Is Halloween unAustralian – or just a bit of fun? Photo: File.
The Hoot podcast with Ross Solly and Genevieve Jacobs is here, hot on the heels of yet another federal budget and full of tough questions about whether celebrating Halloween is an act of cultural imperialism or just a bit of fun.
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First up, though, we’re talking about a deeply serious issue – the role played by the media in the Lehrmann case, which was declared a mistrial last week after a juror was discovered with external material that had not been tendered in evidence.
ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum was unimpressed after multiple warnings to jurors that they must not be influenced by anything other than evidence in court and she’s also noted the difficulties caused by overwhelming media coverage on such a contentious matter.
So what role should media play in major trials and where should we draw the line between news and clickbait?
It’s Federal budget time once again (just like it was a few months ago), but is there really anything in it for the ACT? Canberra has struggled for years to attract Federal funding attention without notable success. There are no votes to be gained for either side in a couple of rock-solid Labor electorates and giving Canberrans money is never a winner with voters elsewhere.
This time around Canberra gained a national security precinct with the promise of several thousand jobs. The Liberals pointed out that the project actually began under the Morrison Government , but is it a win for Canberra in the greater scheme of things?
And come the end of October, come Halloween – or does it? The American institution has grown increasingly popular over the years, but Ross and Genevieve have a serious difference of opinion on whether that’s a good thing or not.
Did you walk the streets with your children or hand out lollies when the small witches and ghouls came knocking? Or was the door firmly shut as you grumbled inside about insidious cultural imperialism?
The Hoot appears every week on Riotact and wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple and Spotify. Have a listen, tell us what you think and rate us.
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