The Daily Telegraph has given Pauline Hanson's One Nation party extensive front-page coverage for its 'Fire the Liar' fundraising campaign, effectively providing free advertising. The campaign, which aims to raise funds to target Labor seats, was launched on Wednesday with a $29 donation fee. The newspaper's front page featured the headline 'Fighting Liar with Fire: One Nation fires back at Labor with $29 campaign fee' and reproduced both Labor's ad and Hanson's response.
Free Advertising for One Nation
Inside the paper, a full-page ad urged readers to 'Stop Labor. Fire the Liar. Donate Now.' The article detailed One Nation's promise to use funds for billboards, TV, and radio ads to oust Labor. While One Nation claims to have raised over $2.7 million, the figure remains unverified as the party does not disclose donations in real time.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized the coverage, stating that One Nation received 'effectively, free ad in one of the mainstream publications.'
AI Errors in AFR Graphic
The Australian Financial Review faced embarrassment after publishing a graphic on the South Australian election that included non-existent political parties, such as the 'Liberal Catholic Party' and 'Family Guardian Association.' The graphic, which credited the South Australian Election Commission, was later removed. The AFR attributed the error to the use of AI in data analysis, stating that the mistakes should have been caught during editing.
Logies Host Blunder
The Hollywood Reporter's Australian edition prematurely claimed on Instagram that Patrick Brammall would host the 2026 Logie Awards, only to be contradicted hours later by TV Week, which revealed Robert Irwin as the host. The post was quickly deleted. The Hollywood Reporter Australia magazine is set to launch on June 22.
Wilcox Cartoon Breach
The Australian Press Council ruled that a Cathy Wilcox cartoon published in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald breached standards by likely causing substantial offence to Jewish people. The cartoon, published after an antisemitic attack, depicted prominent figures with placards while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu beat a drum. The council found it encoded the antisemitic trope of Jewish control. The newspapers had previously apologized for the cartoon.
Brian Toohey's New Book
Veteran journalist Brian Toohey is launching his book '50 Years Before the Mastheads,' a collection of articles covering corruption, US alliance, and national security. The book includes unpublished pieces on the US role in the dismissal of the Whitlam government and allegations about Bob Hawke.
