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“The world is crying”: Newspapers come together to mourn QEII

Around the world, the front pages of Friday’s newspapers have become a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her shock passing, with one outlet declaring the “world is crying” in the wake of the news. Ranging from vintage shots from her childhood to stately portraits of the Queen wearing her crown or one of her trademark hats, publications were united in mourning the long-reigning monarch. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Some beautiful front pages - none better than the Financial Times <a href="https://t.co/rijclWLQxp">pic.twitter.com/rijclWLQxp</a> — Nick Bryant (@NickBryantNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickBryantNY/status/1567994430141136899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> In Germany, popular tabloid Bild declared that “the world is crying for the Queen”, while Dutch broadsheet De Telegraaf called the royal “the Queen in the heart of the world”. Daily Parisian newspaper Liberation, from French playwright Jean-Paul Sartre, made a play on words with the headline ‘La peine d’Angleterre’ (the pain of England), swapping ‘reine’ (queen) for ‘peine’ (pain). The French outlet even included a photo of the monarch on the final page, showing the Queen wearing a white fur cloak facing away. <a href="https://o60.me/CimdrL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully </a>at her Balmoral estate on Thursday, surrounded by family. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. Her passing came hours after the Palace issued a statement revealing that doctors were “concerned” for health, prompting family members to rush to Scotland to be with her. Images: Twitter, The Daily Mail

Beauty & Style

Woman buys ad in newspaper to call out cheating partner

A furious woman who was cheated on by her partner has taken out a whole page of the local newspaper to call him out. Jenny from Queensland purchased one page from the Mackay and Whitsunday Life paper with her cheating partner’s credit card page. “Dear Steve, I hope you’re happy with her,” the message on page 4 read. “Now the whole town will know what a filthy cheater you are. From Jenny. “PS. I bought this ad using your credit card.” The newspaper said they have received several messages from locals asking who Steve and Jenny are but they have kept quiet about it. “We do NOT know who Steve is, but apparently he’s been very very bad,” the newspaper said. “We won’t be revealing any details about Jenny.” Despite writing that she used Steve’s credit card for the ad, the newspaper confirmed they have not yet charged the card. “We have not charged the credit card in question.” The ad made its way to social media with many commending Jenny for calling out her cheating partner. “Jenny sounds like someone I want to be friends with,” someone wrote. “Not all heroines wear capes. Jenny is my new favourite person,” another commented. “Sucks to be Steve,” another wrote. Image: Facebook

Relationships

SAS soldier claims Ben Roberts-Smith threatened to shoot him in the head

A former soldier who served alongside Ben Roberts-Smith <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-defamation-trial-new-witness-claims-bullying-death-threat/7df734b2-d86b-44c5-ab2d-a57f1e26a7d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has testified</a> in the SAS soldier’s ongoing defamation trial, claiming Roberts-Smith bullied and threatened to kill him during their time serving together. The soldier, known as Person 1, told the Federal Court he was a victim of a seven-year intimidation campaign while giving evidence for Nine newspapers. During the trial, the court heard of a mistake Person 1 made during a 2006 mission in the Chora Valley, with the same mission seeing Mr Roberts-Smith receiving a Medal for Gallantry for single-handedly fighting off 16 Taliban insurgents. Person 1 admitted that his machine gun jammed at least three times during the mission because he forgot to bring his weapon oil. His error later prompted a commanding officer to issue him a warning for “not performing to standard”. The incident was followed by several alleged run-ins between Person 1 and Mr Roberts-Smith which the witness claimed became threats. “[He] said words to the effect of ‘if your performance doesn’t improve on the next patrol, you’re gonna get a bullet in the back of the head’,” Person 1 said. Nine’s barrister Nicholas Owens SC <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-17/soldier-tells-oourt-ben-roberts-smith-threatened-to-shoot-him/100833982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> the witness what he understood Mr Roberts-Smith to mean by that comment, to which Person 1 replied: “That he was going to shoot me in the back of the head on the next patrol if my performance doesn’t improve”. Person 1 told the court he lodged a formal complaint about the remark, which he said led to another confrontation. “If you’re going to make accusations **** you better have some f***ing proof,” he claimed Mr Roberts-Smith said to him. “Not only did I have to worry about the Taliban, but I also had to look over my own back at my own people,” Person 1 told the court. He also claimed that even after he switched patrols and climbed the ranks, Mr Roberts-Smith described him to other soldiers as “incompetent” and a “coward”. When they entered mediation in 2013, the soldiers agreed to disagree and shook hands. Mr Roberts-Smith has denied the claims while giving evidence last year and said Person “just wasn’t a very good soldier”. He also accused the witness of attempting to “cover up his poor performance”. The soldier’s testimony comes as part of Mr Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial, in which he is suing Nine newspapers over articles alleging he is a war criminal. Image: 9News

