We Used to be Journos

In this episode, as Anthony Albanese meets Donald Trump at the White House we take a look at the manufactured moment that saw former PM Kevin Rudd hit the headlines. Plus, we unpack the media’s warped definitions of a “ceasefire” in Gaza as near-identical coverage around the world tows the Israeli line and ignores Palestinians.   And, with the commentary creep in journalism leaving audiences confused we proffer an unlikely solution. Also in medialand women get punted, men get promoted.   It’s A Yes From Me: the U.S reporters resisting Trump’s creeping authoritarianism by hitting the pavement… in more ways than one. Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.Buy our new Etterati and It’s A No From Me T-shirts here. If you want to see our mugs as well as hear our dulcet tones you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, a tip off leads Jan and Antoinette to discover a U.S. website had published the private phone numbers of high profile Australians including the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and the NSW Premier. Some awkward verification calls followed as well as some questions about what the PM knew and when.   We take you through the story from start to finish and wade through the world of AI-driven data scraping to understand what this means for your privacy (and the PMs)In It's a No From Me, Antoinette adds The West Australian’s ceasefire editorial to the “vile pile”, plus some TLDR tips on spotting below average “expert” takes on Gaza.In It’s a Yes From Me, Jan Fran salutes The Shot and The Sunday Shot and  Antoinette cheers on an opinion piece about Senator David Pocock tackling the gambling lobby. LinkedIn spokesperson statement: “Our policies are clear that any unauthorised scraping of data from LinkedIn is prohibited. In addition to the technology and teams we’ve long had in place to stop unauthorised data scraping, we continue to invest in new defenses to protect our members’ data. You can read about our latest efforts here.Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we reveal what really happened behind the scenes of Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges’ National Press Club address - a talk that vanished from the schedule. Was it ever confirmed, did it get cancelled or did the NPC, as Hedges alleges, cave to the Israel lobby? We’ve got the paper trail.  Also, the Trump administration’s crackdown on press freedom takes a dark turn: a veteran journalist is arrested while live streaming an ICE raid and then kicked out of the country by the same immigration body he’d been filming.We also unpack Israel’s latest influencer campaign targeting Gen Z, a glossy front in the propaganda war during its genocide in Gaza.Plus, a nod to the SBS doco on robodebt and its inadvertent role in providing much needed media literacy and a quick shout to a new toolkit for starting your own hyperlocal newsroom.Grab your tickets to A Night of Humanity at Enmore Theatre here.Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Jan and Antoinette try to answer the question many of you have asked: why am I agreeing with Candace Owens? They take a look at the divisions within the MAGA movement over Israel and why things aren’t quite what they seem. Plus, it costs $25 million to police protests in Victoria - or does it? We dig into that figure and not only is it inflated by we find certain politicians working with certain media outlets to manufacture a story.  And, AI is coming for your ears. Jan looks at Inception Point AI - the new podcast company flooding the zone with thousands of podcasts episodes each week with not a human in sight.  There’s also a shout out to one of our favourite columnists who also used to be a journo.  Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re live at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne this week, handing out a report card on independent media now that Ette Media has survived its three-month probation.Jan Fran, once reporting on Eurovision for SBS, is now not-happy-Jan at the broadcaster’s refusal to boycott if Israel takes the stage. Antoinette brings the receipts on The Daily Telegraph’s dodgy hit job against the Jewish Council of Australia, which just happened to interrupt the Council’s paid ad opposing genocide. And yes, it gets raw: the audience pulls no punches in the Q+A, and neither do we.It’s A Yes From Me:Antoinette tips her hat to ABC’s John Lyons for irritating President Trump.Jan Fran can’t get enough of Greg Larsen’s eulogy of Charlie Kirk.We Used To Be Journos live was originally presented on 20th September 2025 inpartnership with The Wheeler Centre Follow Wheeler for more smart, passionate and entertainingpublic talks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an exclusive investigation, we look at Melbourne University Press’s decision to close one of Australia’s oldest literary journals. MUP says it’s about money, we reveal new testimony that says otherwise. So what’s it really about? Plus, we look at the saturation of media coverage following Charlie Kirk’s murder. We explore how the media should cover the far right, how “centrist media” gets it wrong and how the focus on one man distracted us from the biggest story in the world.  And the Islamophobia envoy’s findings landed on a Friday - a slot reserved for news no one wants noticed but that’s not our main gripe.  A Yes From Me:Zeteo News: Charlie Kirk in His Own WordsABC ‘The federal press gallery is ceding power to the Albanese government’Our earlier episode on Antisemitism envoy findingsSupport Ette Media, join the Etterati by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Antoinette away this week, Jan Fran holds down the fort with former BBC journalist and presenter Karishma Patel. Karishma walked out of the BBC in October 2024 over its coverage of Gaza and has since become one of its loudest and most public critics.In this episode, she and Jan dive into life inside the BBC, what finally pushed her to resign, and why she’s now taking the organisation to task in public. They unpack the slippery word “impartiality” – how it so often doubles as a muzzle for journalists who dare to prod the status quo - and ask whether it’s more effective to stay and fight from the inside or cut loose and build something different. The pair also unpack the momentum around building a new media ecosystem.Regular programming resumes next week.You can find Karishma on Instagram You can read her piece in The Independent You can read her piece in The GuardianSupport Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan and Antoinette have been busting to share their inside Lebbo goss about Bob Katter. Also, we cover the coverage of the so-called March for Australia - a rally led by neo-Nazis and followed by limp reporting. The Herald Sun dibberdobs … again and the Canberra Midwinter Ball leaves Jan feeling icy as she watches old-school journalists and new school content creators clink glasses with the same old politicians. Plus: praise for the independent media organisation (of course) that delivered the much-needed analysis of the “anti-immigration” march, and a cartoonist whose pencil cuts straight through inequality. It’s a Yes From Me: Lamestream analysisCathy Wilcox cartoonSupport Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Antoinette (finally!) gives her reaction to the ABC’s new Public Comment Guidelines, which Jan calls the ‘Lattouf guidelines.’ The broadcaster says the new rules aren’t due to its Federal Court loss to Antoinette but we’re not so sure. We also examine the messy, co-dependent and ever-changing relationship between journalists and the public comments they were encouraged (then discouraged) to make on social media. Elsewhere, Sky’s Sharri Markson “interviews” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a “world exclusive” but it was less interview and more stenography with a side of flattery for the wanted war criminal who’s also credibly accused of committing genocide. Plus, the Bush Summit - a billionaire–backed, media-run roadshow - rolls into town where words like “net zero ideology” and “climategate” get cooked up, and served reheated as news.Plus, some recognition for journalism-done-good, reassurance that cynicism hasn’t fully eaten our souls.It’s a Yes From Me:+972 Magazine Independent journalism from Israel-PalestineThe Guardian: Australia’s gun lobby says it’s ‘winning’ the fight against firearm controlSupport Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the tangled web of media and corporate ties as the hosts dissect the shady relationship between Woodside Energy and Seven West Media. They explore alarming political shifts with far-right protests reminiscent of the Cronulla Riots. Additionally, hear about censorship clashes at the Bendigo Writers' Festival and the challenges faced by Palestinian voices in media. Finally, combat news fatigue with refreshing survival strategies while laughing through the chaos, emphasizing the importance of community and solidarity amid overwhelming news cycles.