1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. Today is Wednesday, 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: the fifteenth of June, halfway through the week, and it's 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: a short week at that. So on today's episode we're 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,959 Speaker 1: talking about the Rebel Wilson and Sydney Morning Herald saga. 5 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: It's not something we would usually cover, but there are 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: important implications to this story, so Sam will be taking 7 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: us through that. But first, the energy crisis seems to 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: be worsening. Sam, take us through what we learned yesterday. 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 2: Warnings of power blackouts along Australia's East Coast have remained 10 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: in place overnight, with the Australian Energy Market Operator or 11 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 2: AMO issuing warnings to generators to supply more electricity to 12 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 2: the grid, even if it means than not making profit 13 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 2: off that energy. Wholesale electricity price spiked on Monday, causing 14 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 2: some generator companies to pull power from the grid. 15 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: Sam, you certainly had a long face yesterday while looking 16 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: at your stocks, and that is because the Australian stock market, 17 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: the ASX, lost nearly ninety billion dollars in value in 18 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: a single day of trader with the all ordinaries recovering 19 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: from an opening fall of more than five percent to 20 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: close three point seven percent down. It was the worst 21 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: day on Australian markets since March twenty twenty, and the 22 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: thirteenth worst day since two thousand and two. 23 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 2: I certainly was feeling very all ordinary yesterday. Meanwhile, in Wa, 24 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 2: the government has announced it will close its state owned 25 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 2: coal fired power stations by twenty twenty nine. We heard 26 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: yesterday from Premier Mark McGowan who said it's simply not 27 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: sustainable in the long term to have the plants continue 28 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: to operate. Instead, he wants to reallocate resources to renewable 29 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: energy sources. 30 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: Today's good news the US Food and Drug Administration the 31 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: FDA has approved a new alopecia drug that restores hair 32 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: growth in many patients. The drug regrows hair by blocking 33 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: the immune system from attacking hair follicles. The Sindney Morning 34 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: Herald has been criticized for its handling of a story 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: about actress Rebel Wilson's new relationship. Now, before we go 36 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: back to what happened last Friday and how this story started, 37 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: I think it's important to say that this isn't normally 38 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: a story that TDA would cover. One of the things 39 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: that we pride ourselves on is distinguishing between noise and news. 40 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: The reason why it's so significant is because it concerns 41 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: the media's relationship with its subjects, and it's definitely reverberated 42 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: around the media community, but also seems to have really 43 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: cut through beyond just media circles and is being spoken 44 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: about everywhere. And we see our role as providing you 45 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: with the key information that you need to know when 46 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: people are talking about issues surrounding the news. So that 47 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 1: is why we're covering this story today. Sam. There is 48 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: a bit of a timeline to this, so can you 49 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: take us back to last Friday and what happened with 50 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: Rebel Wilson. 51 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 2: Sure it's only five days ago, by the lot has 52 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: happened since then. So last Friday, Wilson posted a photo 53 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 2: with partner Ramona Agrima, and that was the first time 54 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: she is publicly acknowledge she is in the same sex relationship. 55 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 2: In the caption, she wrote, I thought I was searching 56 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 2: for a Disney Prince, but maybe what I really needed 57 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 2: all this time was a Disney princess, and she included 58 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: the hashtag love is love. A Gremma owns a sustainable 59 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 2: fashion brand based in La Wilson also lives in la 60 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 2: having earned international acclaim across her acting career. 61 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: Okay, and where does the Sydney Morning Herald come into this, 62 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: because that is the outlet that is facing a lot 63 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: of fire over what's happened. 64 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 2: So after this post on Instagram, a gossip columnist at 65 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 2: The Herald, Andrew Hornery, who writes the newspaper's celebrity column 66 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 2: titled Private Sydney, published a piece reflecting on Wilson's announcement. 67 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: He said he emailed Wilson's management on Thursday quote giving 68 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: her two days to comment on her new relationship with 69 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 2: another woman. So just some context here. Giving a deadline 70 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 2: like this isn't unusual when journalists reach out to parties 71 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 2: for comments. So if we were reaching out to the 72 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: Prime Minister's office, we would ask them to get back 73 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: to us by a certain time. But in this context, 74 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: it was widely deemed insensitive because by giving Wilson a deadline, 75 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: Hornery was essentially giving her a deadline to reveal to 76 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: the world her sexuality, which, as we all know, is 77 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: a very personal decision that has been weaponized against the 78 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 2: LGBTQIA plus community for centuries. And so Hornery said in 79 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 2: this article on Saturday that he'd missed out on the 80 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: chance to break the story because Wilson, quote gazumped the 81 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 2: story herself. He said that Wilson's choice to ignore our discrete, 82 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: genuine and honest queries was, in our view, underwhelming. In 83 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 2: that same piece, Hornery also said it was unlikely Wilson 84 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: would have experienced a sort of discrimination, let alone homophobia 85 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 2: that sadly still affects so many. 86 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: Okay, so there you were quoting Andrew Hornery, the journalist 87 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: that is at the center of all of this. But 88 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: if we go back to Rebel Wilson has she responded 89 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: to the article that was essentially about something deeply personal 90 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: to her. 91 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: So now we're going to Sunday where Wilson thanked another 92 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 2: journalist on Twitter for drawing attention to the facts that 93 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: the Sydney Morning Herald had run this comment piece from 94 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 2: Andrew Horne. She said it was a very hard situation, 95 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: but trying to handle it with grace. 