MediaActive ▪️EQUALITY ▪️JUSTICE ▪️PEACE
@mediaactive.bsky.social
Former ABC broadcast journalist, presenter. Pioneered Australian *national* radio talkback on ABC Radio National. Podcaster: https://rss.com/podcasts/transitzone/
THEMES: DEMOCRACY/JOURNALISM FUTURES/INTERVIEWING/AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC/WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY.
THEMES: DEMOCRACY/JOURNALISM FUTURES/INTERVIEWING/AUSTRALIAN REPUBLIC/WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY.
Pinned
I am shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of the clockmaker, Will Matthysen, on the last day of 2025. He generously gave of his time & insights for this podcast. #creativity #design #clocks www.woodreview.com.au/profiles/val...
I’m still trying to form some kind of theoretical framework for how this battle of “realities” works. We know the #Trump regime #propaganda playbook. Instant response. Lies. Lies. Lies. Go slippery weasel words when challenged. Never fully resile. Second Amendment is a cross cutting issue. #fascism
Bellingcat founder @eliothiggins.bsky.social: It's "really important to get analysis of events" like the Pretti shooting "out to the public quickly, especially when it's clear the US government, ICE, and DHS are willing to immediately start lying about what’s happening" www.cnn.com/2026/01/24/m...
‘Thank God we have video’: Minnesota’s escalating fights over eyewitness footage | CNN Business
When the Trump administration immediately blamed the victim in Saturday’s shooting in Minneapolis, Gov. Tim Walz reacted by saying, “Thank God, thank God we have video.” The unrest in Minnesota is fur...
www.cnn.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:23 AM
I’m still trying to form some kind of theoretical framework for how this battle of “realities” works. We know the #Trump regime #propaganda playbook. Instant response. Lies. Lies. Lies. Go slippery weasel words when challenged. Never fully resile. Second Amendment is a cross cutting issue. #fascism
x.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:35 AM
January 26, 2026 at 8:17 AM
The Atlantic finally catching up with what some of us have been saying for *years*
January 26, 2026 at 7:33 AM
John McCarthy stating the bleeding obvious. I wonder how much longer the @australianlabor.bsky.social @albomp.bsky.social @senatorwong.bsky.social govt can keep tap dancing front of curtain pretending the #USA “alliance”, #AUKUS are all “cool & normal”? Keep feeding the zombies? #Trump #fascism #USA
If the US can openly pressure an ally over Greenland, Australia can’t pretend alliance politics is all shared values and mutual trust. John McCarthy argues it’s time to build more strategic autonomy – and stop sanctifying ANZUS.
#auspol #foreignpolicy
#auspol #foreignpolicy
Trump, Greenland and Australia’s alliance reality check
Trump’s behaviour towards Greenland is a warning sign for alliances, values and Western credibility. Australia may need to weigh ANZUS more hard-headedly and build greater strategic autonomy.
johnmenadue.com
January 26, 2026 at 7:11 AM
John McCarthy stating the bleeding obvious. I wonder how much longer the @australianlabor.bsky.social @albomp.bsky.social @senatorwong.bsky.social govt can keep tap dancing front of curtain pretending the #USA “alliance”, #AUKUS are all “cool & normal”? Keep feeding the zombies? #Trump #fascism #USA
As the @cbsnews.com roiling saga with its “Bari Weiss Effect”, rolls on, the @washingtonpost.com, owned by Jeff Bezos, is spiralling? #journalism #media #Trump #fascism
If this is true (and that’s not a small if), it is reasonable to posit that Bezos is trying to offload the Post. Or kill it altogether.
Sports is a top driver of traffic and subscriptions for most news sites.
And we’ve seen how Bezos and Lewis have mangled the Opinion section.
Sports is a top driver of traffic and subscriptions for most news sites.
And we’ve seen how Bezos and Lewis have mangled the Opinion section.
January 26, 2026 at 7:02 AM
As the @cbsnews.com roiling saga with its “Bari Weiss Effect”, rolls on, the @washingtonpost.com, owned by Jeff Bezos, is spiralling? #journalism #media #Trump #fascism
“Donald Trump’s most profound break with American #democracy, evident in his words & actions alike, is his view that the state’s relationship with its citizens is defined not by ideals or rules but rather by expressions of power, at the personal direction of the president.” #Trump #fascism #USA
"Watching America Unravel in Minneapolis."