Legal

“That’s not a cliff”: Ben Roberts-Smith downplays fresh allegations in court

The case between Ben Roberts-Smith and The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Canberra Times newspapers, as well as several journalists, has recommenced, with an Afghan villager currently testifying. The man has told the court a radio device was planted on the farmer’s dead body the day he was allegedly killed. The claim ties into the central allegation that the war veteran kicked a handcuffed, unarmed famer named Ali Jan over a cliff during a September 2012 mission. Nine Entertainment Co, the publisher of two of the papers, alleges Mr Roberts-Smith made an agreement with Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) colleagues to execute Ali Jan, which the soldiers then attempted to cover up. Mr Roberts-Smith has denied all wrongdoing and previously recalled in court that he encountered a suspected Taliban spotter in Darwan who was legitimately engaged and killed. Mohammad Hanifa, who says he is Ali Jan’s step-nephew, told Sydney’s Federal Court through an interpreter and via video link that he and Ali Jan were interrogated and beaten up by soldiers during a raid on the village. He said one soldier told him to “shut up” and pointed a pistol at his forehead after he denied being a Taliban member. Mr Hanifa said there was an interpreter with the group and described one of the men as a “big soldier” with “blue eyes”, who punched him “many times”. He said he warned Ali Jan not to laugh or smile, and that he saw Ali Jan “kicked really hard” by the big soldier after Ali Jan smiled again. “He was rolling down, rolling down, until he reached the river,” Mr Hanifa said. “The soldier was looking at him, he was standing there and looking at him.” He said he then heard a shot and saw two soldiers “dragging” Ali Jan. When the witness was shown a photograph of the dead man, he identified the man as Ali Jan and became animated when he saw a device in the photo. “These other things, the bag and the other device, they were not there,” he said. “They have put these things on his body.” Barrister Nicholas Owens SC, who is representing Nine, asked the witness whether he had seen Ali Jan carrying a radio that day. “By God, by God, he had nothing with him,” Mr Hanifa replied. Earlier, Mr Hanifa said the farmer was not connected to the Taliban. “He was providing for his children and he was protecting his family and his property.” The trial had been on hold for a month due to Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak, but has since resumed after concerns were raised regarding the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan which could make it difficult to hear from Afghan witnesses. Mr Hanifa’s testimony comes as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed an image of Mr Roberts-Smith which was altered by the Department of Defence. <img style="width: 335px; height: 223px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842683/7ab17256de68be9cbd6e333ff20fcb433ddc0944.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e9957241a6b46a6a632eda515190197" /> Image: ADF The photo, released in early 2011, shows Mr Roberts-Smith wearing a blank patch on the front of his uniform. The newspapers allege they have obtained the original photo, taken on April 6 2010, which shows Mr Roberts-Smith wearing the Crusader’s Cross. The Crusader’s Cross symbol dates back to the Crusades in the Middle East during the 11th and 12 centuries. Many Muslims find the symbol offensive, especially when it is displayed by western soldiers in their country. EDITOR’S UPDATE While under cross-examination by Bruce McClintock SC, Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, the farmer agreed that he referred to the soldiers who had conducted the raids on the villages as infidels. Mr McClintock asked whether Mr Hanifa “hated” the soldiers. “If they are coming to our houses, go inside to our women, of course that’s what you call them - infidels,” the witness said. Mr McClintock also accused Mr Hanifa on several occasions of lying to the court, including his description of the uniform of the “big soldier”, which he described as wet and sandy. The court had previously heard Mr Roberts-Smith had swum across a river to catch a suspected Taliban member prior to the raid. “The evidence you’ve given about seeing the big soldier wet is completely untrue, isn’t it?” Mr McClintock asked. “Whether you call it a lie that’s up to you, but I have seen this person with my own eyes,” Mr Hanifa replied. Key images of the “cliff” from which Ali Jan is alleged to have been kicked have also been released to the public. The photographs of Mr Hanifa’s village had been marked by Mr Roberts-Smith while he gave evidence several weeks earlier. <img style="width: 500px; height: 199.41634241245137px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842692/capture.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c144cfe3755e4628938144e11a1abd37" /> Image: Federal Court of Australia One of the locations, marked as point “B” on the photograph, is a source of contention, with Mr Roberts-Smith saying it represented a rooftop where his squad waited for extraction after the mission, whereas Nine claim it represents the area where Ali Jan was kicked into the creek bed. While looking at photographs and images showing a steep embankment down into the creek, the veteran told the court: “A cliff is a cliff - and that’s not a cliff to me.”

