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‘Shit happens’ to Channel Seven too

Mark Riley's interview with the Opposition Leader has completely backfired as viewers vent their anger with Seven.

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‘Shit’ seems to have become the word of the moment.

Tony Abbott was questioned on its suitability.

Nine is airing a sitcom about it with William Shatner.

And George Negus asked about a “shitstorm” during his first episode of 6PM.

Last night it was liberally used during the News and The 7PM Project.

So, good news people, it’s no longer on the naughty list on this site anymore.

Mark Riley’s interview with the Opposition Leader has completely backfired on the Seven reporter. He may not have ‘ambushed’ Abbott as some have suggested (Abbott agreed to the interview and topic ahead of time), but his decision to raise the issue has not fared well with the public.

That said, it hasn’t been good for Abbott either. His nodding silence will be an image that is hard to forget.

Last night Riley defended his actions, saying he was “doing my job” as Seven’s political editor.

Seven News was even forced to air some of the hate mail it had received, even accusing it of gutter journalism on air.

Yesterday angry viewers took to Twitter, talkback radio, newspaper websites, and social media to lash out at Riley. Some still had not forgotten his 2009 Sunday Night report of a supposed sexual affair between SA Premier Mike Rann and a former employee. When Rann threatened to sue Seven over that one, the network was forced to apologise.

Yesterday there was plenty of comment on Seven’s own Yahoo!7 forum:

– Bye Mark, i used to enjoy your coverage, but this has gone too far, using the death of an Australian soldier to drum up media hype is the lowest of the low. Your lucky Tony Abbott didn’t thump you.

– You’ve got to be kidding me! Channel 7 and Mark Riley hitting a new low in “journalism”. Won’t be watching channel 7 again. Time for Mark Riley to get a real job.

– Mark Riley was completely out of line. He should apologize to the family of the digger and then resign.

– Mark Riley, you’re now the most hated and despised journalist in Australia…any comment?

– Dear Mark, I once was a fan of your reporting – now I am not. I’m completely disgusted in your attitude regarding the interview with Tony Abbott. Politics and ratings aside Mr Riley, imagine the feelings of this poor soldiers wife, family and comrades felt whilst witnessing this poor excuse of an interview.

It’s pretty clear this isn’t the outcome that the interview was supposed to elicit. Will it now impact on ratings?

27 Responses

  1. I agree with the majority, I am (used to be) an exclusive Seven News, Sunrise, Today Tonight viewer. I never even channel surfed to other rival programs during these programs, but I have never really liked Mark Riley, especially the rubbish “shit” segments he had on Weekend Sunrise, but I have had enough after the Abbott story. It is gutter journalism and in my eyes Mel, Kochie, Nat, Beretts, Chris Bath, Mark Ferguson, Matt White and Tony Squires are all implicated and smeared by this report and this poor journalist Riley. I will turn back to Seven News et al when Mark Riley is removed from the channel.
    So disappointed in Channel 7…

  3. Look at everyone crying into their undies about a news report. You think 7 is worried in the slightest by your threats of a baby boycott? Uhh no.

    And certianly the funniest comments I have read through this whole incident would have to be the ones accusing the Kerry Stoke’s owned 7 network of being ‘leftists’ – gee that was a good laugh.

    I also wonder why this is the story you have all decided to get up in arms about, as our ‘journalists’ have been acting pretty scummy for quite a while now – did you not see their behaviour during the election?

  4. I can’t believe the hooha made about the Abbottt interview. I think the original Abbott comment about S… happens, was certainly not meant to be disrespectful to the fallen soldier. I am sure Mr Abbott felt like all Australians do. On the other hand I think if he had his time over again he would have used a different phrase. I can’t imagine Howard, Turnbull, Costello or their Labor counter parts using such language in the same circumstances.

    In my opinion Mark Riley did his job. There was no ambush, just a very poor response by Mr Abbott. All he had to say to Mark Riley was it was his way of describing the fact that sometimes even with the best planning things go fatally wrong and he feels desperately sorry for the soldier and his family. That would have been the end of the saga.

