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Seven News under fire for “exclusive” interview with activist

When "exclusive access" is nothing more than a free soapbox and a lack of key facts.

Seven News copped a social media tirade yesterday after it screened a report on a “right-wing activists” meeting in Melbourne.

The report by Jodi Lee claimed “exclusive” access to a meeting of around 50 people from the True Blue Crew in response to “African gang violence.”

It included a pre-recorded interview with United Patriots leader Blair Cottrell, who criticised the Andrews government and Victoria Police. Another man, Kane Miller, said it was time for community involvement, which Lee indicated would comprise a “type of neighbourhood watch” to send protection when an incident occurs.

But the report neglected to detail Cottrell has previously spent time in prison for property damage and last year became one of the first Victorians to be convicted under the state’s new racial vilification laws. Cottrell was convicted in 2012 and 2013 of offences including arson, burglary and damaging property, and has expressed pro-Nazi views. He has previously appeared on ABC’s Hack Live.

The report also did not observe that the African community is being targeted by far-right groups.

Dr Dvir Abramovich from the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission told Fairfax Media that Seven had “crossed a line”.

“This is somebody who should never be given a platform,” he said. “They are legitimising and normalising his agenda.

“White-supremacists and neo-Nazis are feeling emboldened and energised, and are searching for every opportunity to insert themselves into the public square. On that front, Channel Seven has failed us all.”

Victoria police executive director of media and corporate communications, Merita Tabain, recently wrote a confidential email to the editors of Melbourne’s main media outlets, including Seven, Nine, TEN, ABC and SBS, expressing concern that aggressive behaviour by journalists might “exacerbate the current tensions”. It followed reports a Daily Mail photographer provoked a group of teenagers who were innocently socialising at a shopping centre in Tarneit.

Seven News director Simon Pristel said, “Seven News has reported on many meetings in the past couple of weeks held to discuss the African gang violence crisis, including governments, community leaders and police,” he said. “Sunday’s meeting was newsworthy so it was reported.”

Jodi Lee has since deleted a tweet with the offending report.

The same bulletin featured a second story on steps to address crime in Melbourne’s west.

Source: Fairfax, Guardian, Pedestrian

9 Responses

  1. Not exactly sure what the objections to the Seven news article are. Were people objecting to the “exclusivity” of it, or just objecting to Seven interviewing Cottrell? I didn’t see the interview but Cottrell probably expressed some contentious views – was the problem about his point of view or opinion?

    If its OK for the ABC’s The Drum to interview him or have him on their panel to argue his case then you can’t object to Seven interviewing Cottrell.

    If you don’t think that Cottrell should be heard at all in the media then say that.

      1. Indeed – but I was making the point about why the ABC host on Hack Live didn’t disclose his criminal record either – so the same questions should have been asked of ABC management when he appeared there. I agree with you that the criminal record of all people appearing in the media or quoted in the media should have their criminal record disclosed if its relevant to the topic.

        Nathan said it best though that the subject needed a longer form investigation and even a debate, maybe Ch 7 didn’t do that here, but I would expect that the debate has happened in other media outlets over the last few months.

        1. I don’t recall if Hack Live did or didn’t nor whether it was before or after convictions. But Hack Live in my view has needed better production than what it has served up. Sadly The Hack Half Hour was a much better predecessor.

    1. My objection is that something like this should be on Sunday Night, then at least we can hear from both sides of the debate, not just a bunch of wannabe vigilantes.

    1. Yes I thought the same. Les Twentyman was suggesting RS would ignite African gang violence, but the truth is RS included very little of them (and it was largely a sympathetic viewpoint). Current stories seem to have been ignited by a politician not drama. I don’t know how many houses in Melbourne’s west are Stan subscribers.

        1. In particular, I’m thinking of the media coverage element as well – the deliberate agenda to encourage division & conflict. The talk show with Jago was an interesting part of the show

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