History Series / Mediawatch

* ArchEnemy: Radio personality Alan Jones[[note]]picture Creator/BillOReilly with a worse temper and without people taking him seriously[[/note]] is perhaps the most frequently covered media entity on the show of late, [[DanBrowned and for good reason]]. For his part, Jones [[HePannedItNowHeSucks doesn't think at all highly of Media Watch and derides it at every opportunity]]... much to former host Jonathan Holmes' amusement.

* CaliforniaDoubling: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJU7zKQaF2Y one of the more infamous exposes]], which revealed how ''Today Tonight'' staged a car pursuit of fugitive businessman Christopher Skase which purportedly took place in Majorca, Spain, when the footage was shot hundreds of kilometers away in Barcelona.

* CreditsPushback: The show once called out Network Ten for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJHvuOTwKRg doing this]] with the film ''Crackerjack'', which had a long CreditsGag that was drowned out by loud promos. Director Mick Molloy expressed his annoyance with the situation, and popped up at the end of the show to invoke this trope and cheerfully state how useless and disrespectful this practice is to viewers and the show's crew.

* JerkAss: Certain media figures -- Ray Martin during the Paxton incident, Kyle Sandilands's victimization of his guests, etc. -- give off this impression.

* CaliforniaDoubling: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in one of the more infamous exposes, which revealed how ''Today Tonight'' staged a car pursuit of fugitive businessman Christopher Skase which purportedly took place in Majorca, Spain, when the footage was shot hundreds of kilometers away in Barcelona.

* PoesLaw: From the 24/3/14 episode: Two of the following headlines about the missing Malaysia Airlines jet are from genuine newspapers, while one is from a spoof - "Pastor Predicted Disappearance of Jet", "Missing Jet in North Korea", "Plane Stolen by Aliens". Which one is the spoof? [[spoiler:The correct answer is "Missing Jet in North Korea"]]

** The show has covered a number of examples of reporters being taken in by spoof newspapers such as the ''Website/TheBetootaAdvocate''.

''Media Watch'' is an television program on Creator/TheABC which focuses on analysing and dissecting [[UsefulNotes/AustralianMedia the news media in Australia]]. [[MoodWhiplash It swings between]] covering the [[MoralEventHorizon appalling]] and the [[{{Narm}} hilarious]]. It covers lies, discrepencies and ethical violations by all of Australia's major networks, papers, radio stations and other outlets, [[BitingTheHandHumor and it certainly isn't afraid to aim at the ABC itself should the situation call for it]]. It follows up on quotes, demands citations and explains how the stories get written.

* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] frequently. Egregious examples are some of the show's favourite fodder to cover.

** Tabloid newspapers owned by Creator/RupertMurdoch, most notably ''The Australian''. ''Herald Sun'' columnist Andrew Bolt as well.

** ''Herald Sun'' columnist Andrew Bolt as well.

Media Watch is an [[Creator/TheABC ABC]] television news program which focuses on analysing and dissecting [[UsefulNotes/AustralianMedia the news media in Australia]]. [[MoodWhiplash It swings between]] covering the [[MoralEventHorizon appalling]] and the [[{{Narm}} hilarious]]. It covers lies, discrepencies and ethical violations by all of Australia's major networks, papers, radio stations and other outlets, [[BitingTheHandHumor and it certainly isn't afraid to aim at the ABC itself should the situation call for it]]. It follows up on quotes, demands citations and explains how the stories get written.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: After Media Watch caught Nigel Adlam of the ''NT News'' out for an inaccurate report about government handouts to Aboriginals, Adlam claimed that instead of being criticised for inaccuracy, he should have been given a prize for "holding the government to account". Jonathan Holmes announced he was the frontrunner for the new Rhino Hide Award, awarded to the journo with the thickest skin.

* PoesLaw: From the 24/3/14 episode: Two of the following headlines about the missing Malaysia Airlines jet are from genuine newspapers, while one is from a spoof - "Pastor Predicted Disappearance of Jet", "Missing Jet in North Korea", "Plane Stolen by Aliens". Which one is the spoof? [[spoiler: The correct answer is "Missing Jet in North Korea"]]

** The show has covered a number of examples of reporters being taken in by spoof newspapers such as the Website/TheBetootaAdvocate.
* RougeAnglesOfSatin: Embarrassing mistakes along these lines will often be brought up at the beginning or end of the show. The Illawarra Mercury used to get targeted a lot for poor editing in the 1990s.
* ShownTheirWork: Media Watch ''never'' half-asses debunking their targets.

