Australian blames Noel Pearson attack on 'production error' in reader's letter | The Weekly Beast (2023)

AAustralian readers were 'shocked' after she added two sentences to a letter to a newspaper defending the mast and criticizing indigenous leadersNoel PearsonSuch as "harsh" and "biased".

The reader told Guardian Australia she was shocked when her letter was published in Monday's newspaper, with passages inserted that she did not write.

Readers sent this letter in response to PearsonArticles from The Weekend Australian, in which he looks at the mast's reporting on Indigenous issues.

Pearson wrote: "The opinions in this table are more against this voice than not.

"In their opinion, they are mostly obscure borderline casual racists. Read the comments at the bottom of this article."

In an unusual move, The Australian's editor-in-chief, Michelle Gunn, included an editorial note: "We reject Pearson's description of our readers as 'borderline 'casual' racists'."

After reading Pierson's thoughts on the votes, this reader wrote to the Letters Page: "I am disappointed that Noel Pierson has generalized me as a 'borderline casual racist'. I have long admired Peel Johnson as an intelligent, well-educated and outstanding Australian."

But when she opened the newspaper on Monday, she saw a very different letter.

Rupert Murdoch's national newspaper insert reads: "I cannot understand how Pearson thinks his increasingly harsh condemnations of those who oppose the [indigenous vote] model will win over those who are still undecided.

"The casual dismissal of Australia's 'baby boomer reader' as 'mostly obscurantist and borderline racist' shows bias if it targets anyone in our society. other groups, the prejudice would be rightly refuted."

A Guardian reader, who chose not to be named, said she was a regular on The Weekend Australian.

"When I saw it, I was in complete shock because I thought 'my God let them actually do this in this day and age,'" she said of her reformed letter.

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She went to explain to Pearson that she had not written the harsh words and contacted the Australian for an explanation.

I wanted to talk to Noel and apologize for what I didn't write, and we had a great discussion on the phone, she said.

For his part, Pearson emailed Gunn on behalf of readers, saying he wanted the paper to correct it.

The Australian called readers on Wednesday to apologize and putrectifyOn Thursday's Letters page: "Due to a production error, part of a separate letter is included. The Australian regrets this error."

"I'm fine with that apology," said the reader. "Whether it was intentional or not, it was cut in the bud and they couldn't afford [to go public]."

Pearson declined to comment.

Gunn has been contacted for comment.

holiday hype

When ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland told viewers he was taking a break, the tabloids smelled blood. comes shortly after the flat grantRetired Q&A presenterLater, Roland's interruption was interpreted as a new crisis for the aunt.

News.com.au broke the news about the 'shocking announcement' and the Daily Mail headlined: 'ABC damage control as news breakfast host Michael Rowland just for panicked bosses' They said he did not resign a day after he viciously attacked Stan Grant's Torment of Trolls."

But Rowland told The Beast that it's only at the annual. No one asked him to check first.

some respect

After news of Tina Turner's death broke Thursday, right-wing commentator Prue MacSween added to a social media post: "Rest in peace the amazing Tina Turner. Thank you for the joy you bring us. Respect."

Is Turner confusing Aretha Franklin by adding respect to her tweets? Many thought so, and her tweet quickly went viral.

"Aretha Franklin owns it. I don't remember Tina reporting it, but I could be wrong. Now you'll have Simply The Best," read one tweet.

But MacSween insisted she was just honoring Turner and not confusing them.

"I have so much respect for how Tina overcame all of life's obstacles to rank alongside Aretha as one of the top two female rock and soul singers of the 1960s," she told the Daily Mail.

Too much force

Two US police officers used 'excessive force' against Seven Seven reporter Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers during 2020 riots, inquest findsNew York Times.

Video from the scene shows Blaise and Miles broadcasting live from the street as riot police move in to clear the area and hit Miles with a shield.

The pair were then seen trying to leave the scene as another officer brandished a baton at them.

Brees later told a hearing in the US Congress that she was shot with rubber bullets and beaten by police officers near the White House during protests after the death of George Floyd.

Australian crews cover protests in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., on June 1, 2020, as Park Police began aggressively clearing the area.

The officers violated police policy when the officer pushed Myers' camera with a shield and beat the reporter with a bat, a government investigation found.

Brace and Myers' reporting won a 2020 Walkley Award.

"Brace and Miles have shown not only outstanding camera work, but exceptional courage," the judges said.

"They were streaming live outside the White House when riot police stormed in and attacked the two Australians. Miles was hit in the stomach with a shield and punched in the face; Brace was hit in the back with a baton and injected with chemical irritants. Both were hit by non-lethal rounds from automatic weapons. . They remained calm under pressure and continued to broadcast live en route to safety."

News Corp is taking defensive measures

News Corp poured resources into it this week, arguing that it had not actually overreacted to the ABC's coverage of the coronation, nor had it bombarded readers and viewers with negative coverage.

Stan GrantretreatCiting mainstream and social media reports, PBS said it led to racial abuse.

News Corp Australia chief executive Michael Miller said the ABC "needs to stop shifting responsibility and blaming others for its internal problems", which was reported by just one"Modest numbers” article on ABC coverage.

But anyone who has read The Australian or Sky News will note that the Murdoch stable is obsessed with the underwhelming ABC across the board, and Grant in particular.

This week's media section of The Australian is a good example.

They didn't back down after the Q+A host said he was pulling out, clearly upset, they kept going.

Reviewers Janet Albrechtsen and Tom Switzerfire supportAs a "celebrity activist".

The problem with Grant and the ABC, they write, is that they view Australia's British heritage with "shame" and make it almost impossible to suggest that colonialism "had no beneficial effect at all".

Peter van Onselen has come to the defense of News Corp, portraying the company as a victim of the ABC.

"Stan Grant accuses ABC management of not giving him enough support as ABC news anchor criticizes News Corp amid fierce social media attacks over its role in PBS coverage of the King's coronation," he wrote. "That's obfuscation 101."