FailQuail | Dacka's Razor

Sinclair Davidson, proprietor of the fantastic Catallaxy Files, expertly unravels the Menugate scandal by travelling back through time via the amazing wonder that is the internet to poke around to see what is what.

What he finds is brilliantly outlined in his extremely informative post – Menugate – a story in tweets. Sinclair’s post is illustrative of how far investigative journalism has fallen in this age of instant updates and tweets blasted from our oh-so-smartphones.

Just a pity that David Carter, the intrepid twitter activist who leaked the image to the media, turns out to be a fairly squalid excuse for a human. Someone who has an axe to grind with not only the restaurant owner (apparently he was unceremoniously sacked several months before the dinner in question) but also a pathological hatred for Tony Abbott and the Liberals, as his early tweets to both Gillard and Rudd clearly illustrate.

A quick scan of this nut jobs Twitter profile or Facebook would have sent off warning bells in any sensible journo’s mind, but alas as I mentioned in my previous post – Garçon! A serving of FailQuail please! – that did not fit the narrative that those left leaning compassionistas at the ABC and Fairfax desperately wanted to trumpet to the masses.

What message is that I wonder? That Tony Abbott and the Liberals are misogynistic wearers of blue ties intent on the oppression of free women, not only here in Australia but the world! Mwah hahaha!

So off they went, half cocked and half witted.

Tim Blair sums it all up brilliantly..

…news organisations and reporters have established a conclusion ahead of all possible evidence.

Without timely corrections, inaccuracy becomes reality.

George Orwell would be proud.

We’ve spent three days talking about this? What a beat up, especially now that it has come to light that it was all BS. Imagine that.

Confected outrage from a whole heap of people just wishing it was true because it fits their narrative. I really want to believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy but saying they exist does not prove that they do.

Oh and Twitter is not a reputable news source. It is an echo chamber populated by wannabe heroes, try hard comedians and narcissistic idiots grappling for 15 minutes of fame.

And these people on the ABC and Fairfax Media who broke this “story” call themselves journalists? Next time stop and ask just one of the three W’s. You know something like..

Who is behind things?
What is their agenda?
Why is someone saying this?

I cannot believe this rot. Let us not worry about dead boat people, dysfunctional border policy, businesses closing or warnings that we could be heading for a recession.

Let us instead focus on the hurt feelings of a person whose hide is as thick as a rhino’s.

Seriously. Give. Me. A. Break.

Bill Leak – The Australian (again)