Already and this this is the Daily This is the Daly OS. Oh, now it makes sense.

Already and this this is the Daily This is the Daly OS. Oh, now it makes sense.

Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Wednesday, the twenty second of January. I'm Sam, I'm Billy. This week, a channeline journalist was stood down after he allegedly accepted fifty thousand dollars for being the first TV journalist to call a high profile businessman McLaren guy instead of Lamber guy. Channel nine have responded saying they are quote taking this matter extremely seriously and have stood down the reporter Alex Cullen. Today, we thought we'd go through a bit more of a media literacy angle with this story. What are the rules and ethics around journalists accepting gifts?

Good morning and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Wednesday, the twenty second of January. I'm Sam, I'm Billy. This week, a channeline journalist was stood down after he allegedly accepted fifty thousand dollars for being the first TV journalist to call a high profile businessman McLaren guy instead of Lamber guy. Channel nine have responded saying they are quote taking this matter extremely seriously and have stood down the reporter Alex Cullen. Today, we thought we'd go through a bit more of a media literacy angle with this story. What are the rules and ethics around journalists accepting gifts?

Sam? I think we should start with who Adrian Portelli is because I've heard a lot about him. I think he buys a lot of houses on the block and interested in how he got from there, from him buying all of these houses on the block, all the way to here where he is giving fifty thousand dollars to a journalist for calling him McLaren guy. Take us through it. Who is Adrian Potelli?

Sam? I think we should start with who Adrian Portelli is because I've heard a lot about him. I think he buys a lot of houses on the block and interested in how he got from there, from him buying all of these houses on the block, all the way to here where he is giving fifty thousand dollars to a journalist for calling him McLaren guy. Take us through it. Who is Adrian Potelli?

So this is a guy who has rocketed up the Rich List in recent years because of his business. He's got a following of nearly five hundred thousand on Instagram. And yeah, he's well known for buying properties on the block and then giving them away as prizes. And you can essentially think about his business as kind of a lottery system, so giving away unbelievable amounts of money or in this case houses in exchange for people entering a paid lottery.

So this is a guy who has rocketed up the Rich List in recent years because of his business. He's got a following of nearly five hundred thousand on Instagram. And yeah, he's well known for buying properties on the block and then giving them away as prizes. And you can essentially think about his business as kind of a lottery system, so giving away unbelievable amounts of money or in this case houses in exchange for people entering a paid lottery.

And I believe he's actually at the center of a court case surrounding him allegedly doing an illegal lottery over on Instagram.

And I believe he's actually at the center of a court case surrounding him allegedly doing an illegal lottery over on Instagram.

Yeah, exactly. And it's a little bit of an ambiguous area in terms of whether the current lottery legal frameworks apply to something like this on social media. But the reason why he's known as the Lambeou Guy is because in twenty twenty two he arrived at auction for the Block in a Lamborghini. He's quite an eccentric, very kind of extravagant lifestyle type of guy. Now, last week he posted to his Instagram stories and he said, I'll give fifty thousand dollars to the first TV journalist who calls me McLaren guy. Another type of car and not Lambeo guy. Go for it. Then on Friday, Alex Cullen, who is a sports reporter on Channel nine, he's often on the Today Show, he was doing a live cross from the Australian Open and he said this, we're.

Yeah, exactly. And it's a little bit of an ambiguous area in terms of whether the current lottery legal frameworks apply to something like this on social media. But the reason why he's known as the Lambeou Guy is because in twenty twenty two he arrived at auction for the Block in a Lamborghini. He's quite an eccentric, very kind of extravagant lifestyle type of guy. Now, last week he posted to his Instagram stories and he said, I'll give fifty thousand dollars to the first TV journalist who calls me McLaren guy. Another type of car and not Lambeo guy. Go for it. Then on Friday, Alex Cullen, who is a sports reporter on Channel nine, he's often on the Today Show, he was doing a live cross from the Australian Open and he said this, we're.