Legal

Compromising texts laid bare at Ben Roberts-Smith trial

As Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial continues, his private texts messages and conversations with his now ex-wife have been revealed to the court. Under cross-examination, he was questioned about intimidating letters Nine newspapers allege he sent to an SAS soldier with “mafia-style threats”. Nicholas Owens, SC, representing Nine, told the court Emma Roberts-Smith messaged her husband after media reports alleged he sent the threatening letters. The court was told Ms Roberts-Smith said to her husband: “What the f*** are you doing. What is this all about”. Mr Owens alleged Mr Roberts-Smith admitted to sending a letter to a soldier, known as Person 18, which his wife replied by saying: “No more f***ing lies Ben. “You know they can trace your fingerprints and where this letter was sent.” Mr Roberts-Smith denied sending the letters, as well as refuting Mr Owens’ assertion he burnt the remaining envelopes “in your firepit at home”. Though Mr Roberts-Smith did admit to burning computer hard drives with petrol, he said he did not do it to conceal evidence from the official Inspector General of the Australian Defence Force inquiry into Australian troops’ conduct while in Afghanistan. He also denied “panicking” about the inquiry potentially revealing alleged war crimes. “If I’m not going to trade in a computer, I’m going to destroy the hard drive,” he said. “I’ve burned laptops in 2010 and 2012. It’s not anything to do with anything.” Mr Owens also read out an alleged exchange of text messages between Emma Roberts-Smith and her then-husband in late 2017 detailing the supposed criminal activities of another soldier. Mr Roberts-Smith claimed a soldier, known as Person 6, had smuggled weapons illegally to Australia from Afghanistan. Ben Roberts-Smith: “I miss you too.” Emma Roberts-Smith: “Haha, girls doing okay, I just miss you not here.” Ben Roberts-Smith: “What happened to [name of Person 6] will scare the others.” When Mr Owens asked whether he had sent the last message because he knew WA Police were investigating Person 6 and had raided his home, Mr Roberts-Smith said he was unaware of any police investigations. During his fifth day of cross-examination by Nine media lawyers, Mr Roberts-Smith was quizzed about two letters received by Person 18, who lived in Perth. One letter read, “You have one chance to save yourself. “You must approach the inquiry and admit that you colluded with others to spread rumours and lies. “We are very aware of your murderous actions over many tours in Afghanistan. “We have many witnesses. “You have participated in the execution of two PUCs. You know what you have done and so do we.” Person 18 had partolled with Ben Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. Mr Owens accused the war hero of making private investigator John McLeod send the letters, and that Mr Roberts-Smith’s handwriting was on part of the address line. Though Mr Roberts-Smith agreed he had written part of the address line, he denied writing the threatening letters to Person 18 or asking Mr McLeod to do so.

Legal

Ben Roberts-Smith breaks down during testimony

On the second day of his testimony, Ben Roberts-Smith broke down in tears while describing killing an Afghan boy who was operating a machine gun for the Taliban. When asked by his barrister Bruce McClintock, SC, whether he had noticed how old the Afghan boy operating the machine gun in southern Afghanistan in 2010, Mr Roberts-Smith said he did. “You killed a 15-year-old boy … how do you feel about that?” asked Mr McClintock. “I struggle,” Mr Roberts-Smith replied, pausing to wipe his eyes. The proceedings were then adjourned, and Mr Roberts-Smith was comforted by his parents. Mr Roberts-Smith’s tears came after he recounted the firefight during a 14-hour battle with the Taliban that earned him the Victoria Cross, but told the court “put a target on my back”. “For all the good that it has brought me and enabled me to do, particularly, it is, unfortunately, the case, in my instance, it has also brought me a lot of misfortune and pain,” he said. “I was there to do a job, I wasn’t there to make friends.” Mr Roberts-Smith referred to becoming a “tall poppy” following the award, which gave his fellow soldiers a chance to “belittle” and “broaden their attacks” on him. Mr Roberts-Smith also admitted to punching a soldier who had shot at a woman and child while both soldiers were on patrol in the Chora Valley in southern Afghanistan in 2012. Mr Roberts-Smith said he didn’t think Person 10 was attempting to kill the civilians, but “had just lost control, that’s what was dangerous, anything could happen”. The soldier, Person 10, is one of the former SAS soldiers who have accused Mr Roberts-Smith of bullying. Back at Tarin Kowt base, Mr Roberts-Smith said Person 10 “giggled at me and chuckled and I asked him to stand up and I punched him in the face. He fell back onto his bum on the couch.” Mr Roberts-Smith said he immediately reported the punch, as well as what had happened on the mission, to his superiors and later apologised to Person 10. Prior to Mr Roberts-Smith’s testimony, defence counsel Nicholas Owens SC summarised the case by the newspapers, alleging Mr Roberts-Smith had colluded to lie about being a mass murderer, and has conspired with a former girlfriend to conceal his alleged assault of her. Mr Roberts-Smith responded to the claims, saying the allegations made him “sad”, and the claims he allegedly told another soldier to order a junior trooper to execute an unarmed Afghan made him “very angry”. When asked about his reaction to “being called a mass murderer”, Mr Roberts-Smith said, “I spent my whole life fighting for my country. I did everything I possibly could to ensure I did it with honour.”

