We Used to be Journos

Jan and Antoinette look at how a violent attack on independent MP Helen Haines was politicised by The Australian, despite the scant details and evidence available.

Antoinette reflects honestly on her time in Lebanon, why it’s a country of contrasts and what "holidaying" in a warzone is really like. Also, we bring you a special interview with local reporter Widad Francis about the multifaceted challenges of being a journalist in Lebanon.

Plus, what extremist settler attacks on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine reveal about the paper’s inconsistent ethical and editorial standards.

And Jan Fran has strong feelings about ABC Radio National's Top 100 Books of All Time.

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Shooter/Editor: Lachlan French

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In the span of 12 months Chile, Colombia and now (likely) Brazil will join Argentina and take a Trumpian turn by electing far-right leaders. As it happens, they are the top four largest economies in South America.

This week Jan Fran takes a look at why a far-right wave is is making a splash across South America and what that has to do with the current US president and the man who was US President in 1823.

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In this special episode, Jan Fran is joined by Soaliha Iqbal, Ette’s social media editor, who brings a unique Gen Z perspective on media and journalism.

They talk about Soaliha’s time in online youth media, why Israel/Palestine was such a fraught story to cover, what made Soaliha finally quit and why she doesn’t aspire to be an ‘objective’ journalist.

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Shooter/Editor: Lachy French

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Sorry folks, there wont be an Only Fran this week. Antoinette is away and I'm traveling, which has made it a bit difficult to put one together for you this week. Figured I'd keep you updated.

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*** A special deal for the Etterati - for a 30-day free subscription to Lamestream head to https://www.lamestream.com.au/ette and get Scott and Os’s breaking news and analysis for free.

In this special episode, Jan Fran and Lamestream co-founder Scott Mitchell sit down for a long overdue chat about starting independent media companies. They trade war stories about coming up through the mainstream media, what made them finally decide to go independent and the future for smaller indi outlets.

Plus, Scott talks about One Nation’s Victorian election campaign launch and the wildly racist video the media missed, while Jan brings some throwaway lines from the Australian Financial Review that have her cracking up because if she doesn’t laugh, she’ll cry.

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This week Jan Fran takes a look at the battle between the Trump administration and the International Criminal Court, although can you really call it a battle when it’s only one side doing the battling?

In addition to sanctioning individual members of the court, Donald Trump and his trusted Secretary of State, Marco Rubio are now considering sanctions against the entire organisation.

If that happens it would be an unprecedented f**k you to international law by a man determined never to be bound by it.

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In this special episode Jan and Antoinette take a deep dive into ABC’s 7.30 foreign policy interviews. They review forty-two interviews, by host Sarah Ferguson between mid 2022 - mid 2026 with international guests from conflict zones including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel.

The results are telling: Israeli guests are giving three times as much airtime as Palestinians, only Russia gets accused of propaganda, while asking for condemnation of violence is reserved for guests from one country only.

And that’s just a snippet.

Our data dive highlights how the public broadcaster echoes the Australian government’s views and international relationships — sometimes despite evidence and the expectations of international law. This was particularly prevalent with one country: Israel.

You can read our analysis and the ABC’s full reply at www.ettemedia.com

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***

Shooter/Editor: Lachlan French

Producer: Anushri Sood

Data analyst: Dr Richard Bean

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With the Macklemore Ed Sheeran saga continuing to play out in the headlines, some commentators have suggested it’s a watershed cultural moment that will help move the dial on Palestine.

Jan Fran wonders which dial, because there are certain dials that aren't shifting at all and are, in fact, going backwards.

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In this episode Antoinette takes a close look at the politics and culture journal Quarterly Essay and finds that it doesn’t quite reflect the "widest range of political, intellectual and cultural opinions."

Also, the years-long “civil war” in Sudan might sound like it has little to do with Australia but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not that you’d know it from our media.

Plus, the high school reporters taking their principals to court cover freedom of speech and what this tells us about the current news cycle.

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Shout out to producer Soaliha Iqbal and shooter/editor Lachlan French.

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This week, immigration was top of the agenda. On Monday, One Nation announced its immigration policy. Then, on Thursday Labor followed suit with a “targeted” migration policy approach. After closely watching the week culminate in Burke’s National Press Club address, Jan Fran reckons his targeted migration approach has hit the wrong target. 

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Jan and Antoinette chat through the Federal Government’s attempt to regulate social media algorithms and why they’re a little dubious. 

Plus, Macklemore accuses Ed Sheeran of being ‘apolitical’... except that he’s not, and Antoinette has the receipts. 

Also, Anthony Albanese claps back at Pauline Hanson’s comments about his mother, but Jan’s not buying the backstory or the moving coverage. 

An update on our Samsung story and how to disable being fed Murdoch rage bait.

Plus a shout-out to one organisation that’s helped us re-frame the deluge of apocalyptic AI headlines.   

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Thanks for our shooter/editor: Lachlan French 

Send us your tips and feedback tips@ettemedia.com 

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Zohran Mamdani will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. Jan Fran’s first question is … and? 

This week, families of some of the 9/11 victims (flanked by myriad Republican politicians of course) presented him with a petition urging him not to attend the memorial at Ground Zero. Why? 

In this episode, Jan Fran goes through the petition and finds it’s as clarifying as it is ambiguous. 

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette look at how unsuspecting media outlets end up creating what looks like sponsored content for Meta Glasses… without their explicit knowledge or consent.

We examine Antoinette’s hypothesis that Rupert Murdoch’s News 24 is forcing its way into the homes of ordinary Australians via Samsung smart TVs.

Plus, the UN released a landmark climate report warning that we’ve exceeded the 1.5 degree limit agreed to in the Paris Agreement of 2015. The only thing more depressing than the report's contents was its launch and some of the coverage that followed.  

Maps are being redrawn worldwide, and in both cases the United States is the fork in the road.

If you’re willing to be coaxed into buying Antoinette’s book Women Who Win because it’s her birthday it is ishere. 