Gonna do a bit of celebrity spotting today. Adrian Portelli, aka the McLaren guy, likely to make you an appearance here today as well.

Gonna do a bit of celebrity spotting today. Adrian Portelli, aka the McLaren guy, likely to make you an appearance here today as well.

But look it's a different luxury car. Yeah yeah, yeah, I'm sure it's McLaren.

But look it's a different luxury car. Yeah yeah, yeah, I'm sure it's McLaren.

Yeah, no, it's definitely McLaren. That's probably got both of guys.

Yeah, no, it's definitely McLaren. That's probably got both of guys.

We can split the fifty grand. Yeah. So that happened on live television. Then a couple of hours later Portelli posted a receipt of a bank transfer of fifty thousand dollars to an account with the name Alex Cullen to Instagram. This was then picked up by other media, The Herald Sun and by Saturday. So twenty four hours after that live cross from the Australian Open, Channel nine released a statement saying they were taking this matter extremely seriously. We got a further comment from a spokesperson. They said appropriate action has been promptly taken, including arranging for the funds to be returned. While we reviewed the circumstances in which this occurred, Alex has agreed to stand down.

We can split the fifty grand. Yeah. So that happened on live television. Then a couple of hours later Portelli posted a receipt of a bank transfer of fifty thousand dollars to an account with the name Alex Cullen to Instagram. This was then picked up by other media, The Herald Sun and by Saturday. So twenty four hours after that live cross from the Australian Open, Channel nine released a statement saying they were taking this matter extremely seriously. We got a further comment from a spokesperson. They said appropriate action has been promptly taken, including arranging for the funds to be returned. While we reviewed the circumstances in which this occurred, Alex has agreed to stand down.

It's such an interesting story and when we posted it on The Daily OS two days ago, immediately after it happened, it garnered so much attention. I think we were even surprised by how many people were interested in this story. And I think today what we want to talk about is the media literacy angle behind this, because it's an interesting area of what is the responsibility or what other ethics behind a journalist accepting a gift?

It's such an interesting story and when we posted it on The Daily OS two days ago, immediately after it happened, it garnered so much attention. I think we were even surprised by how many people were interested in this story. And I think today what we want to talk about is the media literacy angle behind this, because it's an interesting area of what is the responsibility or what other ethics behind a journalist accepting a gift?

Yeah, and I think it led to some really interesting discussions at TDA and we thought it'd be interesting to share them with you guys. And I think the best place to start is the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and that's called them Double A, and that's the largest union for workers in the Australian media and creative industries and it does include journalists and basically the job of them double as to look after employees across all media companies. They argue for increases to wages or improved conditions of working. Maybe it's about, you know, what they're entitled to if they're working late at night, for example, they can campaign for changes to laws that might restrict press freedom. And importantly for this story, they promote the practice of high quality journalism and they do that primarily through their Code of Ethics.

Yeah, and I think it led to some really interesting discussions at TDA and we thought it'd be interesting to share them with you guys. And I think the best place to start is the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and that's called them Double A, and that's the largest union for workers in the Australian media and creative industries and it does include journalists and basically the job of them double as to look after employees across all media companies. They argue for increases to wages or improved conditions of working. Maybe it's about, you know, what they're entitled to if they're working late at night, for example, they can campaign for changes to laws that might restrict press freedom. And importantly for this story, they promote the practice of high quality journalism and they do that primarily through their Code of Ethics.

And so that's the main document that we're talking about today, the Code of Ethics. So do you want to take us through that?

And so that's the main document that we're talking about today, the Code of Ethics. So do you want to take us through that?

Yeah, And it's relatively easy to get your head around this one. I mean we're used to big, scary PDFs to the hundreds and hundreds of pages. This one is twelve brief dot points. It basically outlines the ethical obligations on journalists which everyone in the industry should abide too. And the particular clauses that are relevant for this discussion about the ethics of giving gifts to journalists is clause four. It says, do not allow personal interest or any belief, commitment, payment, gift, or benefit to undermine your accuracy, fairness, or independence. Then clause five encourages journalists to disclose any conflix of interest that could affect or could seem to affect the accuracy, fairness, or independence of your journalism. And also it says to not use your position as a journalist for personal gain. And then finally clause seven, it's do your utmost to ensure disclosure of any direct or indirect payment made for interviews, pictures, information or stories.

