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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 27

I just heard it. Car crash.

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 27

Watching the eternal denial over Dan Andrews is like hearing someone insist the sun didn’t rise this morning.

The man won 3 elections, winning more seats each time, and left his opponents in a smoking ruin.

Is there a medical diagnosis for this level of denialism?

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 18

Forget Shaked and Rotman, Gideon.

Just send Netanyahu instead so Australia can fulfil its obligations as a signatory to the International Criminal Court and deliver him to The Hague.

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

You see Ronni, and I quote James directly here, "the Sheik's office made those comments - that's a pretty standard thing".

And I can't be clearer than that.

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Reposted by Aaron Smith

Ronni🧂Salt @ronnisalt.bsky.social · Aug 17

You mean to tell me old mate Matthew didn't turn up today?

So James pretends that comments from an individual - that they directly attributed to this individual man - and who has been in prison for two years, should automatically be known by the public as really his "press office"?

#pffft

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

The unanswered question here is who else knew — and who was party to quietly changing the article so substantially.

Surely Knott wasn’t the only one?

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

I'd be interested to see that comparison. I'd suggest the print edition will be as originally published, and the online edition would be whichever version they published last!

Reposted by Aaron Smith

Jo Dyer @instanterudite.bsky.social · Aug 17

The initial smear was bad enough. The attempt to hide it was utterly reprehensible.

Why did the @sydmorningherald.bsky.social let Knott completely rewrite the story to correct his embarrassing "stuff up" & claim it had merely been "updated"?

And why is #Insiders not interrogating this properly?

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

Claim a quote from a Hamas co-founder who’s in prison unable to comment.

Quietly rewrite when busted.

Pull Knott from the Insiders sofa and send Massola instead to waffle about "offices".

Keep running the smear anyway.

That’s SMH. That’s #Insiders. That’s garbage.

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Reposted by Aaron Smith

John Nicolay @johnnicolay.bsky.social · Aug 17

Must read thread.

This is extraordinarily poor in any circumstance, but in the context of an issue this controversial and a claim this incendiary, it’s genuinely shocking.

A newspaper committed to ethical journalism would have sacked Matthew Knott on the spot and retracted the article.

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

You’ll remember the blow-up over Matthew Knott’s SMH piece quoting a Hamas co-founder in what looked like a hit job on Albanese. (Context in the quote tweet below if you aren't up to speed.)

Well, it gets worse, and no one’s noticed. A thread....

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bsky.app/profile/aaro...

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

Curious that the Sydney Morning Herald suddenly has direct contact with Hamas.

Even more intriguing is that Matthew Knott - once described as a stenographer for pro-Israel groups got the story. (Article in post 2)

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

If you managed to get this far but missed the original thread the covers what the SMH did, it's here:

bsky.app/profile/aaro...

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

You’ll remember the blow-up over Matthew Knott’s SMH piece quoting a Hamas co-founder in what looked like a hit job on Albanese. (Context in the quote tweet below if you aren't up to speed.)

Well, it gets worse, and no one’s noticed. A thread....

/1
bsky.app/profile/aaro...

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

Curious that the Sydney Morning Herald suddenly has direct contact with Hamas.

Even more intriguing is that Matthew Knott - once described as a stenographer for pro-Israel groups got the story. (Article in post 2)

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

This scandal has been covered extensively in a video released this morning by @MichaelWestBiz - a link to the video on YouTube is below;
youtu.be/exSr2Lh0sQg?...

SMH Fake Hamas Scoop Exposed | Scam of the Week

YouTube video by The West Report

youtu.be

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 17

Claim a quote from a Hamas co-founder who’s in prison unable to comment.

Quietly rewrite when busted.

Pull Knott from the Insiders sofa and send Massola instead to waffle about "offices".

Keep running the smear anyway.

That’s SMH. That’s #Insiders. That’s garbage.

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

First Matthew Knott's words were quietly scrubbed in his discredited article, now Matthew Knott himself has been quietly scrubbed from #Insiders.

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

I will be!

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

And, by complete coincidence I’m sure, this Sunday on #Insiders the guest will be “Proud Zionist” Tim Wilson.

On the couch? Matthew Knott.

I don't know whether to laugh, or cry.

/end

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

On a topic this sensitive, it’s indefensible.

This is precisely when journalism must be unimpeachable.

Instead, its credibility is being torched in real time.

/12

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

These aren’t small edits. They’re substantial and making them without disclosure is unethical.

In print, it’s impossible. Online? Two readers can see 'the same' article hours apart and get different facts.

That's not journalism.

Attached image shows them side by side.

/11

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

The rewritten article is here:
archive.md/7ZoD0

/10

archive.md

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

The original article as published is here:
archive.md/uKAru

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archive.md

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

There’s more, but wading through it is exhausting - the changes aren’t tweaks, they’re a rebuild.

And the only nod to this quiet surgery?

A microscopic first published note in the byline and a limp clarification tacked on at the end.

It’s fig-leaf transparency at best.

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

Deleted entirely: a paragraph noting both the LNP opposition and the Israeli Government agreed Labor was “rewarding Hamas.”

I’ve not yet unpacked why it vanished, but I have theories, as I'm sure others do too.

/6

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

Originally, Knott said it was the first time Hamas had commented on Australia’s decision.

Now, that’s replaced with a line saying Hamas denies Yousef made the statement, (because he’s in prison and isolated).

This denial exists entirely because of what Knott published.

/5

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

First change:

Originally — Knott claimed Yousef gave the SMH a direct statement.

Now — it’s “via his office.”

Also new: a concession that Yousef is in prison.

/4

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

I’ve saved two versions of the article from these exact times: (I'll link them later)

🗓 12:29 pm Wed 13 Aug
🗓 1:49 pm Thu 14 Aug

In just 24 hours it grew by 40%, with whole sections removed and new ones added.

Which version you saw depended entirely on when you read it.

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Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

After the backlash, and an AFR piece (same parent company, see quote tweet) inadvertently called Knott's article into question without explicitly saying so.

The SMH / Knott quietly rewrote the article.

They should've written a new one. They didn't.

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bsky.app/profile/aaro...

Aaron Smith @aaronsmith333.bsky.social · Aug 16

OMFG. AFR says Hamas denies co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef praised Albanese - because he’s been in prison for 2 years.

Hey AFR - maybe wander over to your SMH colleagues and ask why / how they quoted Yousef from prison, because that is now the fucking story.

Link below

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