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Shooter/Editor: Lachlan French 

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Milo Yiannopoulos is a British far-right commentator who rose to fame a decade ago being a “provocateur” and self-styled internet troll. He’s credited by some as a key figure in Donald Trump’s 2016 election. 

Well, now he’s ashamed he ever supported Trump because this week he was arrested by ICE agents and deported back to Britain. Turns out Milo doesn't like the world that he helped usher in. 

The MAGA mea culpa is getting very tiring.

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Jan Fran and Antoinette unpack the true crime spectacle surrounding American mother Lindsay Clancy, who is on trial for killing her three young children. 

More proof Israel's war on journalists has spread to the West Bank, where violent settlers are attacking US and other foreign film crews while soldiers watch. Plus a Guardian investigation exposes the tens of millions of dollars Israel is pouring into gaming AI chatbots with fake think tank reports.

Also, Aussie media loves private school stories and one particular story about private school uniforms caught Jan Fran’s eye.   

Plus Antoinette gives a shout-out to the indie media and not-for-profit collab doing important work on Australia's rising far right.

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Shooter/Editor: Lachlan French

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American-Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef has had to postpone his stand up tour of Australia because he has not received his visa in time. He says he was required to provide a criminal record from both the US and Egypt. Meanwhile around 40 IDF soldiers are in town to run in the Sydney Marathon as part of a “peace delegation". 

Jan Fran explores who gets a visa to come to Australia, who doesn’t and why it’s all a bit confusing. 

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In this episode, we look at a searing speech given by acclaimed author Richard Flanagan at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, in which he outlines the way the pro-Israel lobby is threatening our democracy.

We also examine the media’s self-reflection (or lack thereof) following the tragic death of Cambridge Professor Jason Arday. 

Jan gives zero stars to an opinion piece on the allegations of sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl levelled at three students from the prestigious boys' school, Scots College. 

Plus – a glimpse into the opaque operations of far-right group Advance delivers some surprises.  

Watch Richard Flanagan’s full address to the Festival of Dangerous Ideashere. 

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This week a bill passed the Senate that will give ASIO extended powers on top of its already very extended powers. Not only can an innocent person be hauled in for questioning, held for 24-hours, potentially without a lawyer but they can’t tell anyone about it. 

Now, ASIO will be given added powers on what it can question you on and Jan Fran has a feeling it’s got to do with Palestine protests.

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette explain why the death of Cambridge’s youngest Black professor Jason Arday was not, in fact, a “plagiarism row” but something far greater and more pernicious that the British press had a hand in. 

Plus, popular newsletter Politico launches its Canberra team with claims to be neutral and not take a side. Its CEO - and a five-item checklist - says otherwise. 

There’s also a shout-out to students taking on Pauline Hanson (and silly questions from the press), and the TikToker combing through 90s TV shows finding soft propaganda for Israel.  

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Follow Ari on TikTok 

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Just dropping a little note in the feed to let you know that I've come down with a bug.

Don't worry I'm okay but I'm feeling very, very sorry for myself.

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We examine the alleged case of left-wing terrorism announced by Australian authorities: a crime that has no suspects in custody or charges laid. We also unpack the dangers of both-sidesing an issue when the evidence and research on right-wing terrorism is far greater. 

Plus, the gambling industry's mates in the media take an odd swing at former NRL player and gambling addict Luke Bateman, after his bombshell Senate testimony about how the betting industry operates.

And a shout-out to author Trent Dalton, who handled a profile piece-turned-hit piece in the Murdoch press with class. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, free and confidential support is available 24/7 through the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this podcast claimed Luke Bateman had accused TAB, Sportsbet and Star Casino of improper behaviour in his testimony before a Senate inquiry. While Luke Bateman did allege betting companies behaved badly, he did not specifically name any. The three outfits were named by Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Tim Costello in his testimony before the inquiry.

Catch Antoinette at Byron Bay Writer’s Festival thishere. 

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It’s an election that Jan Fran didn’t really think she’d care about that much: the US state of Michigan’s democratic Senate primary race. Except that it was about a lot more than the state of Michigan. In this episode of Only Fran Jan unpacks why this election really was - as the media likes to dramatically call it - a “battle for the soul of the Democratic party” and what this battle has to do with the state of Israel.  

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In this episode, we unpack how the major global mainstream media outlets spurred on the far-right and obscured the real story behind the 50,000 Moroccans who entered Spanish territory. even though there were obvious red flags from the beginning.

Plus, Gina Rinehart launches legal action against the ABC over a comedy sketch, is the law there to protect billionaires' feelings, or is a chilling effect the real aim? 

And a new campaign is calling for a boycott of the Daily Telegraph over its inflammatory coverage of minorities. We look at the opportunities and challenges ahead.

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Boycott the Daily Telegraph petitionhere.

Want updates on Jan’s doco on Khaled Sabsabi? Join the mailing listhere

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This week Cheek Media’s Hannah Ferguson put her hand up to run for the seat of Grayndler at the next federal election. This seat happens to be the Prime Minister’s seat and also Jan Fran’s and Jan’s never gonna stop anyone - especially not a progressive Gen-Zer - from holding Labor’s feet to the fire, but… what is the best way to do that?

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Pauline Hanson has been found to be a racist by the Federal Court...for a second time. We look at what this means for establishment media covering both her and her victim Senator Mehreen Faruqi because, as we discovered in the original judgement, they're not two sides of the same coin.

Plus: will Substack be able to weed out A.I slop or is its new partnership with AI detector Pangram a fancy way to surveil creators?

Also why Israeli paper Haaretz is covering West Bank settler violence with a clarity Australian media cant - or won't. And communism has entered the discourse. Find out why we're blaming Donald Trump.

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In this episode Jan Fran looks at the Trump regime’s war on those who hold left-wing views. One could argue Trump was never fond of “the left” but in this past year his attacks on so-called leftists have escalated, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. Odds are you haven't heard of the Prairieland Case? Well strap in!

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I blame technology. Stay tuned.

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In this episode Jan Fran and Antoinette celebrate Spain’s win at the FIFA World Cup acknowledging they’ve probably been influenced and/or brainwashed by their algorithm which morphed the football final into an Argentina hate-fest. 