News

Prince Harry accepts apology over "baseless claims" in Mail article

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Prince Harry has accepted an apology and "substantial damages" from The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline's publisher after claims that he "snubbed" the Royal Marines after stepping down as a senior royal. Jenny Afia, representing Prince Harry, said: "The baseless, false and defamatory stories published in the Mail on Sunday and on the website MailOnline constituted not only a personal attack upon the Duke's character but also wrongly brought into question his service to this country." According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://news.sky.com/story/prince-harry-accepts-apology-and-substantial-damages-over-baseless-claims-in-mail-article-12205233" target="_blank">Sky News</a>, Prince Harry sued Associated Newspapers for libel over two "almost identical" articles that were published in October with the headline "top general accuses Harry of turning his back on the Royal Marines". The articles said that Prince Harry "not been in touch... since his last appearance as an honorary Marine in March". Harry's lawyers said in court documents that the paper "disregarded the claimant's reputation in its eagerness to publish a barely researched and one-sided article in pursuit of the imperative to sell newspapers and attract readers to its website". It has not been confirmed how much he was awarded in damages, but Prince Harry is donating the money to the Invictus Games Foundation, which runs the competition he set up in 2014 for injured, wounded or sick servicemen and servicewomen. His lawyer said this will allow him to "feel something good had come out of the situation". As Prince Harry served as an army officer for 10 years and holds a number of honorary military titles as a member of the Royal Family, royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills said that "any suggestion he has let them [military family] down since stepping away as a senior royal was always going to hit him [Prince Harry] hard." "This settlement is as much about showing his military brothers and sisters that he will still fight their corner, as it is another display of the Sussexes' ongoing personal battle against the UK tabloid press," she said. </div> </div> </div>

Legal

Giving it away for free - why the performing arts risks making the same mistake newspapers did

