The media has been capturing former TV star Andrew O’Keefe’s fall from grace in agonising detail, including his recent community corrections order after he was found guilty of “violent and degrading” domestic attacks.
The Daily Mail has published at least one story a day about the former The Chase Australia and Weekend Sunrise host this month alone.
But a story broadcast on Seven News this week featuring a cameraman repeatedly verbally abusing, insulting and goading the 52-year-old appears to have crossed a line with viewers who have called it “unprofessional” and “harassment”.
Cameraman to O’Keefe: “Big weekend mate?… You’re a degenerate mate. You’re a fucking degenerate. That’s what you are. You’re a degenerate man.”
O’Keefe returns fire, telling the cameraman he is making a living out of “leeching off people”.
Cameraman: “Go and abuse some women mate.”
The drama is only escalating for troubled former TV star Andrew O'Keefe, who's had a run in with paparazzi, and been arrested by police. The clash came after news broke of an apparent drug overdose. https://t.co/VZ3A1cHvFd #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/VxUO1F0PiJ
— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) September 16, 2024
In the video O’Keefe takes off and then reverses his car and returns to the police station to report the altercation, only to be arrested for breaching his bail conditions and sent to jail.
When Seven posted the video on social media the comments were overwhelmingly negative: “But, what dirty, grubby behaviour from that paparazzo … seemingly taking glee at a once stable star’s free fall. You should be ashamed.”
Seven’s new director of news, Anthony De Ceglie, declined to comment and the video remains online.
Closed book
The books editor of the Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Jason Steger, is one of the more experienced journalists to leave the publishing arm of Nine Entertainment, which has shed 85 editorial staff. Another big loss is investigative reporter and author Ben Schneiders, a Walkley award winner and a four-time winner of the industrial relations reporting award.
Steger had been in the role since 2000 and is known to viewers of The Book Club on the ABC, which he co-hosted with Marieke Hardy and Jennifer Byrne until 2017.
“I have been very lucky to have had what I consider the best job in journalism, and would like to thank my colleagues at the Age/SMH and every author, publisher, bookseller, publicist and reviewer for making my work so enjoyable,” Steger told the trade press.
Weekly Beast understands Steger will continue to write his weekly newsletter The Booklist as a freelancer but he will not be replaced. The reviews and interviews will be shared among exisiting Spectrum staff.
Nine publishing declined to comment.
Dean there, done that
The Australian Financial Review has parted ways with columnist Rowan Dean, who hasn’t had a piece published since 2 August. Dean appears not to have survived the departure of former editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury who was a fan of the so-called satirist.
Stutch didn’t blink when Dean wrote a controversial column several years back inspired by the Rich List, which he called the “Poor Me List”.
Of the seven people he targeted, three were Indigenous: Nova Peris, Stan Grant and former AFL star Adam Goodes.
Dean, who has described climate change as a “fraudulent and dangerous cult”, still has a program on Sky News Australia where he has been found by broadcasting authorities to have breached codes for fairness and for failing to distinguish opinion from fact.
New leash on life
Nine Radio – home to 2GB and 3AW – threw Peter Gleeson a lifeline last June after the Courier-Mail columnist and former News Corp editor left his Murdoch home after multiple instances of plagiarism were uncovered.
After apologising for breaching News Corp’s code of conduct, Gleeson was also sacked by Sky News.
His short-lived radio career as host of Brisbane’s 4BC Drive show ended abruptly this month after his ratings fell to just 3.7 % of the audience from 4.2%. Former Drive host Neil Breen’s ratings had more than 5% when he left in June last year.
Gleeson announced on air he was leaving 4BC to take up a new appointment as chief executive of Queensland’s $85m Q greyhound complex.
“I will be leaving 4BC, with much heartache and regret,” Gleeso said. “I’ve taken on a role that is right in my wheelhouse. I’ve been appointed CEO of the new greyhound facility at Yamanto,” Gleeson said.
“It was a tough decision – but in the end, I went to my first greyhound meeting when I was five and I’ve been involved in the industry ever since.”
Gleeson’s love of greyhounds went deep. He often used his platform as an opportunity to promote the sport, writing about it in the Courier-Mail and talking it up on Sky.
In 2019 on Sky News he snapped at fellow Sky host Janine Perrett when she said she didn’t like greyhound racing.
“You know what? Maybe you should work at the ABC,” he said.
Fast forward five years and Perrett is standing in for Paul Barry as host of ABC TV’s Media Watch while he is on leave. Perrett is one of the people being considered to replace Barry when he steps down at the end of the year.
Higher calling
For Sharri Markson having the support of Lachlan Murdoch and Sky News boss Paul Whittaker for her fight against antisemitism is important. But the Sky News host claims she has the backing of an even higher power: “Rabbis give me blessings to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Markson made the statement in an interview with the Jewish Independent, telling Vic Alhadeff she is “extremely fortunate to have an opinion program which gives me the platform and ability to speak out against antisemitism”.
“Being a fighter for what’s right is intrinsic to my personality,” she said.
Markson says she feels driven to put pressure on our leaders to stand up to antisemitism, and after Sky aired a documentary on antisemitism in May, Markson applauded the program with tears in her eyes.
“I also have to say as a Jewish Australian, a huge thank you to my bosses here on Sky News.”
Position vacant
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is not only looking for a new host of Media Watch. The hunt is on for a new managing director, and the ad for the position was published in the Australian Financial Review on Friday.
After a 35-year career at Aunty and a year into his second five-year term as MD, David Anderson resigned last month.
“At the core of success for the next Managing Director will be the ability to capture the aspirations of the Australian public, whilst positioning the organisation for the future through modernising and implementing an audience focussed enterprise,” the ad says.
“The role of Managing Director also encompasses the function of ‘Editor-in-Chief’ and holds ultimate editorial authority and responsibility for all content published by the Corporation. “
The deadline for applications is 1 October.
ABC of diversity
The Labor government has made changes to the selection criteria for an ABC board member which it hopes will promote diversity.
No, there is no requirement for the candidates to be diverse, but they will in future be expected to have “the ability to credibly represent the communication needs of Australia’s diverse society”.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi highlighted the lack of diversity on the ABC board in a letter to the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, last month.
A spokesperson for Rowland said the change was intended to reflect the role of the ABC under its charter to provide programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community.
“The changes were informed by the government’s review of options to support the independence of the national broadcasters, and in consultation with the ABC and SBS,” the spokesperson said.
Credlin’s Liberal links
A federal court defamation trial has given the public an insight into the role Sky News host and columnist for the Australian Peta Credlin continues to play in Liberal politics.
Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff might call herself a journalist, even winning or being shortlisted for awards, but she is considered a “Liberal party mentor” by at least one Victorian MP.
The revelation came during independent MP Moira Deeming’s evidence in the case she brought against Victorian Liberal leader, John Pesutto, for allegedly falsely portraying her as a Nazi sympathiser.
Deeming’s run-in with the Liberal party started when she helped organise and spoke at the “Let Women Speak” rally last year, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis.
The trial has heard evidence Credlin was advising Deeming on how to handle her dispute with the party.
Asked by Matthew Collins KC, for Pesutto, if Credlin was a journalist, Deeming, who was expelled from the parliamentary party in May, replied: “I viewed her mostly as a Liberal party mentor”. Deeming remains a member of the broader Liberal party.
Credlin has spoken about the trial on her Sky News show, referring to all the emails and text message exchanges she had with Deeming.
“As was made clear in the court today, based on my emails and text messages, my motivation in helping Moira has always been about justice and fairness,” Credlin said.