Plus, they shine a spotlight on Seven’s exclusive interview with Pauline Hanson, and the decades-long role the media company has played in reviving her career and airing her views. 

Also, Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart doesn't like our opinion, and sent us a complaint email. We reveal what was inside. 

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Jayson Gillham’sKeys To Life tour. 

This episode was sponsored by Salaam Wealth Funds Management (Aust) Pty Ltd ABN 32 144 560 172, AFSL 365260 (Salaam).Total Risk Management Pty Limited ABN 62 008 644 353, AFSL 238790 (TRM) is the trustee of Russell Investments Master Trust ABN 89 384 753 567. Salaam superannuation is a division of the Russell Investments Master Trust.

This episode is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Salaam and Ette Media recommends consulting a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All information is accurate as of the date of publication but may be subject to change.

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In this episode, Jan takes a look at the Prime Minister’s AI plan. Or rather his plan to have a plan. 

In a major speech delivered this week, he promised to fast-track approvals for datacentres and protect the copyright of Aussie artists. It was big on vision but small on details. But that’s not what’s got Jan feeling an underlying sense of anxiety.  

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The media tranche of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion’s media block has wrapped and we’re dedicating a whole episode to breaking down what was said and - importantly - what wasn’t.

We tuned in to hear the public broadcasters - SBS and ABC - face accusations of anti-Israel coverage and we look at the proposal by Jillian Segal - the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism -  for a new body to oversee and assess the public broadcaster's coverage. 

Plus we examine how the rest of the media covered the hearing and find a lot of the coverage ran with one particular line.  

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Nigel Farage has resigned…or has he?

In this episode Jan Fran looks at the biggest political story unfolding in the UK: the resignation of right-wing, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. 

He’s stepped down as the member for Clacton-on-Sea but - and there is a but - he’ll recontest his own seat in an upcoming by-election.

Oh did we mention this is all a ploy to stem criticism about millions of undisclosed pounds he’s received from crypto tycoons? And the only thing standing in his way is a joker in a rubbish bin costume named Count Binface. No really!

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In late 2023, rapper and hip hop artist Miss Kaninna made headlines when she disappeared from triple j airwaves after sharing her views on Palestinian human rights. A few weeks later, in the very same building a similar fate awaited Antoinette Lattouf. While Lattouf took her fight to Federal court, Miss Kaninna took hers on the road, touring the UK and Europe with Irish rap trio Kneecap, Miss Kaninna then made ARIAS history and featured on two billboards in Times Square.

Now, for the first time, they compare notes on backlash, career highs, public pressure plus the power and freedom that comes with speaking your mind. The proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali sovereign woman reflects on her meteoric rise as a woman who "says what she believes with her chest out."

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Catch Miss Kaninna ontourin August and September.

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In this episode, we examine allegations by right-wing politicians and influencers that the UK’s ‘Rape Gang Inquiry Report’ is being ignored by the mainstream media. We take a look at what the report is, where it came from and discover things are not quite what they seem.

Plus, Jan gets a pat on the back for getting to the bottom of what sparked the saturated coverage of Albanese saying he’d shag Kylie Minogue.

Also, Mamamia wedges a 'women's angle' into its write up of Karl Stefanovic’s interview with Piers Morgan, leaving us scratching our heads; punk-rap duo Bob Vylan sue the BBC for defamation and the wall-to-wall non-coverage of Taylor Swift's wedding.

Rape Crisis: 1800RESPECT 

Lifeline: 131114

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Episode sponsored by Salaam Wealth.

Salaam Wealth Funds Management (Aust) Pty Ltd ABN 32 144 560 172, AFSL 365260 (Salaam).Total Risk Management Pty Limited ABN 62 008 644 353, AFSL 238790 (TRM) is the trustee of Russell Investments Master Trust ABN 89 384 753 567. Salaam superannuation is a division of the Russell Investments Master Trust.

Ette Media and Salaam recommend consulting a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All information is accurate as of the date of publication but may be subject to change.

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If you think Pauline Hanson is popular in real life you should see how popular she is online. Pages have sprung up all over Facebook this year in support of One Nation. One small problem - they’re run out of Indonesia and half the stuff they post isn’t real! It’s AI slop yet one post by one page can rack up thousands of reactions from genuine Australian accounts. 

Jan Fran asks whether Pauline’s Hanson is really as popular online as she seems to be or if there are other factors at play and what this means for her popularity IRL. 

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In this episode we eat cake and celebrate our first birthday! That’s right Ette Media turns one and to mark the occasion Jan and Antoinette do a Rose-Thorn-Bud analysis of the past year - what’s been good, what’s been bad, what’s showing promise. 

Plus, a 45-year-old Australian man has been charged with murdering 17-year-old Thai teenager and stuffing her body in a suitcase. We take a look at the woeful Australian media coverage of that heinous crime.  

Also, Iran’s football team get peppered with political questions by reporters at the FIFA World Cup. We discuss whether that’s fair and why other countries, such as the US, didn’t get the same treatment. 

Get 30% off your Ette Media subscriptionhere. (for a limited time!)

Episode sponsored by Salaam Wealth.

Salaam Wealth Funds Management (Aust) Pty Ltd ABN 32 144 560 172, AFSL 365260 (Salaam).Total Risk Management Pty Limited ABN 62 008 644 353, AFSL 238790 (TRM) is the trustee of Russell Investments Master Trust ABN 89 384 753 567. Salaam superannuation is a division of the Russell Investments Master Trust.

Ette Media and Salaam recommend consulting a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All information is accurate as of the date of publication but may be subject to change.

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This week one of Australia’s highest paid media personalities parted ways with the Nine Network where he’s worked for the last 21 years.  He is now officially independent… or free as he puts it. But free to do what? 

In this episode, Jan Fran explores Karl’s transformation into a right wing culture warrior and why she reckons his quest for “free speech” is a load of bollocks. 

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette look at the way both Donald Trump and Pauline Hanson used Keir Starmer’s resignation to further their own anti-immigrant, anti-climate change agenda and how the media helped out. 

