Age journalist censured for conflict of interest in reporting MP rape allegation
The Australian Press Council has upheld a complaint against The Age that the newspaper allowed one if its journalists to publish a lengthy article about the later discredited allegations of an alleged rape victim against an MP, despite the woman being a personal friend.
Former Victorian Minister Theo Theophanous complained that an article written for The Age by Carolyn Webb in late 2008 was unfair. The charges against him were later dismissed.
Webb was a friend of the woman making the allegation and had visited her in Greece and stayed at her house, Theophanous complained.
So who’s dirty and grubby now? This whole episode is a sad indictment on the editorial standards of The Age.
The Age has one last hope: Go tabloid yesterday, apologise to melbourne for years of wankers sneering at potential readers (paging Catherine Deveny), and hire some decent writers who don’t parrot their favoured political party’s talking points.
And most important of all, appoint some grown-ups to supervise them, so that things like the Carolyn Webb travesty get spiked before they explode. According to last night’s Media Watch, Ramadge is actually defending the Theophanous hatchet job. Top marks for loyalty; failing grade for smarts.
Oh, and they might also consider hiring some hungry reps to get those display ads which, along with classifieds, they no longer get.
Theophanous takes Ramadge to task
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawat.....971299.htm