The Media Monitors' Top 20

The Media Monitors’ Top 20

In his first taste of all publicity not necessarily being good publicity, the PM returned to a three to one dominance of media coverage, writes Patrick Baume.

In his first taste of all publicity not necessarily being good publicity since wandering into The Lodge with the cat wrangler and manservant while texting Malcolm for suggestions on where to put the Henson, the Prime Minister returned to a three to one dominance of media coverage.

NSW opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell makes a debut in the Top 20 thanks to the NSW Budget and his getting the NSW Liberal factions to kiss and make up (publicly anyway), as the big state Premiers take fifth to seventh position, Anna Bligh almost pipping Morris Iemma in Budget week (Peter would be so proud…).

Joel Fitzgibbon moves up further this week as the Government tries to put petrol behind it and get the media benefit of a far more popular policy decision, announcing the end of Australia’s combat role in Iraq; while Martin Ferguson will no doubt be delighted to have slipped six spots.

TW	Move	Position	Politician	Press	Radio	TV	Internet	Total
1	0	PM	Kevin Rudd	1,759	11,024	7,142	10,719	30,644
2	0	Opp Leader	Brendan Nelson	485	3,235	1,923	4,399	10,042
3	1	Cabinet	Wayne Swan	353	1,645	798	5,375	8,171
4	-1	Shadow	Malcolm Turnbull	215	1,236	507	3,057	5,015
5	0	Premier	Morris Iemma	300	1,111	163	3,259	4,833
6	0	Premier	Anna Bligh	234	926	621	2,623	4,404
7	3	Premier	John Brumby	181	847	491	1,023	2,542
8	19	NSW Opp Ldr	Barry O’Farrell	78	1,050	170	930	2,228
9	4	Outer	Chris Bowen	129	857	332	698	2,016
10	-1	Backbench	Alexander Downer	80	426	209	1,301	2,016
11	8	Cabinet	Joel Fitzgibbon	84	708	251	907	1,950
12	2	Cabinet	Nicola Roxon	76	660	212	908	1,856
13	-6	Cabinet	Martin Ferguson	211	742	132	646	1,731
14	-2	Cabinet	Julia Gillard	135	415	214	776	1,540
15	-4	Cabinet	Lindsay Tanner	122	595	278	500	1,495
16	-8	Cabinet	Jenny Macklin	57	469	50	918	1,494
17	-1	Cabinet	Stephen Smith	40	316	2	1,078	1,436
18	3	Cabinet	Anthony Albanese	61	699	119	500	1,379
19	-1	Cabinet	Peter Garrett	148	234	62	851	1,295
20	11	Shadow	Ted Baillieu	65	278	90	669	1,102

State issues prominent as usual on talkback, but the PM miles ahead thanks to petrol, Henson and pensions, while no news seems to be good news for Brendan Nelson.

Rank	Politician	Talkback
1	Kevin Rudd	561
2	Anna Bligh	117
3	Wayne Swan	75
4	Morris Iemma	62
5	Barry O’Farrell	51

6,971 media items good for fourth place in the politicians’ index as further police inquiries to various galleries across the country kept the debate over Bill Henson’s photographs front and centre for much of the week.