Plus, Gina Rinehart’s ‘Bush Summit’ speech gets the coverage she asked for but not the coverage it deserved. 

And we unpack the decision by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - APHRA - to adopt the IHRA definition of anti semitism. We look at how this might quash criticism of Israel, why medical practitioners are ropable and why the media has been mute. 

There’s also a shout out to you - our Etterati - for your feedback after last week’s episode on how we can better contribute to online discourse. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

Episode sponsored by Salaam Wealth.

Salaam Wealth Funds Management (Aust) Pty Ltd ABN 32 144 560 172, AFSL 365260 (Salaam).Total Risk Management Pty Limited ABN 62 008 644 353, AFSL 238790 (TRM) is the trustee of Russell Investments Master Trust ABN 89 384 753 567. Salaam superannuation is a division of the Russell Investments Master Trust.

Ette Media and Salaam recommend consulting a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions. All information is accurate as of the date of publication but may be subject to change.

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Far-right leader Pauline “there are no good Muslims” Hanson walked into the  National Press Club this week with her middle finger firmly up to the journalists in the room. It stayed up for the duration of her 90 minute address. 

And while some reporters tried to hold her to account, most gave her free reign to espouse a disjointed, frenetic, racist agenda that in Jan Fran’s view will only lead to a darker more insular Australia. 

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In this episode, Antoinette fact-checks two feel-good narratives that emerged after the Socceroos’ World Cup win over Türkiye -  including claims about Australia’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer. Yes we know she’s a killjoy...but also right.  

Plus, Jan brings some inconvenient reminders to help unpack Anthony Albanese’s response to the latest US-Iran ceasefire deal. 

Also: the push to overhaul the Australian Press Council aka Australia’s media watchdog. Hint: it’s a toothless tiger and may or may not be running cover for the Murdoch press.  And an introspective chat about online hate - are we a help or a hindrance? Feedback wanted.   

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

BONUS episode on Jayson Gillham v MSOhere.

Lodge a complaint with the Australian Press Councilhere.

Sign a petition to reform the Australian Press Councilhere.

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This week Jan looks at the mammoth trilateral security pact known as AUKUS and asks how much are those submarines costing us again? Be warned, there’s not a clear answer to that question because even those in charge don't really know. 

Let’s just say hundreds of billions of dollars for deliverables that just keep changing??  

That’s a lot of tax payer dollars at stake - not to mention the billions of dollars we’ve already thrown away on quite literally nothing. You’d think that would incense the media as much as other government spending but not so. 

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In his first interview since his trial ended, pianist Jayson Gillham sits down with Antoinette Lattouf to talk through his 15-day Federal Court trial against the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Jayson believes the MSO canceled his performance after he dedicated a piece of music to Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza.

He talks about why he fought back so hard, the cost of standing his ground and what this high-stakes battle taught him about the state of our arts and media landscape.

Plus, there's a little surprise if you make it to the very end of the episode.

GRAB TICKETS to Jayson Gillham's tour with Iyad Sughayerhere. 

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MEDIA and become and Ette Media subscriber here. 

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette react to news that Charlie Pickering's swipe at Grace Tame didn’t breach ABC’s code of conduct, which leaves them very confused about who gets to have opinions at the national broadcaster and who doesn’t. 

Plus, they take stock of the weekend articles that compared Pauline Hanson to various important historical figures and they dissect an A.I-related quandary involving two academics and the Sydney Morning Herald.  

Jan gives a shout out to the former MAGA influencer blowing the whistle on MAGA’s media manipulation, while Antoinette praises fellow indie media outlet’s persistent coverage on Lebanon. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

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In this special episode of Only Fran Jan chats to author Sarah Wilson about the rising sense of dis-ease she has about the world. With so much upheaval and uncertainty - how is one to navigate a world that feels like it's, well, collapsing?

In this conversion they talk about collapse - what it means, how Sarah came to the idea, the difficulty of accepting some hard truths about the world, that things will get worse before they get better, and ultimately what a new world can look like and what is needed to get there. 

Sarah's new book is I Eat The Stars and you can follow her on Substack

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Should we be worried about Pauline Hanson’s latest poll surge? The Etterati asked, so we separate genuine trends from poll hysteria.

We also unpack the shocking moment a radio boss groped his employee on stage at Australia’s biggest audio awards night - we saw it happen!

Plus, a 25-year-old woman moved to Australia, started a new job, and weeks later she was dead. Her family is demanding answers, protests have been held, and questions have been raised in Kenya's parliament — so why has Australian media not covered it?

And finally, Jan recommends a powerful essay on how the press helped manufacture consent for Gaza’s genocide, while Antoinette finds anunlikely antidoteto Karl Stefanovic's podcast pivot.

Lifeline provides 24/7 crisis counselling in Australia: 13 11 14 

Meriton Group statement received after podcast record: 

“Meriton was very saddened by this unfortunate incident. We take such matters seriously and give priority to ensuring that these matters are adequately investigated by NSW Police. We have been informed that NSW Police is treating this incident as a self-harm incident."

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If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

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This week the Teals were chatting about forming a new political party designed - in part - to counter the rise of Pauline Hanson and the far right.

This got Jan Fran wondering about the other colour-specific party that’s supposed to be doing that: the Greens. 

As she watches the rise of the far right with abject terror Jan wonders why the Australian Greens haven't quite made the same inroads as their UK counterparts and what it might take for them to do so.

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette explore why flotilla activists trying to break Israel’s illegal blockade are finally getting media attention, and look at how one interview took a very bizarre turn. 

We explain why the largest mining company in the world is suing the small independent outfit Michael West Media and why you’ve probably not seen much about it.

Plus we give you an inside look at the Sydney Writers Festival and examine the latest Murdoch media purchase by the apparently “good” Murdoch brother, James.

Antoinette gives her yes to a premium niche Aussie newspaper making a return to print, while Jan appreciates writers’ festivals showing more bravery.

BUYWomen Who Win here.

JOIN ONLINE BOOK CLUBevent with Australia Institute this Friday.

