Writer and comedian Patrick Marlborough joins Spin Cycle to unpack Michael Gawenda’s recent essay arguing that Australian journalism has shifted from newsroom watchdogs to “activist brands.” Gawenda, a former editor-in-chief of The Age, takes aim at what he sees as a university-trained media class shaped by ideological advocacy, particularly around coverage of Israel, Palestine and antisemitism.  

The panel push back on Gawenda’s framing, with Rachel arguing the idea of an overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian Australian media does not reflect the landscape.

The conversation revisits the fallout over Media Watch’s coverage of Sharri Markson’s Netanyahu interview, and the broader question of how Australian outlets talk about Zionism, antisemitism and political identity in public debate. From there, the trio turn to The Australian, questioning its increasingly panicked editorial tone, its appetite for culture-war escalation, and whether outrage has become its model.