Revisiting a tawdry tale of journalistic self-indulgence and reality-challenged editing

To revisit the Four Corners’ coverage of the Porter rape accusation (“Christian Porter and Kate: a tale of two stories”, 23-24/4) in light of his reported complaints that it was based on a cynical, selective and sanitised cherrypicking of available information is to re-enter with fresh eyes a parallel media wonderland, where the fast-clearing smoke of moralising indignance and the shattering mirrors of narcissistic arrogance are finally allowing us to see how comfortably entrenched the sillier kids have become in “our” journos’ unsupervised lolly shop.

Even more sobering is the dawning possibility that the ABC’s all-you-can-eat lawyers’ buffet has been overrun by ineffectual gluttons, too.

Given that this episode has already required in at least one settled defamation case the ABC’s full disclosure of relevant information to Porter, any future revelation that Four Corners were less than suitably transparent in its conduct beyond its “public interest” journalism might prove costly.

Jack Robertson, Birchgrove, NSW

There are facts, and there are partisan reports dealing with those facts.

ABC TV news on April 25 laboured the fact that a survey found that 14 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women “felt less optimistic about their economic circumstances than 1 year ago”.

True, no doubt – or at least it is part of the truth.

The full truth, studiously avoided in the ABC news, is the fact that an overwhelming majority – 76 per cent of women and 86 per cent of men – felt either equally confident or more confident of their economic circumstances than they did a year ago.

That fact, if properly reported, would have given an entirely different – and truthful – impression of both the facts and the mood of the electorate.

Chris Michelmore, Goodwood, SA

We bemoan and fear the fact of the ongoing and increasing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region, most recently in the Solomon Islands.

But consider the ALPs intention to “pump Australia’s news coverage” in the Pacific region by pouring over $8m towards the ABC’s international media programming. This is seen to be part of its “Pacific solution” should it win government (“Labor lays out strategy for the Pacific”, 27/4).

With all the (valid) criticism of the left bias of the ABC in its news and current affairs programs, heaven knows what these nation’s daily news offerings will be. Unbiased, objective and discriminating coverage it definitely won’t be.

Angela Kueter-Luks, Bruce, ACT

Stassja Frei’s insightful article (“Women lose out in conflict with transgender rights”, 27/4) was an affirmation of the great civil irony that as the fourth wave of feminism now seeks to use semantics to supposedly promote inclusion, the outcome is actually an effective erasing of womanhood in itself. Was this genuinely part of the original aims of the movement? Unfortunately, the progressive creed is ultimately one of taking no prisoners and a total derision for those who rightly raise an alternative point of view concerning the biological realities of XX and XY chromosomes.

It is also predominantly a inner-city, neo-atheist passion, certainly not shared by those citizens who belong to the myriad of religious and cultural minorities across the country.

The most recent Census data indicated that only 1260 people out of an Australian population of 26 million identified as transgender – approximately 0.0048 per cent. It is simply extraordinary that an entire populace is expected to stop using sound medical terms such as breastfeeding woman or menstruating girl so as to capitulate to the niche lifestyle choices of so few.

We have now reached a line-in-the-sand moment concerning the upholding of sound social values. While it has been encouraging for notable Australian swimmers and political leaders to speak up in support of protecting women’s sport, it is now well past time for corporate leaders and mainstream Australians to demand an end to the reducing of gender to its lowest denominator, by refusing to bow down before the altar of woke whining.

There is ultimately no end to the possible dilution of our language and terminology, and so it will inevitably be our children who suffer the cultural confusion of limitless alphabet identities and being told that your gender is fluid, according to the fluctuating whims of adolescence.

The upcoming federal election must be an opportunity for a reset on our civil pillars.

Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn, Vic

Fear not, Peter Searcy (Last Post, 27/4), the humiliation of not having your letter published is yours alone.

It’s the same as scoring a zero on the “Take the Challenge” quiz.

David Jones, Bentley Park, Qld