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This week One Nation’s Pauline Hanson released a policy that will see more gas industry’s money flow to the public purse. It sounded… legit. And that’s got Jan Fran worried.

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Novara Media's Ash Sarkar knows a thing or two about starting (and growing!) an independent media company.

In this special episode, the British journalist and author sits down with Antoinette Lattouf for a conversation about independent media, political journalism and the danger of "audience capture".

They unpack the rise of indie media in the UK, failures of the BBC, “objectivity” in journalism, and whether mainstream media can still hold power to account.

Plus: Ash’s defamation win and the pressures facing independent outlets in the age of AI.

Subscribe to Ette Media to support independent media.

Follow Ash Sarkar onInstagram.

Buy her bookMinority Rule.

Shout out toTriple R 102.7FM, Melbourne Independent Radiofor hosting us in their studios.

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette respond directly to feedback from the Etterati.

We answer questions about the language used to describe certain “regimes,” balance in journalism, why we talk about Gaza and whether we laugh too much about dark subject matters. Plus: what happens when journalists we’ve scrutinised reach out directly? 

As a media platform built on critiquing journalism and power, we ask how should we handle criticism of our own work?

This is a candid conversation about accountability, truth and what drives us to do the work we do.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

Antoinette’s book Women Who Win ishere. 

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

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This week, Jan Fran examines the Albanese government’s attempt to sell its federal budget like a brand campaign — inviting influencers to pitch for access to the budget lock-up alongside journalists. It’s also an exploration of the line between “newsfluencers” and journalists, and what that means for political media in Australia.

Become a subscriber ofEtte Media.

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In this special episode of We Used To Be Journos, Antoinette unpacks her new book Women Who Win through the lens of media literacy, power and representation.

Yes, they get into Antoinette’s own headline-making battle — but this episode goes far beyond one story. Drawing on interviews with 30 women, alongside the stories of trailblazing Australian women no longer with us, the conversation explores how women in public life are framed by the media during their fights, their failures, and even their victories.

From media smears to myth-making, this is a conversation about power, narrative control, and the women who kept going anyway.

GRAB A COPYWomen Who Win.

MEET ANTOINETTE ON HERbook touracross Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne Perth, Margaret River and Sydney.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

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Tucker Carlson has apologised for the role he played in helping bring Donald Trump to power. In this episode of Only Fran, Jan explain why she's have always been suss on him and remains so… even after this apology and maybe even more so now because of it. 

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette discuss the lead up to the White House correspondents’ dinner and the hundreds of US journalists who protested his presence there …albeit in a very polite way. 

They also note living in Trump’s post-truth world as conspiracies abound about the shooting incident that took place that evening. 

Plus, we’ve noted four incidents of Aboriginal women and girls dying in prisons or being assaulted by cops in W.A, all in the last five weeks, not that you’d hear about it much in the east coast press. 

Plus the Tele’s editor doesn't let statistics get in the way of a good story as he rails against Gen Z for being anti-war.

BUY Women Who Win book: 

Link to The Point

Link to Ben English video and Courier Mailarticle

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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.

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In this episode, Jan Fran unpacks a Nine newspapers article headlined “Authorities suspect Gaza war drove Bondi shooter to terror,” interrogating the framing, editorial choices and implications of an investigation built largely on insinuation rather than evidence. She examines how the piece invites readers to draw conclusions about those who care about human rights in Gaza with extremism - and what that kind of speculative framing means for public discourse in Australia after the Bondi attack.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan Fran and Antoinette unpack claims Iran is winning the propaganda war - thanks to AI Lego and diss tracks going viral.

Meanwhile Jan goes to war with the phrase “breaks silence” (Ben Roberts-Smith edition) and the clickbait line that refuses to die.

Plus, a takedown of Seven News’ renewable energy “exposé” - and the fossil fuel interests it skips over.

Also, a shout out to some pitch-perfect satire of government statements that say everything and nothing, and a former BBC journo spelling outwhy normal journalism falls apart when covering Trump.

Women Who Win:Antoinette’s new book.

Women Who Win: tourin Canberra, Perth, Margaret River, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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This week, federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor unveiled an immigration policy built on “values” and, well… values according to who?

Jan Fran sat through the whole speech so you don’t have to, and let’s just say the logic didn’t quite make it through customs. So what’s it actually about?

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

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In this bonus episode, Antoinette shares the findings of an exclusive investigation into the Murdoch media’s sustained smear campaign against Dr Abdel-Fattah.

The data, gathered in partnership with analyst and mathematician Dr Richard Bean, points to relentless coverage, loaded language, and front-page attacks targeting the Palestinian-Egyptian academic.

We break down the figures, the headlines, and reveal the one newspaper that has published HUNDREDS of articles about Dr Abdel-Fattah in two and a half years, four times the amount of some of its competitors.

Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s new bookDiscipline. 

Write a letter to The Australian newspaperletters@theaustralian.com.au 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette unpack why the US political and media establishment is losing its mind over left-wing streamer Hasan Piker and what this case tells us about the shifting tides of power in America.

Plus, we look at Anthony Albanese’s borderline offensive answer to a journalist's question about Lebanese-Australians; imprisoned whistleblower David McBride’s missing media moment and the headline journey of a story on Israeli settlers that got wilder each time it was republished.   

We also shout out the Saturday Paper’s for its coverage of the NT’s climate calamity that’s left hundreds if not thousands of Aboriginal people in brutal evacuation shelters. (Check out A. Parkinson instagram photography)

Antoinette’s new book ‘Women Who Win’ can be foundhere.

Her book tour event dates across Perth, Margaret River, Canberra, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne can be foundhere. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

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In this episode of Only Fran, Fran takes a look at Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong's response to the Lebanon massacre - or "humanitarian crisis" as she puts it.

Jan examines Wongs now familiar rhetoric, the media's apathy towards the slaughtered Lebanese civilians and whether our Australia's leaders will ever be anything other than "deeply concerned".

