EPISODE 34, 2 OCTOBER 2017
Today loves Australia, for a fee
Today’s ‘We love Australia’ tour turns out to be a gigantic paid ad
But now to Nine’s Today show where it’s just been ‘We Love Australia’ week and they’ve been touring the country, to share the love with Cairns, 1770 near Gladstone and the Yarra Valley.
And on Wednesday they came live from Griffith in southern NSW. Which Lisa and Karl just love to bits:
LISA WILKINSON: Bonjourno! We’re throwing a massive Italian street party this morning as our We Love Australia tour lands in gorgeous Griffith ...
KARL STEFANOVIC: Oh yeah, it is a wonderful crowd here and a wonderful morning in beautiful Griffith. The little Italy of NSW and what a spectacular morning it is. Wonderful faces, wonderful produce and just a wonderful time
— Channel Nine Today, 27 September, 2017
Wonderful. And it is great they’re taking the show around the country, but is it just cupboard love, because, as the local paper reported, Today received a bucket of cash for going there:
The Today Show allegedly expected a $100,000 retainer before committing to visiting the region.
— The Area News, 18 September, 2017
Yup, $100,000, with Griffith City Council kicking in $15,000 of ratepayers’ money and local businesses stumping up the rest.
And they certainly got value because the program was one huge plug:
ALAN SHAE: Really, this place has got so much to offer. We’ve got blessed by some of the best agricultural land and we’ve got great access to water, we’ve got great soils, great climate. But I think the special sauce here if you like in Griffith is the dynamic community. It’s the way that the council, the businesses, the farmers, the community all get together and create value …
— Channel Nine Today, 27 September, 2017
And it wasn’t just the region that received a glorygram.
The businesses who coughed up cash also got fabulous free advertising:
SOPHIE UPCROFT: So, John, this is where it all started in the family home here?
JOHN CASELLA: We started making wine just behind us in 1969. Even today, it’s still family run and Australia’s biggest family wine company. We produce about 15 million cases of wine per year out of this facility. We bottle all that here. Yellow Tail is one of the world’s best-known brands. I think we’re rated No. 5 in the world.
— Channel Nine Today, 27 September, 2017
Well fancy that. So, you can now buy your own corporate video and get it shown on Channel Nine as news to 420,000 people.
Not bad, eh?
And, of course, Today steered well clear of the two M words that made Griffith famous.
One as Australian HQ for the Calabrian Mafia.
The other being anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay, who went missing in the town, presumed murdered, 40 years ago.
Even though a new book about this titled The Griffith Wars was published on the very day this episode went to air.
Clearly, not newsworthy enough, because the publisher offered the authors for interview but:
The Today Show declined as their program was already fully booked.
— Anika Berkman, Publicist, 28 September, 2017
Oh dear.
There was also no room in the show to mention the council scandal that broke in the Griffith Area News the day before the broadcast:
NSW Government investigation finds Griffith City Council breached law on certifying multiple buildings.
— The Area News, 26 September, 2017
The wash-up of that is that 20 buildings in town may now not have valid insurance.
But sadly, no time to ask the Mayor about that in their chat about Griffith’s fabulous salami festival.
And finally, who is the guy in shorts here, standing next to Karl?
KARL STEFANOVIC: We’re making wine Dickie…
RICHARD WILKINS: We’re gonna do some grape crushing. Yeah look, this is such a great area for wine. We’ve got a couple of locals who know wine best. Andrew Calabria from Calabria family wines and local iconic legend Roy Spagnolo.
— Channel Nine Today, 27 September, 2017
So, who is Roy Spagnolo? Well, apart from being a legend, he’s a well-known accountant, and on his website Karl Stefanovic and Sylvia Jeffreys have both provided glowing testimonials for Roy and his team.
Maybe something you need to mention if you’re singing the guy’s praises on national TV? But Sylvia and Karl clearly didn’t think so.
But it’s not just in Griffith that Nine rolls out this business model. As the network told Media Watch:
Over the past 3 years, the Today Show has broadcast from more than 60 locations under the We Love Australia banner.
… We don't charge any of our partners a fee. We don't make money. We do work with them to help cover our considerable production and travel costs.
— Email, Nine spokesperson, 2 October, 2017
The ‘We Love Australia’ trips to Gladstone, Cairns and the Yarra Valley were all partly paid for by local tourism boards.
And Gladstone Regional Council was happy to tell us:
We contributed $36,364 for the opportunity to showcase our region to a national audience.
— Email, Matt Burnett, Gladstone Region Mayor
And why wouldn’t you, when you’re buying three-and-a-half hours of uncritical coverage?
But Nine is supposed to keep ads and editorial separate. And we think this marks a new low in credibility for sale.
We love Australia? Sure. Provided a fee is involved.
And you can read more about tonight’s stories on our Facebook page or our website, where you can also
see a statement from Channel Nine.
You can also catch the show on iview.
And contact me or Media Watch on Twitter.
And make sure not to miss Media Bites every Thursday.
But for now until next week, that’s it from us. Goodbye.
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s4743488.htm
