Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Thursday 25 July
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Prime ministers inevitably attract media scrutiny and public criticism. But Julia Gillard had it particularly tough … with some of the fiercest opposition coming from within her own party, and the lowest public approval rating a leader has ever had.
Was it because of the way she took over as leader from Kevin Rudd, with the inevitable rhetoric about knives in backs? Was it because of her capitulation on the carbon tax? Or was it because she was our first female prime minister?
And what role did the media play … were they fair?
Former press gallery journalist Kerry-Anne Walsh, media watcher Jonathan Holmes and ALP insider James Button take a critical look at the media coverage of Julia Gillard, former prime minister. Hosted by Jeff Sparrow.
Featuring
Jeff Sparrow
Jeff Sparrow is a writer, editor, broadcaster, and Walkley award-winning journalist. He is a columnist for The Guardian Australia, a former Breakfaster at Melbourne’s 3RRR, and a past editor of Overland literary journal ...
James Button
James Button is a former journalist and speechwriter.
James was a journalist at The Age for 20 years, including three years as Europe correspondent, and roles as deputy editor, opinion editor and senior writer. He has won two Walkley Awards for feature writing.
In 2009 he was a speechwriter for former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and for the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Terry Moran.
Jonathan Holmes
Jonathan Holmes has been a journalist for 35 years. Born and educated in Britain, he joined BBC TV’s current affairs group in 1971. After 12 years working behind the camera on programs like 24 Hours, Nationwide and Panorama, he came to Australia in 1983 to become executive producer of the ABC’s Four Corners, where he stayed until 1985.
Apart from a brief stint making documentaries in Boston, Massachusetts, and a two-year posting to Washington DC as an ABC correspondent, he has lived in Australia ever since. He became an Australian citizen in 1990.
At various times in his varied career, Jonathan has served as head of ABC documentaries, executive producer of the ABC programs Foreign Correspondent and The 7.30 Report, and of Channel Ten’s short-lived current affairs program Public Eye. Since 1993 he’s been more frequently an on-air reporter for Foreign Correspondent and Four Corners. He’s been a nominee for a Walkley Award four times – though never a winner – and, with Jill Jolliffe, won the 1998 Logie Award for Best Documentary.
Kerry-Anne Walsh
Kerry-Anne Walsh worked as a press secretary in the Hawke government before joining the Daily Telegraph’s Canberra bureau. Known as ‘KA’, Kerry-Anne remained in the federal parliamentary press gallery for the next quarter of a century, occupying senior posts in print, radio and TV: as national affairs writer for seven years for the Bulletin magazine, for the Sun-Herald for just shy of seven years and for News Limited’s Sunday Telegraph.
KA also worked for the Daybreak program on ABC Radio National and Channel Ten’s Face to Face. She wrote for the Irish Times, the South China Morning Post, the Singapore Straights Times and other international publications, and was a regular on ABC TV’s Insiders program and a string of radio programs. KA left the press gallery in August 2009 to establish KA Communications. She remains in Canberra and is a political commentator on Sky Agenda, and on radio programs.