This is oustanding journalism by a New York Times reporter. It helped me realize what is happening there, and just how bad everything is. I recommend it, which doesn't mean I endorse every line.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/m... [gift link]
This is oustanding journalism by a New York Times reporter. It helped me realize what is happening there, and just how bad everything is. I recommend it, which doesn't mean I endorse every line.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/m... [gift link]
Watching America Unravel in Minneapolis
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM
“Donald Trump’s most profound break with American #democracy, evident in his words & actions alike, is his view that the state’s relationship with its citizens is defined not by ideals or rules but rather by expressions of power, at the personal direction of the president.” #Trump #fascism #USA
A reminder to the news media: “conflicting accounts” is what you say BEFORE the incontrovertible video evidence appears. After that, your job is to ask why one side is lying, not to repeat the lie and pretend no one knows the truth.
January 26, 2026 at 6:47 AM
The human condition, its strengths and frailties, its virtues and vices, ensures the great cycles of history keep on rhyming and echoing down the millennia. #Trump #Minnesota #fascism
January 26, 2026 at 6:43 AM
The human condition, its strengths and frailties, its virtues and vices, ensures the great cycles of history keep on rhyming and echoing down the millennia. #Trump #Minnesota #fascism
. @gtconway.bsky.social is running for the #USA congress in the midterm elections (if they occur). Formerly #GOP, now a Democrat. He is, & has been for a long time, as a conservative, vehementally & vociferously anti #Trump. He is the most blunt of commentators. #fascism #ruleoflaw #democracy
January 26, 2026 at 5:34 AM
. @gtconway.bsky.social is running for the #USA congress in the midterm elections (if they occur). Formerly #GOP, now a Democrat. He is, & has been for a long time, as a conservative, vehementally & vociferously anti #Trump. He is the most blunt of commentators. #fascism #ruleoflaw #democracy
“ #Trump said the project could not realistically be reversed because key materials have been lined up, writing that ‘there is no practical or reasonable way to go back’ & declaring: ‘IT IS TOO LATE!’” His gaudy, garish, gold encrusted ballroom. Obsession. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump says it’s ‘too late’ to stop White House ballroom construction
The president’s comments came after Justice Department lawyers argued that the ballroom plans can still be modified and they plan to wait for federal reviews.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:18 AM
“ #Trump said the project could not realistically be reversed because key materials have been lined up, writing that ‘there is no practical or reasonable way to go back’ & declaring: ‘IT IS TOO LATE!’” His gaudy, garish, gold encrusted ballroom. Obsession. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
“ #AI excels at pattern recognition, code generation & the synthesis of large volumes of text & data. But someone still has to decide whether an analysis is trustworthy, what implications it carries & whether acting on it would be wise.” Human JUDGEMENT. Fundamental?
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/o...
Opinion | Why A.I. Can’t Make Thoughtful Decisions
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:08 AM
“ #AI excels at pattern recognition, code generation & the synthesis of large volumes of text & data. But someone still has to decide whether an analysis is trustworthy, what implications it carries & whether acting on it would be wise.” Human JUDGEMENT. Fundamental?
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/o...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/o...
“Mr. Bovino gave little ground in an interview on CNN, arguing that the border patrol agents were the ‘victims’ & that Mr. Pretti had ‘injected himself into that law enforcement situation with a weapon.’ Still, when pressed for evidence, Mr. Bovino had little to offer.” Lies. #propaganda #fascism
“Not long after federal agents shot & killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident on Saturday, senior members of the #Trump administration were ready with their conclusions about what had happened & who was to blame.” Same #propaganda playbook with Good. #fascism #USA www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/u...
How the Trump Administration Rushed to Judgment in Minneapolis Shooting
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:02 AM
“Mr. Bovino gave little ground in an interview on CNN, arguing that the border patrol agents were the ‘victims’ & that Mr. Pretti had ‘injected himself into that law enforcement situation with a weapon.’ Still, when pressed for evidence, Mr. Bovino had little to offer.” Lies. #propaganda #fascism
“Not long after federal agents shot & killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident on Saturday, senior members of the #Trump administration were ready with their conclusions about what had happened & who was to blame.” Same #propaganda playbook with Good. #fascism #USA www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/u...
How the Trump Administration Rushed to Judgment in Minneapolis Shooting
www.nytimes.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:57 AM
“Not long after federal agents shot & killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident on Saturday, senior members of the #Trump administration were ready with their conclusions about what had happened & who was to blame.” Same #propaganda playbook with Good. #fascism #USA www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/u...
OPINION #Trump regime, incl Noem, Miller, Bovino, is maintaining its increasingly ludicrous #propaganda line, Alex Jeffrey Pretti was an assassin. None of the video evidence supports that. In fact the opposite. Not the point of course. They lie. Millions believe. #fascism youtube.com/watch?v=Cn6t...
