Spin Cycle

Journalist and writer Jonathan Green joins Charlie and Rachel to unpack his new piece for The Monthly Whose ABC?, which applies a historical context to understand the current state of affairs and challenges that face the public broadcaster.

The team also tackle the death toll of journalists during the conflict in Gaza, and reporting on the one-sided media coverage of the conflict.

Plus, Charlie and Rachel apply a media lens to analyse how Taylor Swift’s recent Australian tour has been used in news and politics.

An episode of Spin Cycle from 29th February 2024.

Tito Ambyo, writer, researcher, producer, and RMIT journalism lecturer, joins Jess and Charlie on this week's Spin Cycle. 

He shares his thoughts on the practice of journalism and its future. What does it mean to be a journalist? Is journalism a form of activism? And what are the main issues that need to be addressed in the industry?

Plus, the team also discusses the Woolworths CEO’s walk-out interview on Four Corners (and resignation!) and whip through the week's media dramas.

This week, Jess is joined by Prof. Peter Greste from Alliance for Journalists' Freedom. Together they discuss his own experience with the law and press freedom in Eygpt and how Australia treats freedom of speech in the press more broadly.

They also how Australia's government has failed on reforming protections for whistleblowers ahead of Greste's appearance at the WhisteblowerJustice Fund’s 2024 event on March 5.

The Guardian's Justice and Courts Reporter Nino Bucci, joins the Spin Cycle team to talk about his wild reporting into court findings that an undercover operation by counter-terrorism cops in the AFP may have further radicalised an autistic 13 year old with a "fixation" on ISIS. 

Plus, the team dive into ABC's Nemesis doc series and experience whiplash from revisiting the Abbott-Turnbull era of modern politics.

Jess, Charlie and Rachel return for the first episode of Spin Cycle in 2024! They kick off a mammoth week in the news media with a detailed look at Antoinette Lattouf's claim of unlawful termination from the ABC. Plus Rachel's new (old) job, Katharine Murphy's defection from The Guardian to Anthony Albanese's office and the curious case of Channel 9, AI and Georgie Purcell's midriff.

In the final episode of Soin Cycle for the year, Jess, Charlie and Rachel revisit the highlights of the Australian media in 2023. They also wrap up the media stories of the past week, including updates on defamation cases and changes in leadership at Schwartz Media.

Thanks to returning hosts Najma Sambul, Esther Anatolitis and Rachel Withers, and to all the wonderful guests on Spin Cycle this year!

Louise Milligan

Matilda Boseley

James Oaten

Alan Kohler

Ben Madden

Jackie Turner

Denis Muller

Joshua Thorburn

Kishor Napier-Raman

Bridget Brennan

Ben Abbatangelo

Cam Wilson

Michael Bradley

Amy Remeikis

Sarah Krasnostein

Sarah Elks

Sally Young

Marc Fennell

Kimina Lyall

Charles Livingstone

Brodie Landcaster

Walter Marsh

Natasha May

Peter Lewis

Jay Daniel Thompson

Nick Feik

Eddie Lloyd

Aidan Sinclair

Saskia De Leeuw Kyle

Xavier George

Laura Tingle

Natalie Feliks

Karla Grant

Daniel James

Eugenia Flynn

Nick Mckenzie

Nasser Mashni

Danny Saeed

Rick Sarre

Jess and Rachel are joined by Crikey media reporter Daany Saeed to discuss laws in relation to indefinite detention, illegal migration and how the media sensationalises fragments of full stories to create catchy headlines.
The team also talk about the Walkley Awards and the controversy around the nomination of the Bruce Lehrmann interview as a “scoop”.
Find the latest numbers from the Committee to Protect Journalists at https://cpj.org/about/

Media and human rights law specialist Michael Bradley talks to Charlie and Rachel about the changes in the public and media’s approach to defamation in recent years, with a particular focus on the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case and how it demonstrates these shifting attitudes.

Charlie and Rachel also discuss Henry Kissinger's death, how the media shapes images of those in power and holds them to account, and an open letter from journalists calling for unbiased coverage of the conflict in Gaza.

Charlie and Jess are joined by returning co-host, Meanjin editor Esther Anatolitis. Together they talk to Sarah Elks, senior reporter for The Australian in Brisbane, about her recent investigative series on gun laws in Australia. What is the state of regulations and what would measures like a national firearms registry look like?

The team also discuss the latest figures in the Israel/Hamas conflict from the Committee to Protect Journalists, olive harvest and olive oil manufacturing in Greece, and an update on the David McBride whistleblowing case.