We Used to be Journos
We Used to be Journos
Ette Media
We used to be journalists, but now we mostly just bitch about them. (Kidding. Kind of.) We also break down broken news.Episodes drop Wednesday and Saturday.Hosted by long-suffering journalists and even longer-suffering friends Jan Fran and Antoinette Lattouf, We Used to Be Journos pulls apart the week in media from people who know exactly how the machine runs because they worked inside it for decades.Every Wednesday, the pair sift through the headlines you saw and the forces you did not. Expect blunt media analysis, zooming in on dodgy editorial calls, anonymous sources doing gymnastics, and the occasional whiff of bigotry dressed up as balance. Consider it a guided tour of the newsroom sausage factory so you know what ended up on your plate.On Saturdays, the spin-off segment Only Jan hands the microphone to Walkley Award winner Jan Fran. One issue, one sharp monologue, foresincally researched, tightly argued, and, inconveniently for the powerful, quite funny.Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here. Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
ONLY FRAN: Comedian Bassem Youssef out, IDF marathon runners in
American-Egyptian comedian Bassem Youssef has had to postpone his stand up tour of Australia because he has not received his visa in time. He says he was required to provide a criminal record from both the US and Egypt. Meanwhile around 40 IDF soldiers are in town to run in the Sydney Marathon as part of a “peace delegation". Jan Fran explores who gets a visa to come to Australia, who doesn’t and why it’s all a bit confusing.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 28
18 min
Flanagan blasts Israel lobby, a terrible take on sexual assault + Jason Arday media apologises or doubles down
In this episode, we look at a searing speech given by acclaimed author Richard Flanagan at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, in which he outlines the way the pro-Israel lobby is threatening our democracy.We also examine the media’s self-reflection (or lack thereof) following the tragic death of Cambridge Professor Jason Arday. Jan gives zero stars to an opinion piece on the allegations of sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl levelled at three students from the prestigious boys' school, Scots College. Plus – a glimpse into the opaque operations of far-right group Advance delivers some surprises.  Watch Richard Flanagan’s full address to the Festival of Dangerous Ideas here. Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 25
58 min
ONLY FRAN: The ASIO laws that just passed the Senate
This week a bill passed the Senate that will give ASIO extended powers on top of its already very extended powers. Not only can an innocent person be hauled in for questioning, held for 24-hours, potentially without a lawyer but they can’t tell anyone about it. Now, ASIO will be given added powers on what it can question you on and Jan Fran has a feeling it’s got to do with Palestine protests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 21
17 min
UK media hounds Black professor, Politico’s confusing neutrality stance + millennial TV shows love Israel
In this episode Jan and Antoinette explain why the death of Cambridge’s youngest Black professor Jason Arday was not, in fact, a “plagiarism row” but something far greater and more pernicious that the British press had a hand in. Plus, popular newsletter Politico launches its Canberra team with claims to be neutral and not take a side. Its CEO - and a five-item checklist - says otherwise. There’s also a shout-out to students taking on Pauline Hanson (and silly questions from the press), and the TikToker combing through 90s TV shows finding soft propaganda for Israel.  Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.Follow  Ari on TikTok  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 18
58 min
No Only Fran this week because Jan Fran is sick
Just dropping a little note in the feed to let you know that I've come down with a bug. Don't worry I'm okay but I'm feeling very, very sorry for myself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 14
2 min
Left-wing terrorism, Luke Bateman's gambling testimony fallout + anatomy of a hit piece
We examine the alleged case of left-wing terrorism announced by Australian authorities: a crime that has no suspects in custody or charges laid. We also unpack the dangers of both-sidesing an issue when the evidence and research on right-wing terrorism is far greater. Plus, the gambling industry's mates in the media take an odd swing at former NRL player and gambling addict Luke Bateman, after his bombshell Senate testimony about how the betting industry operates.And a shout-out to author Trent Dalton, who handled a profile piece-turned-hit piece in the Murdoch press with class. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, free and confidential support is available 24/7 through the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 CORRECTION: An earlier version of this podcast claimed Luke Bateman had accused TAB, Sportsbet and Star Casino of improper behaviour in his testimony before a Senate inquiry. While Luke Bateman did allege betting companies behaved badly, he did not specifically name any. The three outfits were named by Alliance for Gambling Reform chief executive Tim Costello in his testimony before the inquiry.Catch Antoinette at Byron Bay Writer’s Festival this here. Support Ette Media by becoming a paid subscriber here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 11
1 hr 1 min
ONLY FRAN: Abdul v AIPAC: Why this US Senate primary wasn’t about Michigan
It’s an election that Jan Fran didn’t really think she’d care about that much: the US state of Michigan’s democratic Senate primary race. Except that it was about a lot more than the state of Michigan. In this episode of Only Fran Jan unpacks why this election really was - as the media likes to dramatically call it - a “battle for the soul of the Democratic party” and what this battle has to do with the state of Israel.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 7
15 min
Rinehart sues ABC over comedy skit, Morocco ‘migrant crisis’ debunked + boycott Daily Telegraph campaign
In this episode, we unpack how the major global mainstream media outlets spurred on the far-right and obscured the real story behind the 50,000 Moroccans who entered Spanish territory. even though there were obvious red flags from the beginning. Plus, Gina Rinehart launches legal action against the ABC over a comedy sketch, is the law there to protect billionaires' feelings, or is a chilling effect the real aim? And a new campaign is calling for a boycott of the Daily Telegraph over its inflammatory coverage of minorities. We look at the opportunities and challenges ahead. Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.Boycott the Daily Telegraph petition here.Want updates on Jan’s doco on Khaled Sabsabi? Join the mailing list here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 4
53 min
ONLY FRAN: Who can blame Hannah Ferguson for wanting to take on Labor but…
This week Cheek Media’s Hannah Ferguson put her hand up to run for the seat of Grayndler at the next federal election. This seat happens to be the Prime Minister’s seat and also Jan Fran’s and Jan’s never gonna stop anyone - especially not a progressive Gen-Zer - from holding Labor’s feet to the fire, but… what is the best way to do that? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 31
15 min
Court finds Hanson racist (again), West Bank settler violence + Substack takes on AI slop
Pauline Hanson has been found to be a racist by the Federal Court...for a second time. We look at what this means for establishment media covering both her and her victim Senator Mehreen Faruqi because, as we discovered in the original judgement, they're not two sides of the same coin.Plus: will Substack be able to weed out A.I slop or is its new partnership with AI detector Pangram a fancy way to surveil creators?Also why Israeli paper Haaretz is covering West Bank settler violence with a clarity Australian media cant - or won't. And communism has entered the discourse. Find out why we're blaming Donald Trump.Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 28
1 hr 4 min
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