You can read Michael West Media's investigation into government grants to F35 suppliershere.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

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Jan Fran and Antoinette expose the false narrative that the multicultural Sydney suburb of Lakemba is a hotbed of systemic NDIS fraud. We trace where this racist narrative kicked off, which media outlets fueled it and how the main figure is off by approximately 8000%. 

Also, why free-to-air TV networks and certain newspapers are not happy with Albanese's gambling ad reforms.

And Jan and Antoinette agree that Donald Trump’s latest social post is extremely unhinged but disagree on how the media should cover it. 

Plus: Jay Rosen's Trump reporting toolkit that could save journalism, and why Uncommon Groundpodcast proves listening to people you trust (and like) matters.

LinkedIn article by demographer Brian Cooper de-bunking NDIS fraud is here. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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It’s been one month since Queensland passed unprecedented hate speech laws which banned the phrases ‘from the river to the sea’ and ‘globalise the intifada’. 

Jan Fran takes a look at what these laws are really about, why artists are getting phone calls from cops and what the wider ramifications are. Hint: they’re not good. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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Jan and Antoinette watch Israel’s ambassador address the National Press Club and assess how hard the journalists in the room worked to push back against the blatant hasbara. 

Plus: What is the Atlas Network and what does it have to do with climate mis and disinformation in Australia? A Senate report helps us answer that question. 

And applause for the writer's festival that stood its ground under pressure to disinvite a Palestinian author. 

SUPPORT ETTE MEDIA by becoming a subscriberhere.

WATCH US ON YOUTUBE infull here.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

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Only Fran (OF) hit a lil logistical speed bump this week.

The Ette duo will be in your ears on Wednesday with We Used To Be Journos - then Saturday OF is back.

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In this episode, Jan Fran and Antoinette look at the role the media played in One Nation’s South Australian election surge and ask how should the media report on Hanson moving forward? 

Plus: the Aussie news site pumping out hundreds of timely and factual news stories with zero journalists - just one software engineer and a whole lot of theft (and A.I). 

Then, how much sway did Rupert Murdoch have over Donald Trump’s attack on Iran? We unpack how Murdoch’s ideology trickles down to his reporters.

Also, ABC staff walk off the job for the first time in 20 years. What’s behind the strike—and what on earth is the “Lattouf clause”?

READ Alex Fein's article 'Polarisation is a myth'

SUPPORT Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

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In this particularly personal episode of Only Fran, Jan Fran reflects on what it's been like as a Lebanese-Australian watching Israel's invasion of Lebanon this week.

She talks about her state of mind, shares some things you probably didn't know about Lebanon and examines the response from Australia’s government, who are not only failing to condemn Israel's invasion, but gaslighting Muslims who booed Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke at a Sydney mosque.

Note: Although the poem is often mistakingly attributed to Maya Angelou, it was actually written by Rita Wehbe.

Producer: Antoinette Lattouf

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In this episode Jan Fran and Antoinette examine the devastating attacks on Lebanon and the Lebanese population - and why local media coverage has been strangely quiet.

We dive into Louis Theroux’s Netflix exploration of the internet’s most toxic - and successful - “manosphere” influencers: what landed, and what was missing.

We also tackle the rumour mill around wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu (including the six-finger theory).

And a rare moment of praise for the Australian Communications and Media Authority after its long-overdue move against shock jock Kyle Sandilands.

Follow Lebanese-British journalist Hala Jaber’s substack.

Follow American photojournalist Courtney Bonneau living in south Lebanon on instagram.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

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In this new Saturday break out series, Only Fran, Jan Fran picks an issue of the week that is living rent free in her head. Right now, it's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's decision to grant asylum to some members of the Iranian women's soccer team, while passing legislation that prevents people from conflict and crisis-affected countries from visiting Australia.

So ... while Burke is patting himself on the back for doing a thing, Labor’s moving legislation that prevents the thing he’s patting himself on the back for doing …from happening.

Producer: Antoinette Lattouf

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

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In this episode, Jan Fran and Antoinette ask whether the TV panel discussion show has run its course. They unpack ABC’s National Forum - a discussion that felt like host David Speers was walking on eggshells - with topics and trauma that may be too complex for the format to handle. 

Also this week: the escalating standoff between the government and Pornhub over age-verification laws, and why we’re already seeing the slippery slope that comes with the Queensland Government banning the slogans “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea.”

Plus what isQuitGPTand what does it have to do with weapons and Jan finds herself befuddled by Tucker Carlson’s podcast ads. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this new Saturday break out series, Only Fran, Jan Fran looks at the who and the why of our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. 

As the US-Israel war on Iran escalates, Jan takes a look at the man who went from strongly opposing “US militarism” to becoming the first world leader to support it. 

Producer: Antoinette Lattouf

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

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In this episode, Jan Fran and Antoinette look at the Australian media’s coverage of the U.S and Israeli attack on Iran and show how a narrative gets set in the first 24-48 hours. 

They also unpack Paramount’s $111billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, a deal that may suit Donald Trump but raises serious concerns for CNN, which could face the same kind of corporate and editorial pressure that has unsettled CBS.

Plus, Jan Fran reckons a Good Weekend profile of ABC chair Kim Williams subtly reveals why he didn’t settle the Lattouf case before it got to the Federal Court. 

Also, a recognition for Guardian reportingthat centres Australian children stranded in Syria, and aLondon Substack that took on a billionaire landlord and secured tenants a win.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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In this episode, Jan Fran and Antoinette examine why the BBC cut out a BAFTA winner’s acceptance speech on human rights but kept in the moment the n-word was yelled across the stage. They also chuckle at the slew of actors squirming when asked about politics at the Berlin Film Festival. 

Plus, Donald Trump says he’ll release classified documents about aliens and  Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan lowkey bullies a reporter when pressed on the CFMEU scandal.

Jan’s It’s A Yes From Me goes to Dropsite News for its detailed reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s links to powerful people and places.  

Antoinette’s pick isCrikey’s Cut Throughpodcast for its clear-eyed, news-breaking investigation into Palantir, data surveillance, and how Australian government money continues to back the company despite links to unlawful ICE raids and AI-assisted attacks in Gaza.

