Late last year, writer Tanya Ashworth contacted me for my answers to some questions she had about the effects of immersing oneself in the background media consumption required to write regularly about feminist issues: the drip-drip-drip of piece after piece of anti-women incident coverage and condescending/fatuous/abusively sexist op-eds. Yesterday she finally managed to get that article published, and my answers are in fine company – Clementine Ford, Van Badham, Lou Heinrich and Viv Smythe: optimism in the face of online abuse.
media
Classist overtones in the reporting of bulk-billed IVF treatment
Does the media reporting of the opening of a new bulk-billing IVF clinic in Melbourne suggest that only those who can pay should have access to IVF treatment? If so, is that classist?
Quick Link: the 2014 Ernies are in
The riotous annual event recognising the most sexist statements by Australian public figures over the past year has just happened this week.
A little more research wouldn’t have hurt
Public humiliation visits every retailer occasionally. But to young women who are a bit on the large side, the embarrassment being visited on clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch must be as delicious as a good public flogging.
The ten questions I would most like Labor MPs to be asking themselves
The often reliable Leigh Sales has a piece in The Drum listing “The ten questions Labor MPs are asking themselves”. Sadly, yet unsurprisingly, all ten pertain to the leadership of the party. Sales doesn’t seem to consider it even a possibility that anyone is allocating any brain space to policy or governing the country. Now, as much as it is a depressing thought, I acknowledge that there is every chance she is right. But as a reporter with a substantial platform, she has a choice about where to direct the conversation. She could, for instance, be inviting responses to these, alternative, questions, that Labor MPs have every reason to be asking themselves.
Quicklink: Beauty and the Beast, Love Actually and the skill of consuming media critically
From gyzym on Tumblr: just shut up …consuming media critically is a skill, and in an age where media is more prevalent than ever before, it’s a skill worth having. It’s a skill worth having because you are going to… Read More ›
Quick Hit: the Ernies are in
Australia’s annual awards for public displays of sexism took place at NSW Parliament House last night. Gold below the fold.
Homophobia and racism: the Australian media prove they can do two things at once
There was a bit of a controversy on Sunday when The Daily Telegraph, which is apparently still passing for a newspaper, put up a story called “PM Julia Gillard and Senator Pansy Wong – a reluctant embrace of an emotive… Read More ›
What’s going on in the world?
So, as we’ve probably all noticed, Australian news is kind of… Australia-centric? I’m wondering what news stories you’ve been encountering that really should be getting wider coverage. Here are some of mine: After years of military dictatorship, Burma is on… Read More ›
Do you see what I see?
The SMH is at it again.