Yeah, And it's relatively easy to get your head around this one. I mean we're used to big, scary PDFs to the hundreds and hundreds of pages. This one is twelve brief dot points. It basically outlines the ethical obligations on journalists which everyone in the industry should abide too. And the particular clauses that are relevant for this discussion about the ethics of giving gifts to journalists is clause four. It says, do not allow personal interest or any belief, commitment, payment, gift, or benefit to undermine your accuracy, fairness, or independence. Then clause five encourages journalists to disclose any conflix of interest that could affect or could seem to affect the accuracy, fairness, or independence of your journalism. And also it says to not use your position as a journalist for personal gain. And then finally clause seven, it's do your utmost to ensure disclosure of any direct or indirect payment made for interviews, pictures, information or stories.

And so I guess the key point here is not just that this journalist received the cash payment, but that that cash payment allegedly altered the content of his journalism. And that's where there could be a breach in this code.

And so I guess the key point here is not just that this journalist received the cash payment, but that that cash payment allegedly altered the content of his journalism. And that's where there could be a breach in this code.

Of ethics, right yeah, And it's not even you know, whether it did or it didn't. It's also about whether it seemed to have or not. Yes, And that's where the code really puts this extra responsibility journalists, where it's even not about what actually happened, but what it could look like to the audience. And it goes back to this idea of how important trust is in media and how much trust Australians have lost, or in fact people all around the world have lost in news.

Of ethics, right yeah, And it's not even you know, whether it did or it didn't. It's also about whether it seemed to have or not. Yes, And that's where the code really puts this extra responsibility journalists, where it's even not about what actually happened, but what it could look like to the audience. And it goes back to this idea of how important trust is in media and how much trust Australians have lost, or in fact people all around the world have lost in news.

This is feeling very meta. We're journalists talking about journalists.

This is feeling very meta. We're journalists talking about journalists.

Well, it's who better to explain this idea than the people in the industry.

Well, it's who better to explain this idea than the people in the industry.

So I want to go back to this document because one thing that's interesting about it is that it exists, But in terms of it being a legally binding agreement or sorts, it's not exactly that.

So I want to go back to this document because one thing that's interesting about it is that it exists, But in terms of it being a legally binding agreement or sorts, it's not exactly that.

Yeah, it's different to something like medical Code of Ethics or the code of ethics that lawyers or accountants have to abide by, which it's mandatory for them to be signing on to that to work in the industry.

Yeah, it's different to something like medical Code of Ethics or the code of ethics that lawyers or accountants have to abide by, which it's mandatory for them to be signing on to that to work in the industry.

So those are enthrined in the law of Australia, whereas this Code of Ethics for journalists.

So those are enthrined in the law of Australia, whereas this Code of Ethics for journalists.

Isn't exactly and it might not be that much of a straight line between you break the code then you're breaking the law. It might be you break the code that means you're not registered, and if you're not registered, you're breaking the law.

Isn't exactly and it might not be that much of a straight line between you break the code then you're breaking the law. It might be you break the code that means you're not registered, and if you're not registered, you're breaking the law.

But in this case, if you're not registered and practicing, it's still practicing.

But in this case, if you're not registered and practicing, it's still practicing.