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In this episode, we lay out the parallels between political attacks on a UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and a former Australian of the Year, and how large chunks of the media swallowed both with minimal scrutiny.

We also share insider context and discuss how “harmful” reporting by the Canberra Times forced First Nations commissioner Vanessa Turnbull Roberts to go public about her sexual assault. 

Plus, why Angus Taylor’s media blitz is a harbinger for what’s to come in the “debate” about immigration.   

Responding to Etterati calls for ‘It’s A Yes From Me’, Antoinette singles out The Guardian’s excellent roundupof the sharpest insults politicians have lobbed at each other.

Jan pulls double duty, backingAAP Fact Checkand celebrating the sweet spot where sharp writing, strong connections, heavy research and hot goss meet, courtesy of former magazine editorTina Brown’s Substack.

Tsuno discount code is 'ETTE' to get 30% off your first order at tsuno.com.au

Buy an Etterati shirthere.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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In this episode, we dissect the media’s coverage of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia. We look at how two networks asked very different questions, analyse the warm, sympathetic coverage in the lead up and keep an eye on the outlets that dutifully repeated government lines even as footage showed police violence in plain sight.

We also look at what was missing from most of the coverage. Hint: it was any mention of the genocide. 

Also, Australian commercial radio outs itself yet again as tacitly racist after Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.

And Today host Karl Stefanovic launches a podcast that winks hard at a far right audience.

Plus a shout out to The Point, an independent think tank’s new publishing arm, stacked with good writers.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

Thanks to@jaidanielpynefor composing the music for our podcast.

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In this episode, the current state of Australian media is examined through Jan Fran and Antoinette’s decades long journeys in the industry.

They talk about how they broke into journalism, caught the tail end of television’s heyday, watched social media splinter audiences, and now brace for what AI is about to do to journalism and truth. They also maintain a decades-long grudge against their less-than-encouraging high school careers advisers.

In the end they land somewhere cautiously optimistic: independent media is growing and audiences want better.

Tickets to our final Canberra live show can be bought here.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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In this episode, we look at the many red flags surrounding Labor’s new hate speech laws as well as the mainstream media’s strikingly uniform response to them. 

Jan provides an update on the sale of TikTok. Americans can stop worrying about China controlling their data and algorithms because a small group of pro-Trump billionaires has that covered now. Antoinette breaks down Australia Day polls and offers a toolkit for spotting agendas in the opaque polling world.

There’s also a shout out to the women taking on pornographic deepfakes made by X’s Grok, plus an illuminating piece on the Beckham family feud, which Jan has a strange and (and unverified) theory about  

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette look at the fight to control the narrative over protests in Iran where the death toll has exceeded 3000. 

With an internet block out, state media tightly controlled, foreign actors bragging about armed interference, and exiled figures presenting themselves as the solution, protestors and their plight largely disappear from the story - by design. 

Meanwhile, Trump’s press secretary snaps at another reporter - this time to dodge a basic question about the shooting of an unarmed mother by an ICE agent. 

There’s also a shout out to some responsible reporting on neo-Nazi material and a peak at the growing influence of InDaily SA, the newspaper muscling in on Murdoch's territory in Adelaide.  

TIPS FROM ANTOINETTE ON IRANIAN WOMEN TO FOLLOW:

Tara Kangarlou Iranian journalist, author and NGO founder

Gissou Nia Iraninan human rights lawyer

Samira Mohyeddin Iranian journalist and academic

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In this episode, Jan Fran speaks with the woman at the centre of the collapse of the Adelaide Writers Festival, Palestinian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah. 

The conversation is blunt and urgent. They talk about censorship, lobby pressure on cultural institutions, what it means to keep speaking as a Palestinian Australian as media outlets launder bad faith attacks, and the focus drifts anywhere but Gaza. 

TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW CAN BE BOUGHT HERE. 

SUPPORT ETTE MEDIA BY BECOMING A SUBSCRIBERHERE.

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Part two of our summer special brings another round of Etterati questions, and this batch is delightfully varied.

Prehistoric animal favourites. Media predictions for 2035. Practical tips for the days when hope feels elusive.

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Part one of our summer special is your Q&A therapy session disguised as a podcast. We answer all your burning questions.

We talk about twenty years of friendship, juggling being fledgling media moguls with sanity, staying clear-eyed in the chaos and navigating holiday conversations with problematic fam. 

Tickets to our live shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane can be bought here.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

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Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein joins Jan Fran to discuss how he's processing the Bondi terror attacks both as a Jewish man and long-time advocate for Palestine.

Antony and Jan move through the tension between allowing victims time to grieve and needing to challenge political agendas that seek to curb our civil liberties. 

Antony talks through what he believes is driving the rise in antisemitism, and why parts of the Jewish diaspora feel increasingly alienated from Israel. He also lays out why the crowd must keep speaking and moving, even when the powerful wish the masses would go silent.

Thanks to@jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast.

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette focus on the first 24-hours of media coverage of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi that left 15 people dead.  

They examine how the story unfolded, which voices were given prominence, the role of social media in circulating original and often horrifying footage, and how easily misinformation spreads and how certain narratives take hold. 

It is a careful, unsparing look at how news is constructed and politicised under pressure, and what is lost when speed overtakes care.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

Buy tickets to our live show It’s A No From Me. 

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.

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As the social media ban kicks off, Jan and Antoinette find themselves disagreeing on its merits. 

Plus, we take a look at the rage-bait tabloid media machine currently targeting influencer Abbie Chatfield and the hypocrisy powering it all. 

And as boycott calls grow over Israel’s participation in Eurovision, SBS doubles down on a dud decision. 

We salute journalists who stay cool while being smacked by studio gear and airborne wildlife, and apoem in an unexpected place leaves us feeling unexpectedly seen.

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette delve into accusations of racism at the TikTok awards and speak to some big content creators who say this isn’t the first time they’ve felt shunned by the industry. 

Also, Trump adds media outlets who dare critically report on potentially unlawful strikes in Venezuela to an official White House naughty list. 