There’s a long-running adage about working for free in the performing arts. “The problem with working for exposure,” it goes, “is you can die from exposure”. Only partly a joke, the saying is also a sober warning to performers. Work in the cultural industries is precarious, and performers rely on a combination of short-term gigs, casual contracts, and “day jobs” to make ends meet. Unpaid work is a common feature of the market, and performers often find themselves working without remuneration in order to make connections or add a line to their resume. COVID-19 has exposed the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-says-artists-should-be-able-to-access-jobkeeper-payments-its-not-that-simple-138530">true insecurity of the cultural workforce</a>, and now we’re seeing the double-edged sword of “exposure” also extending to arts organisations. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxj0LKDYWX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxj0LKDYWX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by National Theatre (@nationaltheatre)</a> on May 29, 2020 at 7:01am PDT </div> </blockquote> All the web’s a stage Since March 2020, there has been a <a href="https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/on-with-the-show/">worldwide influx</a> of digital arts content. Forced to shutter live seasons, performing arts organisations collectively jumped on the digital bandwagon. From live-streaming events to archival production footage, audiences are inundated with virtual performance events. In most cases, this content has been offered for free. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, New York’s The Metropolitan Opera, and the UK’s National Theatre, among many others, have streamed live or prerecorded performances on digital platforms for no charge. Companies without access to archival footage have posted free offerings of different kinds. The Melbourne Theatre Company, for example, has posted behind-the-scenes features, play readings, and artist interviews. At the beginning of the shutdown, digital platforms were a critical tool for audience engagement. Arts organisations could communicate the importance of the arts as a source of comfort and inspiration during a time of crisis, while simultaneously reaching <a href="https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/tens-of-millions-watching-streamed-theatre-shows-worldwide">a far wider audience</a> than their physical spaces could ever hold. But it’s increasingly clear the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/let-us-open-our-theatres-companies-ask-government-20200602-p54ysp.html">return to live performance</a> may be a matter of months or even years. For starters, safety is a major concern. A number of genres, including opera and musical theatre, pose particular risks to both performers and audience members due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-song-in-your-heart-shouldnt-lead-to-an-infection-in-your-lungs-reasons-to-get-with-online-choirs-137705">singers’ potential role as super-spreaders</a>. The risks posed by, and to, dancers, instrumentalists, and spoken theatre artists remains uncertain. From a business perspective, financial viability is also of grave concern. Under social distancing guidelines, performing arts venues will be limited <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/may/29/theatre-post-lockdown-spaced-seating-berliner-ensemble-germany">to a fraction </a> of their standard audience capacity. In a sector reliant on box office sales to maintain the bottom line, theatres may find it cheaper to simply <a href="https://www.gramilano.com/2020/05/la-scala-would-lose-e50000-a-day-if-it-reopened/">stay closed</a>. A problematic precedent In this climate, digital content may be the only means for sustaining the sector in the medium-term. But a problematic precedent has been set. In the initial panic of moving their artistic offerings online, companies have undervalued their own product. In this regard, we can see clear parallels with the newspaper industry’s shift to online platforms over the last decade. After initially offering online news for free, the industry is still struggling to shift consumer expectations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-only-local-newspapers-will-struggle-to-serve-the-communities-that-need-them-most-139649">with major repercussions</a> for both journalists and papers. To survive, arts organisations must establish a monetised business strategy for online performances and presentations. But this shift must be navigated carefully, particularly by companies that began with an open-access model and now risk alienating audience members. Several arts organisations have already experimented with different ways of monetising digital content. In the UK, the Old Vic theatre is live-streaming a socially distanced version of <a href="https://www.oldvictheatre.com/whats-on/2020/lungs-in-camera">Lungs</a> for £10-65 (A$18-120) per “ticket”. In Australia, the <a href="https://melbournedigitalconcerthall.com/">Melbourne Digital Concert Hall</a> is producing virtual concerts for a paid audience, with all ticket proceeds going to the performers. Many companies, like New Zealand’s <a href="https://www.tempo.co.nz/">Tempo Dance Festival</a>, are making shows available online but asking for donations. <a href="https://www.redlineproductions.com.au/">Red Line Productions</a>’ online readings have featured marquee names like Alec Baldwin and Rose Byrne, and also asked for donations. Based out of New York, <a href="https://marathon2020.bangonacan.org/">Bang on a Can</a>’s June marathon promises six hours of streamed live music with a request to “consider” purchasing a ticket or paying extra to commission a new piece. But voluntary contributions can’t sustain the operating costs of these companies long term. Depending on how various models develop, there will be unavoidable impacts on performers. At present, there are no standardised rates for artist compensation for digital work, whether participating in a prerecorded performance or generating new content for a company to post online. We’ve already seen how artists’ passion for their craft can be exploited for a cause. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAvr4afIE8T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAvr4afIE8T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by National Theatre (@nationaltheatre)</a> on May 28, 2020 at 1:33pm PDT </div> </blockquote> The Metropolitan Opera cancelled contracts for its principal singers and union orchestra and chorus in March 2020, only to have them perform for free as part of the company’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/arts/music/met-opera-at-home-gala.html">digital fundraising gala a month later</a>. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra similarly stood down its instrumentalists in April 2020 but has since asked them to participate in <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/music/musicians-say-breakdown-with-mso-management-irreparable-20200529-p54xqi.html">social media marketing campaigns without pay</a>. Bottom line While involvement in promotional activities is standard practice for contracted artists, it’s impossible to ignore the problematic power dynamic now at play. Companies are asking unemployed artists to provide free labour to support organisations that may or may not employ them in the future. And because performers love what they do and want to support the struggling sector, they agree. While there are <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/arts-fund-the-show-must-go-on/news-story/9e6e2fa745bc0ffc82f00e510d8c29b1">reports</a> the government is working on an arts rescue package, the message being sent is one the sector has heard time and again. The arts are important, and artists should be compensated … but only when it’s financially convenient. Arts organisations cannot survive from digital exposure and goodwill alone. They must develop new business models for online platforms. But companies must also tread carefully to ensure they don’t ultimately undermine the value of the arts – or their artists. Written by Caitlin Vincent. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/giving-it-away-for-free-why-the-performing-arts-risks-making-the-same-mistake-newspapers-did-139671">The Conversation.</a>

Art

Nine slams newspaper over “shameful” reports on Erin Molan and Sonia Kruger

Nine has slammed The Sunday Telegraph over the publication’s “sustained attack” on the network’s female presenters. The defence of Nine stars came after the Sunday tabloid published an article claiming that <a href="https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2019/10/28/nine-defends-female-presenters-after-shameful-attack-from-sunday-telegraph">a reshuffle at the network</a> would see Georgie Gardner demoted into the Today Extra hosting role, and Sonia Kruger facing the axe. Another article suggested that sports presenter Erin Molan has been “sidelined” by a “boys club” at the network amid an alleged feud with Andrew Johns. An online version of the article was later updated to inform that Molan had taken time off work for surgery on a broken shoulder. A Nine spokesperson has denied the reports, saying “all of the talk is made up”. “The sustained attack by The Sunday Telegraph on the female presenters of Nine is aimed to damage the standing of some of Australia’s most talented women in the media,” the spokesperson told <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/tv/2019/10/28/nine-slams-news-ltd/">The New Daily</a>. “Working mums Georgie Gardner, Erin Molan, Sonia Kruger and Deborah Knight are just some of the Nine women who are performing great roles across the business, yet have been targeted ina shameful onslaught of stories.” This is the second time this year that Nine clashed with a News Corp tabloid. In February, Nine news and current affairs director Darren Wick criticised a Daily Telegraph report on Georgie Gardner as “one of the most <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/the-heartwarming-moment-georgie-gardner-was-moved-to-tears-on-today-show/">deliberate acts of bullying</a> I’ve ever seen”. In response to the tabloid’s claims that Gardner was described by audience focus groups as “ice maiden” and “smiling assassin”, Wick said, “Nine’s position is that this is an outrageous, false, reckless and defamatory attack on Georgie Gardner and the Today show. The claim by the Daily Telegraph reporter that Nine has conducted focus groups this year is wrong.”

