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Now this is risky, and could end in tears. We could all be “cancelled” for even thinking about it. But here goes: the increasing impact of media pressure group Mad F—ing Witches is an unhealthy sign for democracy and media in Australia.
MFW is a powerful lobby that has painted targets onto some of Australia’s biggest media “stars” and claims to have set back the careers of people like Eddie McGuire, Karl Stefanovic, Sam Newman, Kyle Sandilands, Pauline Hanson and Alan Jones.
It began in 2016 and runs what it calls “collective boycotts” where supporters pressure advertisers to withdraw their money from programs and commentators of which they do not approve.
In a democracy, the witches (as they call themselves) are entitled to do this, but it’s an ugly power game, working under the principle that you must believe what we believe or we come after you.
And underlying that is a question: who or what should decide what it is appropriate for you to see, hear or read, other than some basic laws and a system of self-regulation that has worked reasonably well in this country for nearly 200 years.
This isn’t to argue the media is anything other than flawed. A fertile environment has been created for MFW by management slow to react and regulators, such as they are, looking weak and bureaucratic.
But the witches are playing with a fragile system.
Their website expresses particular pride in their action against two “giants” of radio: Jones on 2GB, and Sandilands on ARN Media.
And who would claim it’s a suitable use of the airwaves, a publicly owned resource, for Sandilands to broadcast the sound of staff urinating in some weird competition?
Who would argue that Jones, a man of extraordinary intellect, went too far with some of his vitriolic on-air comments? (Jones now faces multiple charges of indecent assault and sexual touching that emerged years after the MFW campaign against him. He maintains his innocence.)
But by what right does MFW appoint itself as guardian of what is proper and fair? How representative are they of the “real” audience?
This from the MFW website:
“Every single advertiser who pays advertising dollars to a company which spreads dangerous anti-science rhetoric, hate speech, fake news and lies is complicit in the spread of that information … their responsibility is to ensure their money only goes to media organisations with morals and a social conscience.”
They also pledge to “rid the world of authoritarianism” and say no longer will “sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and all forms of hate and bigotry” be tolerated.
Who judges what is “fake news”? The man who promoted the term, Donald Trump, would have a starkly different view of what it means compared to MFW.
How strongly can commentators argue for “safe spaces” for biological women without being labelled transphobic and cancelled?
Some see the media as an ugly conspiracy, designed to twist public decision-making to suit avaricious proprietors and devils of the left or right.
Mostly, that’s wrong. Proprietors are usually there primarily to make money, rather than campaign for mates, although at times they run conveniently together. Journalists generally try their best to be ethical and honest, and a system of management checks and balances should underpin that.
The disturbing effect of the MFW campaign is to legitimise and empower advertising bullying which potentially opens the door to all manner of twists.
If Melbourne’s leading producer of left-handed widgets wants Jess Wilson elected and tells this newspaper its huge advertising campaign is cancelled unless The Age turns rabidly pro-Liberal, what happens?
Of course the widget man would be sent packing. But there’s little difference between the tactics. Both rely on financial bullying.
Anyone can start a blog or a Substack. And podcasts, the internet? Radio veterans describe it as the “wild west of broadcasting.” It has yet to find its level. TV and radio are different. They use a publicly owned resource which must be used responsibly, or that’s the theory.
There is a 31-page Commercial Radio Code of Practice which goes into detail about what is acceptable, although Sandilands continued his antics as the authorities slowly reacted, management dithered, and sensible Melbourne listeners turned off. But tighter regulation is not the answer. Politicians controlling a “free” press erodes a key democratic principle.
An independent (hopefully brave) media is healthy. It holds decision makers to account and campaigns to support the interests of its audience, not its mates in the coffee shop or the boardrooms.
Legacy media faces massive change. Amateur “reporters” and “commentators” are thick on the ground. Do they have any concept of ethical journalism? Is accuracy crucial?
There needs to be a point of difference between what mainstream media provides and what the average teenager with a phone can post. That’s credibility.
If legacy media is to thrive, media owners, managers, editors and journalists must rebuild credibility by quickly admitting mistakes, working for their audience, calling out the abuses, and being sufficiently brave to reject manipulative financial pressure from MFW, advertisers, politicians, or anybody else.
This is how the Witches see it with this piece of dogmatic tub thumping:
“As the mainstream media refuse to regulate themselves and continue to hero-worship the sad, stale older men who’ve had all the say for far, far too f—ing long, there’s nobody but us to do this work and we will do it while it needs to be done.”
Is this where we have landed? Where lobby groups want to decide who will be interviewed and what questions should be asked?
What’s important here is not the journalists, commentators or their bosses. It’s certainly not MFW or any cabal of lobbyists. It’s the audience that should be all powerful.
Instead the witches are telling them they’re too stupid to know what’s good for them.
Neil Mitchell has worked in newspapers, TV and radio for more than 50 years. He now hosts the podcast Mitchell Unlimited.
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Neil Mitchell broadcasts on 3AW and hosts the weekly podcast “Neil Mitchell asks why?”From our partners
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