The money or The Drum

Speaking of The Drum, as of Tuesday, the ABC TV show is to “review the effectiveness of our requirements for disclosure of conflicts of interest for our panellists, think tanks, lobby groups … and will report back”.

Only three days earlier presenter Julia Baird wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald that even though “think” tanks won’t reveal their paymasters, The Drum nonetheless asks guests to disclose conflicts of interest.

“This includes associations with political parties, unions, lobby groups, industry associations or any other group associated with campaigning on contentious issues that may be discussed on the program…”

Clearly, a review of the “effectiveness” of this request for transparency means that it has not been very effective at all.

The simple solution, and one that has been pressed upon the heroes who run our Aunty, is not to invite guests on chat shows who refuse to reveal their secret paymasters. It seems incredibly elementary to know if the money is talking or if this is the unfettered Chuckles Henderson, Simon Brainey, Baby Fishnets Downer etc.

And if this rule were in place, we might be spared hours of gibberish.