@darrendavidson That’s your second fantasy Fairfax correction. Phone me if you consider yourself a journalist, not PR.

@Rita_Panahi @darrendavidson I demand Rita’s cheating climate scientists’ treatment.

After a no-doubt sleepless night a desperate West invokes the greatest authority in the land, top tinfoil hat man Stephen Mayne of Crikey. Twitter, yesterday morning:

@darrendavidson has now penned two fantasy corrections post my tax yarns. There are no corrections @MayneReport.

Priorities. BBC News site, Tuesday:

A rare bird may become extinct in Syria because of the capture of Palmyra by Islamic State, experts say. A tiny breeding colony of the northern bald ibis … was found near the city in 2002. Only one female returned from the wintering grounds in spring 2013. Three further birds held in captivity were abandoned last week ... Their fate is unknown.