TT producer: Journos got it wrong
TT Producer Craig McPherson hits back at journos who criticised a planned meeting between the Dokics. And then some...
- Published by David Knox
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Today Tonight executive producer Craig McPherson today launches an extraordinary defence of his programme, particularly in the light of media criticism that TT attempted to “reunite” Jelena and Damir Dokic.
Writing in The Australian today, McPherson says journalists only reported select facts.
He says the meeting would have only occured if Jelena Dokic agreed, but they could not get a response and dropped the idea. Seven did not offer financial inducement, he says.
“Some reporters sniffed a scandal — Today Tonight ‘paying’ to bring Damir back to the land he hates to derail his daughter’s rejuvenated career. The radio jocks went into a frenzy, irrespective of the facts. Today Tonight was the villain, Damir the victim,” he writes.
“We issued a statement refuting these claims. But hey … why report that?”
The statement goes on to defend the show, citing 1500 stories a year and 1.5m Australians watch the show nightly.
“We get the very odd story wrong, but our viewers give us the tick in terms of relevancy. Not the intelligentsia of the media. They don’t watch us. They just criticise. It’s unfounded … biased … unfair … but, hey, it’s only Today Tonight.”
The article is a very good read, and regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the content, it’s certainly good to hear it from the other side. More of this would be welcome.
McPherson seems miffed that the wider media only report what suits their angle -a claim many might make right back at TT on any number of stories.
But there is another solution here.
Why doesn’t TT have a Producer blog on its official website, allowing Seven to give this behind the scenes feedback?
Craig, the statement you put out could have easily been posted on your own site where your own audience would see the facts from your side of the story.
(For the record, TV Tonight did not report news of any supposed TT Dokic meeting)
Source: The Australian
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10 Responses
I’ve told everyone I know who is likely to watch TT about the Dokic thing, and they all say they won’t ever watch it again. No one watching the ads… it would get cancelled pretty quickly, and hopefully whoever had the idea to sabotage Jelena Dokic so they can get ratings will be fired.
Anyone smell a rat ?
Nice defence of your programme Craig.I am sure both Today Tonight and A Current Affair always,well almost, absolutely positively get it right 100 percent of the time.
We trust you – you always speak the truth (insert sarcasm metre here)
Sorry mate, but no one would believe a single word that comes out of the mouth of anyone associated with Today Tonight.
i wonder what they call the mercedex]z corby and what ever her name is. story
“We get the very odd story wrong, but our viewers give us the tick in terms of relevancy”
But lets be honest, most of your viewers are morons.
Why do people watch this crap. It only encourages them to continue with “reporting” irrelevant, immoral and rehashed tripe. Get rid of it. Same goes for ACA.
I have an intense urge to, as my wife would say, get out the violins 🙂
TT – What goes around comes around.
Ironic: TT claims that not all the facts were reported!
It’s like the boy who cried wolf. You deliberately lie and mislead viewers for years, and then when (if they are to be believed) they finally truthfully present a story, no-one believes them. I suggest Craig reads up on that story.