George Conway on MN shooting: Trump administration is “a criminal organization”
YouTube video by MS NOW
youtube.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:49 AM
OPINION #Trump regime, incl Noem, Miller, Bovino, is maintaining its increasingly ludicrous #propaganda line, Alex Jeffrey Pretti was an assassin. None of the video evidence supports that. In fact the opposite. Not the point of course. They lie. Millions believe. #fascism youtube.com/watch?v=Cn6t...
#Minnesota governor, @governorwalz.mn.gov, intensifies his rhetoric re #ICE & other federal agents’ invasion of his state & their brutalities incl the cold blooded murders of Renee Good & Alex Jeffrey Pretti. The #Trump, Noem, Miller #propaganda onslaught incl blatant lies has been fierce. #fascism
Walz: "To Americans who are watching this, I've got a question for you: What side do you want to be on? The side of an all powerful federal govt that can kill, injury, menace, & kidnap its citizens off the streets? Or on the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such govt?"
January 26, 2026 at 4:23 AM
#Minnesota governor, @governorwalz.mn.gov, intensifies his rhetoric re #ICE & other federal agents’ invasion of his state & their brutalities incl the cold blooded murders of Renee Good & Alex Jeffrey Pretti. The #Trump, Noem, Miller #propaganda onslaught incl blatant lies has been fierce. #fascism
The fact that the #USA discourse around the #Minnesota murders by #ICE & Border Control agents is casting back a decade to former president @barackobama.bsky.social is a telling indictment of & commentary upon the contemporary Democratic Party inside & outside the congress. Gutless. #Trump #fascism
“Former president @barackobama.bsky.social & his wife, Michelle, called the killing ‘a heartbreaking tragedy’ & ‘a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault’”. #Trump #fascism #USA www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Obamas say Alex Pretti killing a ‘tragedy’ as calls mount for full investigation
Former president and first lady say killing should be ‘wake-up call’ and federal agents are not operating in lawful way
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:17 AM
The fact that the #USA discourse around the #Minnesota murders by #ICE & Border Control agents is casting back a decade to former president @barackobama.bsky.social is a telling indictment of & commentary upon the contemporary Democratic Party inside & outside the congress. Gutless. #Trump #fascism
“Former president @barackobama.bsky.social & his wife, Michelle, called the killing ‘a heartbreaking tragedy’ & ‘a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault’”. #Trump #fascism #USA www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Obamas say Alex Pretti killing a ‘tragedy’ as calls mount for full investigation
Former president and first lady say killing should be ‘wake-up call’ and federal agents are not operating in lawful way
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:11 AM
“Former president @barackobama.bsky.social & his wife, Michelle, called the killing ‘a heartbreaking tragedy’ & ‘a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault’”. #Trump #fascism #USA www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
January 26, 2026 at 2:43 AM
January 26, 2026 at 2:40 AM
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” ‘1984’ George Orwell
#Trump #fascism #propaganda #USA
#Trump #fascism #propaganda #USA
January 26, 2026 at 2:23 AM
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” ‘1984’ George Orwell
#Trump #fascism #propaganda #USA
#Trump #fascism #propaganda #USA
A glimpse of the falsity & intensity of the #propaganda coming from the #Trump #GOP machine. “Put down. Well done”? Nauseating. Truly shocking. #fascism
January 26, 2026 at 1:46 AM
A glimpse of the falsity & intensity of the #propaganda coming from the #Trump #GOP machine. “Put down. Well done”? Nauseating. Truly shocking. #fascism
Important observations from @cwarzel.bsky.social & @brianstelter.bsky.social is tracking this too. The intense #Trump, Noem, Miller etc. #propaganda (“domestic terrorist”) blatant lies versus the plethora of videos, eyewitness affidavits, #journalism reporting & analyses. #fascism #Minnesota #USA
Wrote about the observers. The people standing by and filming and the risk they are taking to let the world see what is happening. It's crucial and its the only way to combat the lies and blatant propaganda. www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Believe Your Eyes
People are risking their lives to document agents in Minneapolis.
www.theatlantic.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:39 AM
Important observations from @cwarzel.bsky.social & @brianstelter.bsky.social is tracking this too. The intense #Trump, Noem, Miller etc. #propaganda (“domestic terrorist”) blatant lies versus the plethora of videos, eyewitness affidavits, #journalism reporting & analyses. #fascism #Minnesota #USA
Minnesota National Guard members have arrived at a federal building and were directed to distribute donuts, coffee, and hot chocolate to anti-ICE protesters. Guard members were issued reflective vests so they would not be mistaken for federal agents.
January 26, 2026 at 1:14 AM