News

Why your newspaper today has blacked-out stories on the cover

Media companies from all over Australia are uniting in a surprising front to fight for press freedoms and the public’s right to know what’s happening in Australia. The <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.righttoknow.org.au/" target="_blank">Right To Know</a> coalition of more than a dozen of the nation’s top media companies and industry organisations are campaigning for change to six critical areas of law that allow a veil of secrecy over matters that are important to all Australians. Some of the media companies taking a stand for press freedom are NewsCorp, ABC and The Guardian. This is due to incidents of the government raiding journalists at News Corp and the ABC. NewsCorp journalist Annika Smethurst, who now faces possible criminal charges, reported on the government considering using new powers to spy on everyday Australians. There was also an unrelated raid at the ABC headquarters after a report detailed incidents of Australian special forces troops killing men and children in Afghanistan. New research from <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/when-government-keeps-the-truth-from-you-what-are-they-covering-up/news-story/b7e8d17423bd679156c79e74d203d291" target="_blank">NewsCorp</a> has detailed that 87 per cent of Australians value a free and transparent democracy where the public is kept informed, but only 37 per cent believe that this is happening in Australia today. It doesn’t help that the government withholds information related to aged care abuse as well as also withholding information and the terms of land sales to foreign companies. These are issues that Australians believe they have a right to know about. “It’s unprecedented to see the front page of every single newspaper pointing out the same issue we are challenged with having to deal with, but this is serious. It’s serious for all Australians, not just for media, but it’s our job to actually serve our communities,” News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller said. “When you see every media organisation lining up together to make this point, we need to see some action.” Nine Entertainment’s CEO Hugh Marks has pointed out that the issue is not just about raids on media organisations. “This is much bigger than the media. It’s about defending the basic right of every Australian to be properly informed about the important decisions the government is making in their name,” he said. ABC’s Managing Director David Anderson agrees. “Australia is at risk of becoming the world’s most secretive democracy,” he said. “We’ve seen the public’s right to know slowly erode over the past two decades, with the introduction of laws that make it more difficult for people to speak up when they see wrongdoing and for journalists to report these stories.” The six Australia’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.righttoknow.org.au/blog" target="_blank">Right To Know</a> reforms being sought are: <ul> <li>the right to contest any kind of search warrant on journalists or news organisations before the warrant is issued;</li> <li>law change to ensure public sector whistleblowers are adequately protected;</li> <li>a new regime that limits which documents can be marked ‘secret’;</li> <li>review of Freedom of Information laws</li> <li>that journalists be exempt from national security laws enacted over the past seven years that currently can put them in jail for doing their job; and</li> <li>reform to defamation laws.</li> </ul>

News

Elite Sydney school issues “extraordinary” apology to student in newspaper

An elite Sydney private school has issued a public apology to a student who was sexually abused by one of its teachers. Sydney Grammar School took out an advertisement on page three of the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, saying it was “deeply sorry” and to apologise “unreservedly” to the former student and his family. The teacher was found guilty in May 2017 for multiple counts of sexual intercourse with a student over a period of three months in 2016 when she was employed at Sydney Grammar School. She was sentenced to seven months behind bars in early 2018 and has since been released from custody. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> What an extraordinary apology on page 3 of the ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/smh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SMH</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/EwKZeGlDbg">pic.twitter.com/EwKZeGlDbg</a> — Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kate_McClymont/status/1177712880193400832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">27 September 2019</a></blockquote> In its apology, the school said that in reporting the abuse he dealt with, the student had shown “enormous bravery” and that it was grateful he had plucked up the courage in “impossible circumstances” to make sure other students remain safe. “The abuse of male students by female teachers is just as serious, and damaging, as the abuse of female students by male teachers,” it read. “The abuse … had and continues to have a profoundly harmful impact on the student.” The school revealed that they had reviewed their policies and procedures after the crime took place as they failed to recognise the abuse at the time. For legal reasons, the student’s identity remains undisclosed. Many have applauded the school for the move, saying it’s the perfect way to apologise for their mistakes. “This should become the benchmark for apologies,” said Kristin Ferguson, Deputy Chair and the ABC on Twitter. “A very effective example of acknowledging failings, articulating in detail why the victim was so brave & the courageous steps he took, then detailing the changes they have made. I hope it serves as a future example for others.”

