Julia Irwin (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last month in Kenya 12 women were burned to death as witches. But it appears that good old-fashioned witch-hunts are not restricted to deepest, darkest Africa. For the past two weeks in Australia we have witnessed a media frenzy that can only be described as a witch-hunt. We have seen media outlets descend to new lows as they fan the fires of superstition. While I would single out the hammer of witches, the Daily Telegraph and its brother the Sunday Telegraph, I would also add crikey.com.au for some of the most disgraceful journalism ever seen in this country. But what is worse is that so-called quality news outlets have been lighting their own torches to join in the witch-hunt. In the age of digital media it seems our journalists are stuck in the 15th century. Only Alan Jones seemed to understand the gravity of this lapse when he said:

Unless the media are dedicated to the truth and the facts above all else, it’s difficult to know how the democratic process can function properly.

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