    That long quivering silence was all about Mr Abbott’s inability to explain himself, nothing more. I remember in the recent election campaign he did a similar thing. I think it was when a reporter questioned him about when his costing were proven to be incorrect. He just gave this embarrassing silence, Opened his mouth as if to speak and then said nothing. It seems when he doesn’t have a scripted answer to a critical question he panicks and must feel that to give an answe will make things worse. I can just imagine how journalists like Kerry O’Brien and Laurie Oaks will exploit this weakness. Mr Abbott is lucky Labor does not have a Paul Keating in their midst.

  5. I wasn’t impressed with this type of Journalism. Irrespective of political persuasions. It was sad to misuse a quote out of context to politicise a diggers death!

  6. I like Tony Abbott and Im also a big Channel 7 and Mark Riley fan. This interview hasn’t put me off any of them. I just see it as a storm in a teacup and a small blip on their radars. No big deal really.

  7. Riley was just doing his job. The only thing offensive here, is Abbotts’ position as leader of the opposition. What leader can’t answer a simple question? If u don’t have an answer, do what other pollies do – waffle. Don’t stand there, shake and shudder like u r having a stroke!

  10. LOL haha I am a Liberal voter and I seriously find it funny how people have a back lash like this. Haha it is quite funny. Yep blame seven for that much silence. It is a real shame that certain people vote. As the Chaser pointed out “This person votes”. 85% of the comments about this article should be stamped with that slogan. Get a life people. Or as they say “So shit happens” get over it.

  11. @ Bogues

    I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t reduce their ratings. I’ll admit I watch them but I certainly don’t respect them for what they did. I’ll point out I am in no way a supporter of Abbott. He doesn’t look great either with his reaction to the reporters silly and tasteless accusations either.

    By the way I also think chasing Liz Hurley and Shane Warne also extremely stupid. As I don’t care what the heck they are up to and if I did I’d read Women’s Magazines. Which I don’t.

    @ Brad

    I like what you said. If they’re not careful I just might give them up. Too bad there’s no Classic Doctor Who on.

  14. What a shit article!
    Actually it’s a pity that ‘shit’ is now deemed PC. Thanks soley to this site I’ve started saying ‘Shat(ner)’ instead, even out loud, which my wife thinks is a huge improvement over my usual potty mouth.

    BTW, in my opinion the folks complaining to Channel 7 are mostly Liberal party voters for whom the Mad Monk can do no wrong. These sort of events usually polarise people along party lines.

  15. no sadly and Riley will like most Politicians will ride out the storm and survive…shouldnt though…he should go…not just for this but for the Rann debacle as well

  16. no it won’t impact ratings. People always say “I’ll never watch/buy/read from you again” but it never happens. Or if it does, it’s very short term.

    One douche interviewing another douche! What a yawn!

  18. I could not believe 7 News (Mitchell) saying… “heaps of negative comments”… which were all against 7 and pro Abbott and a “few positive comments” pro 7 and against Abbott… now is this about 7 or Abbott?

    As far as I am concerned, I believe all the negative commenst were against Abbott. Maybe just a few positive commenst to 7… see how they spin it around to make them look better.

    Back to channel 9 as of tonight for me.

  20. Seven got a grilling a few months back about outing a NSW minister going to a gay bar. I don’t recall that having any impact on ratings. I don’t imagine this incident will either.

  21. Seven has been caught out with selective editing. They must have realised that by cutting out Major General Cantwell’s response where he agreed with Abbott they were taking the comment out of context.

    Seven has a successful news product. Why they feel the need to risk it by manufacturing news is beyond me!

  24. Isn’t it good to see the Internet and social media giving viewers an opportunity to talk back to the media who are used to holding all the power in the stories that get aired. Riley’s shameful deceptive editing and his changed story in radio interviews have wiped away his reputation and that which remained of Seven. I only hope ratings now reflect this as a lesson to all media outlets considering doing these dispicable hatchet jobs in the future. One day they might realise the public isn’t stupid and their old school tricks don’t work anymore.

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