Relationships

Newspaper's awkward Julia Roberts typo goes viral

A local newspaper has had its chance in the spotlight after making an unfortunate typo in the headline of a Julia Roberts story. The Post-Journal of Jamestown, New York, paid tribute to the Hollywood actress and her phenomenal career spanning over 30 years, but while their intentions were pure, the headline was what caught people’s attention the most. It read: “Julia Roberts Finds Life And Her Holes Get Better With Age.” While it meant to say her “Roles Get Better With Age”, it was too late to retract the mistake, as the article on the 51-year-old had been published and soon, was in the hands of readers around the city. It didn’t take long for the blunder to make its way around the world as users took to Twitter to share photos of the printing error. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Headline of the day Julia Roberts Finds Life And Her Holes Get Better With Age <a href="https://t.co/85oU83ijgi">pic.twitter.com/85oU83ijgi</a> — raf taylor (@truthis24fps) <a href="https://twitter.com/truthis24fps/status/1072126786253791232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 December 2018</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> I feel this title about Julia Roberts and Holes perhaps needs a little finessing <a href="https://t.co/z2o7EmJKbk">pic.twitter.com/z2o7EmJKbk</a> — Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrJenGunter/status/1072268067181289472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 December 2018</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheEllenShow</a> can’t believe this headline in our local paper... Julia Roberts will be glad to know her holes are getting better with age😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/gvZkOsBjyN">pic.twitter.com/gvZkOsBjyN</a> — elizabeth (@eadavisus) <a href="https://twitter.com/eadavisus/status/1071797333497647104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">9 December 2018</a></blockquote> In the story, the Oscar winner spoke about her age and how her life experiences reflect the roles she chooses to play. “You know, I’m happy and I have fun at home, so it would take a lot for someone to say: ‘Look, you can play this part where you’re happy and have fun.’ Well, I just do that at home,” she said. Despite starring in mega hit rom-coms in the past, back in October, Julia said she was done playing the damsel in distress as she cannot convince the audience that she’s a naïve character. “There came a point in my career where people thought I had turned on romantic comedies, which I love them, I love to be in them, I love to watch them,” she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.etonline.com/" target="_blank">Entertainment Tonight</a>. “But sometimes, they just don’t work at a certain point of life experience.”

Books

Sam Armytage slams newspaper that criticised her mammogram advice

Samantha Armytage has slammed The Age for publishing what she describes as “one of the most foolish opinion pieces (she has) ever encountered”. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/samantha-armytage-s-advice-on-mammograms-was-misguided-20180223-p4z1h9.html">The column</a>, authored by a doctor, was written in response to Sam’s “misguided” advice that women at the age of 40 should be thinking about having a mammogram. The Sunrise host recently underwent a mammogram for a segment on Channel Seven's breakfast show. In the segment, she revealed she was called back for further testing following her initial screening, an experience she described as “very scary”. “Immediately I thought the worst, as you tend to do. I had to do two more mammograms and an ultrasound... it was a very scary day. The test took five hours. Thankfully, I was given the all-clear,” Sam recalled. Sam then resolves to have a mammogram every year, adding: “The number one thing I found out this week was that every doctor I saw said ‘I don't know why they're telling women to come in at 50, you girls should be coming in at 40 (for a mammogram)’.” However, an opinion piece published on The Age on the weekend claimed Sam’s advice was “foolish” and “misguided”. Penned by doctor and professor at the University of Sydney, Alexandra Barratt, the column stated: “Screening tests can lead to "overdiagnosis" - the detection of cancers that are so slow growing, they will never cause symptoms or death and are better left alone.” Dr Barratt added: “Screening can turn healthy women... into cancer patients who have surgery and drug and radiation treatments for a harmless cancer.” She wrote “screening healthy women in their 40s is more likely to harm than save lives” and advised women under the age of 50 to see a doctor if they notice changes in their breasts. <img width="417" height="339" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/02/25/09/4992904200000578-5432135-Having_her_say_Sam_posted_a_screencap_of_the_articles_headline_t-a-44_1519549417821.jpg" alt="Having her say: Sam posted a screengrab of the article's headline to Instagram, accompanied by a lengthy comment criticising Fairfax Media" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-3790dc64d7c2de8d"/> Taking to Instagram that same day, the 41-year-old presenter hit back, writing: “Appalling that The Age newspaper would print this.” While Sam clarified that she “didn't want everyone to flood the health system”, she advised it was something that “at the age of 40, you should be starting to think about”. She wrote: “Attacking me for encouraging women to have mammograms. Honestly... At NO POINT did I give medical advice. “My breast cancer specialist told me she would like women to be checked from 40 onwards... And all of my statistics for this story concerning breast cancer came from Breast Screen NSW.' “Appalling that The Age newspaper would print this,” Sam concluded.

