How business-as-usual journalism undermines democracy

Or, why we can't have nice things

My new book, Voices of Us, is now available for pre-order. Get 27% off at Booktopia!

On Thursday during Question Time, the Liberal member for Capricornia in Queensland, Michelle Landry, asked the prime minister a question. It set in train a series of events that led to Landry, flanked by just about every woman on the Opposition benches, holding a press conference and accusing the prime minister of bullying her.

The whole event, from the performances in Question Time, to the carefully staged press conference, to the way in which the media reported the whole thing, has been an object lesson in the how business-as-usual politics undermines our democracy. It has shown how the highly ritualised performances they all engage in have nothing to do with holding people to account, let alone accurately informing the public, but are part of a way of doing politics that is so deeply ingrained in, and unquestioned by, these institutions, that it happens on automatic pilot.

As you can see in the Hansa…