ABC: throw pies at Abbott’s face, page-131

When Gillard rolled Rudd the media was taken by surprise - the Abbott spill has been media-driven from day one

The Rudd/Gillard leadership tensions were real and the media missed the story. This time the herd seems intent on creating its own story about over-hyped leadership dramas within the Federal Cabinet.
As the ABC's Chris Ullman explains, the media had no role at all when Gillard rolled Rudd, it was caught unawares and taken completely by surprise.

.......the final operation was so tightly controlled that its denouement utterly shocked most members of the Labor Party.​

Just before the first shot rang out at 7:00pm on ABC News and ABC Online one of the party's elder statesmen, Defence Minister John Faulkner, was in the middle of a pre-recorded interview for The 7:30 Report.​

KERRY O'BRIEN: As we've been sitting here recording this interview, I'm told that ABC News is about to go to air, from Canberra, with a story that there are leadership rumblings, as they put it, in Canberra right now as we speak, that factional leaders are in discussion and counting numbers, as I understand it, with regard to a possible leadership challenge. Are you aware of any potential moves on the leadership of Kevin Rudd tonight, not the moves tonight, but the moves?​

JOHN FAULKNER: Well, Kerry, I don't know what's on ABC News. All I know is I've been sitting here talking to you and so it might be on the ABC News, well it's also news to me.​

It was news to everyone. In the minutes after 7:00pm, in the offices and restaurants and cafes around the Parliamentary Triangle, the mobile phones of Labor MPs and senators lit up. In the early stages ministers and MPs rolled out the usual denials, because they honestly believed it was another beat-up.​

The Member for Reid, Laurie Ferguson, said, "I don't know who they are, the ABC knows more than Caucus."​

The prime minister was at a function in Parliament House celebrating the 20th year in Parliament for Senator Nick Sherry. Just after 7:00pm many people who were there report that everyone's mobile rang. The prime minister left.​

A few tiny flaws in the execution of the assassination plot exposed the final hours of the operation to the arc-lights of the media. Because of the ABC stories, shortly after 7:00pm the halls around the prime minister's office were swarming with journalists and cameras and Julia Gillard's every public movement was being recorded.​

Later that night Paul Howes appeared on the ABC's Lateline to announce the AWU had pulled its support for Kevin Rudd, the next morning Julia Gillard became PM.
Compare and contrast the intense reporting, canvassing Liberal MPs, polling, speculative reports and sustained media pressure against Tony Abbott.
Last night's performance by Leigh Sales is a great exposition of the media-herd view.

But it's been on all year, relentless reports, reports about reports and whipped-up dissent.
Even the ABC's Media Watch has picked up on it - here's some of last night's Media Watch report.

Governing Australia in the age of Twitter​

Has social media and the 24 hour news cycle made Australia ungovernable?​

But of course the networks are also fighting for the big political drama of the year where it’s all been on offer for free:


Prime Minister under siege. Live in Canberra.
MARK FERGUSON: Mark you have the inside story
Breaking it as it happens

— Channel Seven Promo, 8th February, 2015


Abbott versus Turnbull who will be Prime Minister

— Channel Nine Promo, 8th February, 2015

This morning Tony Abbott successfully fought off a challenge to his leadership.

At least for now.

So is he a dead man walking or did the experts get it wrong?

Since last week the pundits have been busy reading the PM his last rites, with ex Liberal staffer Niki Savva telling readers of The Australian :


TONY Abbott’s rule is over. It is effectively dead and what we are witnessing are the death throes.

— The Australian, 5th February, 2015

Next day, there was a chorus of agreement, with the Australian Financial Review’s Laura Tingle assuring us


The only question is how it will happen and how long Abbott can hang on.

— Australian Financial Review, 6th February, 2015

Michelle Grattan in the Conversation was also ushering the PM into the wings:


If Abbott survives in the short term, it’s quite likely he’ll be kicked out later ... — The Conversation, 6th February, 2015

And Labor’s one-time numbers man, Graham Richardson, was already anointing Malcolm Turnbull as Australia’s next leader :


It seems clear that sometime soon Malcolm will get the job that he has seen as his destiny since childhood.

— The Australian, 6th February, 2015

They may of course still be right.

In which case stand by for more of the craziness we’ve seen in the last week.

And crazy it was. Because with everyone convinced it was going to happen, the race was on to find evidence that Mr Abbott’s rivals were plotting his downfall.

And even the trace of a scent was enough.


BREAKING: Two federal Liberal MPs have just confirmed to me that Malcolm Turnbull has called to ask if they will vote for him as leader.

— Twitter, @bairdjulia, 4th February, 2015

When the Drum’s Julia Baird tweeted that unsourced snippet last Wednesday journalists in the Twitterverse lit up with excitement.


Well, Hello ...

— Twitter, @samanthamaiden, 4th February, 2015


Amazing scoop by @bairdjulia on Turnbull making calls

— Twitter, @PatsKarvelas, 4th February, 2015

And within an hour Buzz Feed’s Mark di Stefano was observing what he called the ‘It’s On phenomenon’.


How One Rumour Can Totally Meltdown Twitter

IT’S ON ...

IT’S ON

On, baby. On.

ON!! ON!!! ON!!!!

— Buzzfeed, 4th February, 2015

But was Baird’s tip actually right?

Sky’s David Speers was pretty sure it was not.


DAVID SPEERS: That’s not the information that I’ve been getting. I’ve been on the phones all morning ...

— Sky News, 4th February, 2015

And the ABC’s political editor Chris Uhlmann was also not convinced.


Turnbull is NOT canvassing votes and his supporters accuse Mr Abbott's backers, not PMO, of trying to flush him out

— Twitter, @CUhlmann, 4th February, 2015

Uhlmann’s tweet linked back to a story that claimed the ABC had contacted dozens of Liberal MPs by phone and been unable to confirm Baird’s unsourced claim.

And before long the rumour was being denied on radio too.


CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I can tell you, categorically, that Malcolm Turnbull has not been ringing colleagues and canvassing for support because I asked him myself point blank and he told me it was not true, so I can tell you that is not true.

— 2GB, Sydney Live with Ben Fordham, 4th February, 2015

Yet despite all these doubts and denials and the lack of any hard evidence the ‘story’ still made news on TV seven hours later:


LANE CALCUTT: There’s been talk Malcolm Turnbull’s been ringing MPs looking for support denied by his office ...

— Channel Nine, 6pm News, 4th February, 2015


And it was not just on Nine. Channel Ten News and ABC 7.30 also gave it airtime.

And Julia Baird led the debate with it when she hosted The Drum, where she still stood by her unnamed sources.​

There's more at the Media Watch website.
We are supposed to be able to rely on a mature media with experienced editors who spike crap stories like the overheated Liberal leadership tensions. There was no challenger, no one put their hand up to stand against Mr Abbott and the result of the spill motion - heavily influenced as it was by the media tensions - was equivocal. Who knows how many party room members voted for a spill so as to exercise their vote for Mr Abbott?
The Rudd/Gillard leadership tensions were real and the media missed the story. This time the herd seems intent on creating a story to report on. And Australia is the loser.