Yeah, if you're a doctor, you need a doctor's license to register. You might lose that medical license if you break a code of ethics. But for Theme double A members, they're bound by the code. The me DOUBLEA says that you can investigate breaches and it tends to be pretty clear cut if somebody goes on TV and they're racist or they say hate speech, because there are federal laws and state laws that govern that. But for things like benefiting financially from a story or receiving a gift in exchange for content. It's not actually illegal, So it all comes down to how the double A actually enforces this. One other thing to mention before we jump into what the consequences within the me DOUBLEA actually can be is that there's a lot of leeway given for disclosures. So it's not saying that company, media, companies or individuals can't accept gifts. It's more just about how they're communicating that to the audience. And that's why you see things at the bottom of articles that say might review a flight, might review a holiday, where it says this rider was a guest of the cruise liner or whatever, and that's a disclosure element that satisfies that ethical question. But if you don't do that, then you can be investigated by them Double A, and they do have some consequences. You can get a warning, a reprimand a fine that's capped at one thousand dollars, or a suspension or expulsion from the body. But unlike that medical example we talked about, there are no consequences that relate to whether a journalist is in theme Double A or not. You can still practice as a journalist even if you're not a member, So I guess what I'm trying to say here is that there aren't really major consequences from a union standpoint for this kind of behavior and media.

Yeah, if you're a doctor, you need a doctor's license to register. You might lose that medical license if you break a code of ethics. But for Theme double A members, they're bound by the code. The me DOUBLEA says that you can investigate breaches and it tends to be pretty clear cut if somebody goes on TV and they're racist or they say hate speech, because there are federal laws and state laws that govern that. But for things like benefiting financially from a story or receiving a gift in exchange for content. It's not actually illegal, So it all comes down to how the double A actually enforces this. One other thing to mention before we jump into what the consequences within the me DOUBLEA actually can be is that there's a lot of leeway given for disclosures. So it's not saying that company, media, companies or individuals can't accept gifts. It's more just about how they're communicating that to the audience. And that's why you see things at the bottom of articles that say might review a flight, might review a holiday, where it says this rider was a guest of the cruise liner or whatever, and that's a disclosure element that satisfies that ethical question. But if you don't do that, then you can be investigated by them Double A, and they do have some consequences. You can get a warning, a reprimand a fine that's capped at one thousand dollars, or a suspension or expulsion from the body. But unlike that medical example we talked about, there are no consequences that relate to whether a journalist is in theme Double A or not. You can still practice as a journalist even if you're not a member, So I guess what I'm trying to say here is that there aren't really major consequences from a union standpoint for this kind of behavior and media.

And also not every journalist is a member of the EM Double A and therefore obliged to follow their code of.

And also not every journalist is a member of the EM Double A and therefore obliged to follow their code of.

Ethics right certainly, And that's also an interesting point. We don't even know if Alex Cullen is part of them Double A or not. But it's not even that important when you consider then nine code of ethics, which is available online. His employer, like many many employers. In fact, I'd say probably most employers have codes of conduct which includes rules around ethical behavior, and that is the substance of the internal investigation at nine, rather than a breach of a code that governs the industry.

Ethics right certainly, And that's also an interesting point. We don't even know if Alex Cullen is part of them Double A or not. But it's not even that important when you consider then nine code of ethics, which is available online. His employer, like many many employers. In fact, I'd say probably most employers have codes of conduct which includes rules around ethical behavior, and that is the substance of the internal investigation at nine, rather than a breach of a code that governs the industry.

So this is an ongoing investigation. We haven't actually heard from Alex Cullen. Do you want to give us a sense of some of the other views that are around sure?

So this is an ongoing investigation. We haven't actually heard from Alex Cullen. Do you want to give us a sense of some of the other views that are around sure?

So, I mean, this story has been reported by most media and in social media comments in the way that those are being summarized, It's important to note that many are providing an opposing view that this was an era of judgment from Culen. It was relatively naive and innocent and it's not a sackable offense and worth mentioning. This is an ongoing investigation and Cullen hasn't commented just yet.

So, I mean, this story has been reported by most media and in social media comments in the way that those are being summarized, It's important to note that many are providing an opposing view that this was an era of judgment from Culen. It was relatively naive and innocent and it's not a sackable offense and worth mentioning. This is an ongoing investigation and Cullen hasn't commented just yet.

Also important to note that Channel nine says that the funds have been returned.

Also important to note that Channel nine says that the funds have been returned.