96 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: And I've seen a lot of the backlash to the 97 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: Herald's handling of this over the weekend, especially how did 98 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: the Herald respond to that backlash. 99 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: Well, I think it's fair to say that The Sydney 100 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 2: Morning Herald initially doubled down on their reporting, saying it 101 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 2: was standard procedure and that they would have done the 102 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 2: same if Wilson was dating a new man. On Sunday evening, 103 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: The Herald's editor Bevan Shields published a response to the backlash. 104 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: Shield said it was wrong to say the paper outed 105 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 2: Wilson and that it had simply asked questions and quote 106 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: had made no decision about whether or what to publish. 107 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: This response once again garnered a lot of backlash. Then 108 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 2: we had an apology from Andrew Hornery himself on Monday. 109 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 2: He said he made mistakes and would learn from them. 110 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 2: He said he genuinely regretted that rebel had found this hard, 111 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: adding that it was never his intention and the last 112 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 2: thing he would ever want to do is inflicts that 113 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: pain on someone else. The report also said he mishandled 114 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 2: his approach and acknowledged that his email where he told 115 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 2: Wilson he had enough detail to publish, could be seen 116 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 2: as a threat. He said he never intended this and 117 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 2: got it wrong. 118 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: This hasn't just attracted domestic attention, it's now being covered overseas. 119 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: What have we seen internationally so This has. 120 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 2: Been covered by international media across a number of continents, 121 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 2: including The New York Times and the BBC Yesterday. It 122 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 2: was also covered on popular American chat show The View, 123 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 2: which took aim at both Hornery and Shields for their 124 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 2: treatment of the story. 125 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 3: So when his editor came out and said, no, no, 126 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 3: you know, we would do this with anyone that asked 127 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 3: for comment. We would have done this if it were 128 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 3: she were dating a man, and there's nothing wrong with it. 129 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 3: And then a day later they pulled the column, and 130 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 3: so they knew that it was wrong. 131 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 2: It's also been widely criticized by advocacy groups and other journalists. 132 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 2: For example, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign told 133 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: The New York Times, each of us deserve the opportunity 134 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 2: to come out on our own terms, and if that 135 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 2: wasn't true for Rebel Wilson, it should have been. 136 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: There's a lot of out the internal kind of going 137 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: ons in the Cinney Morning Herald newsroom that we could 138 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: reflect on. But I want to kind of just zoom 139 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: out for one second and get your view, Sam on 140 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: why it is this has landed the way it has 141 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: and why there is so much outrage both within the 142 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: media and outside the media about this specific story. 143 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 2: Well, I think not only does this story speak to 144 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: the discrimination that the lgbtqiplus community has faced over many, 145 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 2: many decades, but I think there's also something to be 146 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 2: said about the media being seen as this powerful institution 147 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 2: and that sometimes it's subjects, as in who they're writing 148 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: about the main characters in the news, have the power 149 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 2: to demand better. I think it's clear that what was 150 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: accepted thirty years ago doesn't have to be accepted now. 151 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 2: Rebel Wilson is someone who has previously been treated really 152 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: badly by the media. She's been the subject of many 153 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 2: defamation proceedings, and this is about the media being held 154 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 2: to higher standards that they are about respect and decency, 155 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 2: I think, and not necessarily feeling entitled to anyone else's 156 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 2: story without the consent of the character. 157 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: It's interesting, then, in light of all of that, to 158 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: consider what a gossip columnist's job is really because every 159 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: newspaper has one, has two, has three of these people 160 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: within their ranks, and their whole job is to report 161 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: these stories, and so whether or not that continues is 162 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: an interesting thing to consider, and whether or not consumers 163 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: want that is another thing. Altogether. It certainly had an 164 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: impact on the Sidney Morning Herald newsroom. Last night, there 165 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: was an email from Bevin Shields, the editor, that was 166 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: an apology sent to subscribers, where he said that this 167 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: episode was far from ideal, and while there was no 168 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: malice involved, I recognize our mistakes and I apologize for them. 169 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 2: I have a feeling this is not the last we're 170 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 2: going to hear from this story. That is all I've 171 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 2: got time for on today's episode, though. If you want 172 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 2: to catch up with the news throughout the day, follow 173 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 2: us on Instagram. Otherwise we'll speak to you tomorrow.