Books

This 18-year-old newspaper clipping is scarily accurate today

To say a lot has changed since 1999 would be an understatement. No one would be caught dead using a mobile phone with an antenna, nor would they be seen driving along to the sound of the Backstreet Boys. But while many things have (thankfully) changed in the last 18 years, a resurfaced newspaper clipping from that year has us wondering, maybe today isn’t so much different after all. A Reddit user has shared a clipping from the November 1, 1999 edition of the Wisconsin newspaper The Oshkosh Northwestern, and it’s so eerily accurate in today’s climate that it could almost have been written yesterday. <img width="600" height="746" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/43690/gitjgazuws6micvwkqcaqgzbarv6kgxh_x1qxd-bhz8_600x746.jpg" alt="Gitjg Azuw S6Mi CVwkq CAq GZb ARV6k GXh _X1QXd -bh Z8" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The clipping, which the Reddit user captioned, “It’s amazing how nothing has changed in the last 18 years,” speaks of a Trump presidency, Korean nuclear weapons, dodgy Clinton donations and even Al Gore makes an appearance. Under the headline, “Trump would be U.S. trade rep,” it reads, “Donald Trump said Sunday that as president, he personally would handle US trade talks and would restore respect from countries doing business with America.” He also reportedly “took aim at North Korea and China for ignoring U.S. overtures and building nuclear weapons”. Spooky! What do you think of this eerily accurate newspaper clipping from 18 years ago? Tell us in the comments below. Image credit: PresidentJohnMiller/Reddit.

News

Man buys himself home after selling newspapers for 5 years

Saving to buy a home is a long and arduous task, one which Nashville resident Mario Martinez knows all too well. Martinez, along with his dog, Bear, has spent the last five years selling a not-for-profit newspaper about homelessness, the Contributor. He saved almost every dollar he made and now, he finally has enough money to buy a new home. “I’m just so grateful,” he said. “There are so many people who believed in me.” Martinez had been living in an abandoned barn with no water or heat while selling the paper. Martinez was able to secure a home with the help of one of his supporters, real estate agent Brian Kemp, who often saw Martinez selling his papers on the street. “He didn’t know me but I knew him because of Bear,” he said. Kemp helped Martinez look for his new home finding him a 2,500 square foot home on three acres in Charlotte, Tennessee. “Once I get a stove, I’m going to learn how to cook. That’s what I’m gonna do,” Martinez said. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/how-grandparenting-today-has-changed/">The new rules of grandparenthood</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/best-activities-to-do-with-grandchildren/">10 of the best activities to do with grandchildren</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/100-years-of-family-dinner/">100 years of family dinner in 3 minutes</a>

News

Man’s hilarious letter to newspaper after wife goes to hospital

One may have lived in a home for decades but that does not mean one knows where the tea towels live, especially if you’re of the male variety. Well, that seems to be the case for this man. Brian Noble, from Ferntree Gully in Victoria, panicked after his wife of 40 years went to hospital “to have her feet done”. No, he was not panicked that his partner was in hospital, but that try as he might he could not find the tea towels. After three days of searching high and low, Noble took the only recourse he thought possible: Write to a national newspaper asking for help. <img width="500" height="675" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/15736/man-write-hilarious-letter-to-paper_500x675.jpg" alt="Man Write Hilarious Letter To Paper"/> The letter appeared in The Age in November last year and reads: “This letter is more of a confession than anything. A guy thing where you don’t even know where the tea towels live. My partner of 40 years unselfishly decided to get her feet done and she’s been in hospital for the past three days. She’s doing really well but I still don’t know where the tea towels are. I must be sexist. It’s my fault. Why have I left it up to her for all these years? God knows, I’ve looked for the tea towels all over the place but I just can’t find them. I failed the man/woman equality thing. Anyone know where I can get disposable tea towels before you-know-who comes home?” Here’s hoping Brian found the tea towels! Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2016/01/secret-of-happy-couples/">7 things all happy couples do</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/12/word-that-makes-or-breaks-relationships/">The word that makes or breaks relationships</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/relationships/2015/08/realistic-quotes-about-love/">10 realistic quotes about love</a>

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This 18-year-old newspaper clipping is scarily accurate today

Man buys himself home after selling newspapers for 5 years

Man’s hilarious letter to newspaper after wife goes to hospital

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