-->'''Paul Barry''': So what are the jobs that robots cannot do? Complex investigations, analysis of issues and reporting live from the scene as a story is breaking, are all areas where humans still rule. So, I’m happy to say there are some jobs than could never be replaced. Like mine (''robotic voice'') [[AC:for example]]. (''Barry disappears, revealing that he's a robot projecting a hologram, which is quickly replaced by a much less convincing hologram. It resumes talking in a choppy computerized voice'') [[AC:And you can-can read more about tonight’s stories-stories on our website, where you can also-also get a transcript-ipt and download the pro-program. You can also catch up with us on iView and contact me or Media Watch on Twitter. But for now until next week that’s all from us. Goodbye]].
* WrongFootageGag: Occasionally covers real-life examples from news shows. [[http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3517892.htm One rather hilarious incident]] had an ABC News Breakfast reporter talking about "the world's fastest man" Usain Bolt's preparation for the London Olympics, which was unfortunately accompanied by a clip of then-Opposition Leader Tony Abbott running for the door of the House of Representatives to avoid a vote, after finding out disgraced MP [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Thomson_%28politician%29#Impact_of_the_Health_Services_Union_expenses_affair Craig Thomson]] would be voting on his side.

** The Daily Mail, who Paul Barry has outright called "[[https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/suicide-reporting/9972202 a disgrace to journalism]]" in response to their tasteless approach to suicide reporting and refusal to follow the recommended guidelines when called out on it.

** Also tabloid news shows, especially ''Today Tonight''.

* InsultBackfire: In 2002, the then-editor of The Daily Telegraph, Campbell Reid, sent host David Marr a dead fish; a replica of it is now awarded as the Campbell Reid Perpetual Trophy for the Brazen Recycling of Other People's Work. Known as "The Barra" and bearing the motto [[PretentiousLatinMotto ''Carpe Verbatim'']], it is awarded annually for bad journalism and particularly plagiarism (a practice for which Reid was frequently criticised).

** The Daily Mail, who Paul Barry has outright called
"[[https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/suicide-reporting/9972202 a disgrace to journalism]]" in response to their tasteless approach to suicide reporting and refusal to follow the recommended guidelines when called out on it.

->''"Everyone loves it until they're on it."''

** Another episode, aired 13/4/15, had four bizarre stories - "Man volunteers for world first head transplant operation", "'Best sex ever'. Emma McCabe plans to marry a tree named Tim", "Doctors discover man's mystery headaches are caused by a dozen maggots... which saved his life by eating infected tissue after a botched operation on his skull in Vietnam" and "Mosque proposal for Hay: ...Mr. [[SdrawkcabName Yad Sloof Lirpa]] said negotiations were also underway for a small-scale abattoir on Sidonia Road" - and asked viewers to spot which one was an AprilFoolsDay hoax. The first three were eliminated based on their dates of publication even before Paul Barry pointed out the Backwards Name. Notably, Paul gave no guarantee the other three stories were actually true.

Media Watch is an [[TheABC ABC]] television news program which focuses on analysing and dissecting [[UsefulNotes/AustralianMedia the news media in Australia]]. [[MoodWhiplash It swings between]] covering the [[MoralEventHorizon appalling]] and the [[{{Narm}} hilarious]]. It covers lies, discrepencies and ethical violations by all of Australia's major networks, papers, radio stations and other outlets, [[BitingTheHandHumor and it certainly isn't afraid to aim at the ABC itself should the situation call for it]]. It follows up on quotes, demands citations and explains how the stories get written.

* CaliforniaDoubling: One of the more infamous episodes exposed how ''Today Tonight'' staged a car pursuit of fugitive businessman Christopher Skase which purportedly took place in Majorca, Spain, when the footage was shot hundreds of kilometers away in Barcelona.
* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: Egregious examples are some of the show's favourite fodder to cover.

* SubliminalAdvertising: Devoted a segment to Network Ten and its 2007 ARIA Awards coverage, which included rapid-cut logos for its sponsors into the nomination segments. Ten also did something similar in an episode of ''AreYouSmarterThanAFifthGrader''.

* WrongFootageGag: Occasionally covers real-life examples from news shows. [[http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3517892.htm One rather hilarious incident]] had an ABC News Breakfast reporter talking about "the world's fastest man" Usain Bolt's preparation for the London Olympics, which was unfortunately accompanied by a clip of then-Opposition Leader Tony Abbott running for the door of the House of Representatives to avoid a vote, after finding out disgraced MP Craig Thomson would be voting on his side.

* YouMakeMeSic: Embarrassing mistakes along these lines will often be brought up at the beginning or end of the show. The Illawarra Mercury used to get targeted a lot for poor editing in the 1990s.

** The show has covered a number of examples of reporters being taken in by spoof newspapers such as the Websites/TheBetootaAdvocate.

** The show has covered a number of examples of reporters being taken in by spoof newspapers such as the Newspapers/TheBetootaAdvocate.

** The show has covered a number of examples of reporters being taken in by spoof newspapers such as the Betoota Advocate.

** To a lesser extent, the Illawarra Mercury used to get targeted a lot for poor editing.

* ArchEnemy: Radio personality Alan Jones[[note]]picture BillOReilly with a worse temper and without people taking him seriously[[/note]] is perhaps the most frequently covered media entity on the show of late, [[DanBrowned and for good reason]]. For his part, Jones [[HePannedItNowHeSucks doesn't think at all highly of Media Watch and derides it at every opportunity]]... much to former host Jonathan Holmes' amusement.