Spin Cycle

Independent Journalist, author of the Palestine Laboratory & co-founder of Declassified Australia, Antony Loewenstein, joins Jess and Rachel to discuss zionism, anti-semitism, and the fight against fascism, after the exploration of these topics in a recent Compass episode.

The team also cover the first part in the saga of Gina Rinehart's portrait-removal demands, and the post-budget press club addresses.

Emma Buckley Lennox fills in for the Spin Cycle crew this week and is joined by Professor Somwrita Sarkar from the University of Sydney to discuss her research into spatial segregation and neighbourhood change. 

Later in the program, Peter Greste, Executive director of the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom, weighs in on this week's sentencing of whistleblower David McBride.

This week on Spin Cycle, Jess and Rachel are joined by Walkley Award-winning Journalist from UTS Helen Vatsikopulos. They talk with her about the current environment for studying journalism and the challenges of ensuring diversity for the future of the industry. 

Jess and Rachel also discuss the recent awarding of The Pulitzer Prize, and what’s going on at Columbia University.

Joseph Friedman joins the Spin Cycle team to introduce 'About Time', a new publication created for, and largely by, incarcerated people in Australia. They dive into the intended content, similar existing publications, and what the launch and approval process is like.

The team also talks about media funding, racism, and the dialogue around the recent spike in coverage of violence against women across the country.

In light of the verdict on Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Channel 10, the Spin Cycle team are joined by Dr Rachael Burgin, senior lecturer at Swinburne University and CEO of Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy. 

Together they discuss how the trial was conducted differently to other similar cases, and how high profile sexual assault cases in the media can impact survivors. They also explore how the media has treated survivors, including Brittany Higgins, and what changes could be made to better respect them.

The team also discusses Hugh Grant's case against The Sun and the recent shuffling at Channel 7.

Advocate for the right to housing, Jordan van den Berg, aka Purple Pingers, joins Jess and Rachel to talk about how the media have responded to his recent campaign to create a database of empty and vacant homes in both Australia and the US. 

Together they explore how the media engage with concepts to which they are generally foreign to due to issues of class representation in the newsroom and ask why we only see issues in the media which have begun to personally impact the journalists covering them.

Jess and Rachel also cover other news in the week, including the government’s stance on the two state solution for Palestine and Israel, and how the media sensationalises recycled political commentary.

Human rights lawyer and author, Sarah M Saleh joins the team to discuss her recent piece in Meanjin's Autumn issue. Together they examine censorship and limits on free speech evident in recent artistic curatorships, and whether we will see a change in the presentation of Palestinian voices to the Australian public.

The team also talk about the new evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case and a practical joke gone awry.

Jess is joined by Rachel Withers editor in chief of the politics to speak to investigative journalist Jarni Blakkarly who asks the question "are news rooms equiped for mental health of staff?" also topics such as Impartiality in regards to how the news from Gaza is reported.

An episode of Spin Cycle from 21st March 2024.

Charlie, Rachel and Jess are joined this week by David Hardaker, an experienced Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist who has worked for Four Corners, 7.30, Foreign Correspondent and 60 Minutes, to discuss his new book "Mine is the Kingdom".

Also joining this week is ABC Global Affairs Editor, John Lyons on this week's Four Corners report "The Forever War".

This episode contains information that some listeners may find sensitive. Audio has been edited to improve quality.