Yeah, and I think, I mean Alex Cullen has been the way into us discussing this story today. But this this is not the first time that a journalist has accepted what essentially was a prize or a gift or something that they have broadcast. It happens all the time.

Yeah, and I think, I mean Alex Cullen has been the way into us discussing this story today. But this this is not the first time that a journalist has accepted what essentially was a prize or a gift or something that they have broadcast. It happens all the time.

Yeah, it's a really interesting discussion also about the ethics around the pr industry because you know, even at the Daily Odds, we receive gifts all the time from PR agencies, and then it is up to us that if we are ever to talk about a product that we have received as a gift, that we disclose that and are transparent about that. But this is another kind of issue within that area that is a bit great, But I guess it's up to us to not make it great at all.

Yeah, it's a really interesting discussion also about the ethics around the pr industry because you know, even at the Daily Odds, we receive gifts all the time from PR agencies, and then it is up to us that if we are ever to talk about a product that we have received as a gift, that we disclose that and are transparent about that. But this is another kind of issue within that area that is a bit great, But I guess it's up to us to not make it great at all.

And I think the thing that people are finding a bit more complex about this story is that this is not a matter of fifty thousand dollars turning up in a gift box at this journalist's desk. This was a call out on social media with an offering of a prize, and he seems to have been the one to respond to it first. And that feels very different to, you know, declaring that you got paid to go on a holiday that you're now reviewing. I know I've said this a couple of times, but I just want to say it again. This is an ongoing investigation. We haven't heard from Alex Clliner just yet.

And I think the thing that people are finding a bit more complex about this story is that this is not a matter of fifty thousand dollars turning up in a gift box at this journalist's desk. This was a call out on social media with an offering of a prize, and he seems to have been the one to respond to it first. And that feels very different to, you know, declaring that you got paid to go on a holiday that you're now reviewing. I know I've said this a couple of times, but I just want to say it again. This is an ongoing investigation. We haven't heard from Alex Clliner just yet.

And this all comes in what has been quite a tough week for Nine. They have been in the headlines I'm sure much more than they would like this week.

And this all comes in what has been quite a tough week for Nine. They have been in the headlines I'm sure much more than they would like this week.

Tell us about that, well, we had a moment where we realized we had two pieces about two different Nine personalities next to each other on our Instagram grids. So they've had another saga that they've been dealing with over another sports journalist, Tony Jones, who was accused of being rude to Serbian fans of tennis player Novak Djokovic. Djokovic responded to that by refusing to do the traditional interview with the network after his match on Sunday night. He then expressed his disappointment at the postmatch conference. Jones has since apologized for those comments, and it seems that Novak Dokovic is back to doing interviews with Nine. They've also settled a sexual discrimination claim in the federal court with an employee, So for nine, I think it's more of a week they would rather forget.

Tell us about that, well, we had a moment where we realized we had two pieces about two different Nine personalities next to each other on our Instagram grids. So they've had another saga that they've been dealing with over another sports journalist, Tony Jones, who was accused of being rude to Serbian fans of tennis player Novak Djokovic. Djokovic responded to that by refusing to do the traditional interview with the network after his match on Sunday night. He then expressed his disappointment at the postmatch conference. Jones has since apologized for those comments, and it seems that Novak Dokovic is back to doing interviews with Nine. They've also settled a sexual discrimination claim in the federal court with an employee, So for nine, I think it's more of a week they would rather forget.

Thank you so much for taking us through it today. Thanks and thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Daily os. As always, we very much appreciate you listening to us and supporting us. We'll be back again this afternoon with your afternoon headlines, but until then, have a great day.

Thank you so much for taking us through it today. Thanks and thank you so much for listening to this episode of The Daily os. As always, we very much appreciate you listening to us and supporting us. We'll be back again this afternoon with your afternoon headlines, but until then, have a great day.

My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Kalkutin woman from Gadighl Country.

My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Kalkutin woman from Gadighl Country.

The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both past and present.

The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both past and present.