
The Gold Balkley
Balk noun: something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
Groupthink is pleased to introduce the Gold Balkley, a new media award offered to the journalist or news organisation that dismays us with a shit story or line of questioning during the 2010 Election campaign that contributes nothing of informative value. Please feel free to nominate any examples of immaterial journalism during the next four weeks, including anything you may have seen, heard or read during week one of the campaign.
If anyone gives a shit and we receive nominations we will make a shortlist and put it to a poll to see who is the winner of the Gold Balkley for Election 2010.
I’ll get the ball rolling by nominating ABC News24′s political editor Chris Uhlmann for wasting valuable pre-Masterchef time during the election debate to again ask Julia Gillard about her discussions between she and Kevin Rudd before the spill, instead of asking about important policy issues such as health, broadband/internet censorship, gay marriage; you know, shit that really matters.
Please nominate such efforts. We’ll need a name (of a journalist, interviewer or news outlet) and an explanation of what they have done to earn their nomination - if you have a link to the nominated piece of work that would be awesome.
Please note that award is not open to columnists, bloggers or TV/radio show panellists - I think we’d go insane if we logged every piece of shit they come out with until August 21.
Nominations close August 22.

#1 by Spock... on 26 July 2010 - 12:36 am
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I was going to nominate the same.
But there is always tomorrow….
#2 by john on 26 July 2010 - 1:13 am
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The story about how Kevin Rudd sent a representative to meetings to take notes for him, which was apparently an outrage, by the stoogely Uhlmann.
#3 by Bron on 26 July 2010 - 3:08 am
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I was also going to nominate Uhlmann, as his lamearse question earlier at the Debate was enough to make me turn off the TV.
Mind you, I was pissed off with the quality of questions (let alone answers, of course) from all the journos at the Debate. How long did they discuss “immigration”? COME! ON!
#4 by Spock... on 26 July 2010 - 8:16 am
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I second all of the above.
#5 by Spock... on 26 July 2010 - 5:09 pm
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Can I nominate anyone who spent valuable time analysing Julia Gillard’s hand movements during the debate?
Pingback: Journalism [sic] « Groupthink
#6 by Tobias Ziegler on 26 July 2010 - 6:48 pm
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I posted about it at a(nother) Leftist gossip site, but I’ll nominate Matthew Franklin’s effort. Apparently the ALP are attempting to influence media coverage — they’re even going so far as to call journalists to try to get them to ask Tony Abbott tough questions, and they’re getting Gillard to dodge questions in press conferences. What has happened to Australian politics?
#7 by Bron on 26 July 2010 - 7:53 pm
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Mark Riley for Seven calling Gillard a “spinster”.
#8 by jonowee on 27 July 2010 - 2:21 am
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Another nomination for the Gold Balkley to rear its fugly head on debate night, ABC News 24 brain-numbing idea for the 6 member people’s panel in Penrith RSL the ‘heart of western Sydney’.
F’ me!
http://ow.ly/i/2QFw
Poor Matt Wordsworth having to put up with that assignment.
#9 by David Bonnici on 27 July 2010 - 11:19 am
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The Age for it’s story about about the first de-facto couple in The Lodge and the accompanying poll “Do voters deserve the chance to know the prime minister’s partner better?”
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/gillard-win-would-install-lodges-first-de-facto-couple-20100727-10t5a.html
#10 by Ross Sharp on 27 July 2010 - 1:07 pm
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At the time of this comment, the top story on the SMH home page (under the banner) is “Ghost of Rudd stalks PM”.
The $277m mental health initiative she just announced, you have to scroll down a bit for. Not really important, I suppose.
#11 by David Bonnici on 27 July 2010 - 2:19 pm
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The Herald Sun’s Ben Packham for revealing that Julia Gillard has not ruled out one day getting married.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/julie-bishop-brands-pm-julia-gillard-a-left-wing-feminist/story-fn5idf17-1225897222816
#12 by Spock... on 28 July 2010 - 12:27 am
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I second that. The fucktardery really is unbearable.
#13 by Be on 28 July 2010 - 10:25 am
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C’mon, fellas. Legge’s ‘Gillard has big earlobes’ piece in the Aus? Really?
#14 by jonowee on 28 July 2010 - 10:45 am
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I don’t know whether to hand today’s Gold Balkley nomination to Laurie Oakes for insisting this lamest of leaks as gamechanging, or the media who got hooked into the hype.
*Pffhh*… Gillard having a brief disagreement on multi-billion dollar government programs.
#15 by Spock... on 28 July 2010 - 10:49 am
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I think he deserves it for starting this. And it is his second offense.
#16 by David Bonnici on 28 July 2010 - 11:08 am
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Here’s a link to Kate Legge’s piece on Julia’s earlobes –
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/the-ears-have-it-in-a-deluge-of-distraction-from-campaign-themes/story-fn59niix-1225897213392
#17 by Tony Bonnici on 28 July 2010 - 12:09 pm
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How about the in depth report on Julia Gillards ear lobes and Tony Abbots ears on ACA last night?
http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/Video.aspx?videoid=b65b3ecd-ce26-4c4b-b07c-7a7464d60c68
#18 by jonowee on 28 July 2010 - 1:18 pm
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*Cringe*
#19 by Idlaviv on 29 July 2010 - 12:19 pm
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Arthur Sinodinos, former ‘Lying Rodent’s Chief of Staff and director with the honourable ‘Goldman Sachs’, blows the teeny Liberal rod:
Spartacus cannot believe his luck.