Plus we mark the two year anniversary of an open letter, signed by 300+ Australian journalists, that called for fairer Gaza–Israel coverage. Has anything changed since then? (spoiler: bring a pillow to scream into).

A nod goes to Zee Feed, the small newsletter doing some heavy lifting and a confused raised eyebrow goes to The Monthly for comparing outlaws.  

Catch us, Claudia Karvan and L-Fresh The Lion at our Sydney live show! Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra can be purchased here.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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In this episode Jan and Antoinette dig into a family violence story that manages to break (almost) every reporting guideline.

Antoinette explains the latest escalation in the Daily Telegraph’s ‘undercover Jew’ mess at Cairo Takeaway restaurant, while Jan canvasses the good, the bad and the weird views of the Sydney Morning Herald.   

Plus, the journalist sex-scandal featuring Robert F Kennedy that Jan (shamefully) can’t get enough of and Mariah Carey caught up in X’s MAGA location reveal. 

Grab yourtickets to our live showsin Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode infull here.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, you should report it to the police.

Support and counselling is available from the following agencies:

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette unpack how parts of the media managed to spin a fake letter into a real panic about a new mosque in Western Sydney. No less than three separate media outlets whipped up outrage over a story with some shaky foundations. 

We also name and shame the daily newspaper that accidentally printed a ChatGPT prompt in its own business story, and what that slip says about how deep AI already runs in newsrooms… including ours.  

Plus, Jan got shadowbanned on Instagram and had to get her norks out. Is this really what it takes to break free of a shadowban?

Antoinette watches a cluster of News Corp journalists get probed for alleged racism, in a case that could end up before the Federal Court while Jan salutes our Etterati for their sharp eyes and ears (and dobbing skills). 

Grab your ticketsto our live shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.

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In this episode, Jan and Antoinette examine the BBC ‘bias’ scandal that saw its director general and head of news resign. They go through the complaint letter that kicked off the scandal and examine other accusations of bias that haven't gotten nearly as much attention. 

Plus, as two Leb chicks who grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs in the early 2000s - Jan and Antoinette have memories of John Laws that are very different to the gushing media coverage of his passing.   

Also, Antoinette salutes the AFR for sniffing out The West Australian’s suspiciously glowing coverage of one ASX darling, while Jan backs the Italian journalist fired for asking a question about Gaza - and the colleague who asked it again, just louder.

Buy tickets to our LIVE SHOWS in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Canberrahere. 

Support Ette Media by becoming a SUBSCRIBERhere.

If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can WATCH THE EPISODE in full here.

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In this episode, Jan takes a look at the use of AI in New York’s mayoral race and finds Cuomo’s campaign ads against Zohran Mamdani don’t just bend the truth but snap it completely and add a good dose of racism. This can’t be the future of political advertising…or can it? 

Also, the Coalition reckons net zero is “too toxic” but Antoinette discovers it’s only toxic to billionaires with an agenda and a media empire.  

Plus, news of long running atrocities in Sudan find their way into Western headlines but why now? 

It’s a Yes: The new magazine that mixes politics, culture and art to achieve a lofty goal and a much-loved indi media company tries to break free of the algorithm. 

Sudan coverage tips: follow Yousra Elbagir Sky News UK’s Africa correspondent, Yassmin Abdel-Magied or Sudanese journalist Almigdad Hassan and follow updates from Sudanese Journalists Syndicate.

Thanks to@jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast.

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Egyptian-Canadian journalist Omar El Akkad joins Antoinette Lattouf on stage at the Queenscliff Literary Festival for a searingly honest and intimate conversation.

The author of ‘One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This’, confronts a brutal question: what does it mean to live in the US while its government bankrolls, supports and enables Palestinian ethnic cleansing? He speaks to his sense of personal complicity, silence and the media’s role in manufacturing consent.

Yet even as despair presses in, El Akkad refuses to surrender hope. He explains why giving up is a luxury Palestinians cannot afford and neither can those who claim to stand with them.

This is a conversation that refuses comfort.

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.

Buy our new Etterati and It’s A No From Me T-shirts here. 

Omar El Akkad's book One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.

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As former ABC chair Ita Buttrose promotes her latest book Jan and Antoinette pull apart the plentiful puff pieces. 

Antoinette hunts for proof of Melbourne’s machete epidemic and finds it exists mainly in headlines.  

Plus who is watching free to air TV… no really who? Because we crunched some numbers and they don't add up. 

Also a double shout out to the Labor Party (yes, shocking): first for new AI laws that make it harder for big tech to take artists’ work for free, and second to the junior staffer whose leaked memo lays out the party’s Gaza gaslighting talking points.

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Thanks to@jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast.

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In this bonus episode, Pulitzer Prize–winning US journalist Chris Hedges joins Antoinette Lattouf to unpack his time in Australia so far, including some fraught interactions with sections of the Australian media.

We also discuss what he flew all this way to talk about: how western journalists are betraying their colleagues in Gaza. 

Plus, Chris offers some honest advice for young people who still want to tell stories and speak truth to power.

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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.

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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. 

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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)

InIt'sa 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 Shotand  Antoinette cheers on an opinion piece about Senator David Pococktackling 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 subscriberhere.

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 robodebtand its inadvertent role in providing much needed media literacy and a quick shout to anew toolkit for starting your own hyperlocalnewsroom.

Grab your tickets to A Night of Humanity at Enmore Theatrehere.

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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.

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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 subscriberhere.

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 toABC’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 in

partnership with The Wheeler Centre

Follow Wheeler for more smart, passionate and entertaining

public talks.

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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 Words

ABC ‘The federal press gallery is ceding power to the Albanese government’

Our earlier episode on Antisemitism envoy findings

Support Ette Media, join the Etterati by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.

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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 onInstagram 

You can read her piece in The Independent 

You can read her piece in The Guardian

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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 analysis

Cathy Wilcox cartoon

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If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here.

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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-Palestine

The Guardian: Australia’s gun lobby says it’s ‘winning’ the fight against firearm control

Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriberhere.

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.