School strike rally climate students
(Image: AAP/Dan Peled)

Ever wanted to see how the media sausage is made? Inside the News Conference takes a look at the beating (and sometimes bleeding) hearts of media companies around the world.

[The offices of Green Left Weekly. The EDITOR addresses his staff, slamming his fist on the table.]

EDITOR: OK team, it’s time to get ANGRY!

SUBEDITOR: I agree — we’ve tolerated this for TOO LONG

NEWS EDITOR: Absolutely! EVERYONE should be FURIOUS about it. It’s a DISGRACE.

CULTURE EDITOR: Makes me SICK.

PHOTO EDITOR: I AGREE.

EDITOR: So, what is it this week?

NEWS EDITOR: What?

EDITOR: What are we angry about?

NEWS EDITOR: Oh. The usual.

SUBEDITOR: Everything?

EDITOR: Excellent. I think what’s important for this issue, comrades, is that we really make it clear why socialism is the way forward.

PHOTO EDITOR: Have we not made it clear previously?

EDITOR: Obviously not: if we had, this country would be socialist by now, wouldn’t it?

PHOTO EDITOR: Good point.

EDITOR: So I say we make a huge effort this week to really hammer home the necessity of revolution and the immediate implementation of green-left policies. This is our moment: we must seize it. So you know what that means.

CULTURE EDITOR: I’ll get to work immediately on a piece on the new production of Don’s Party.

EDITOR: Yes! Brilliant! Make sure it’s –

CULTURE EDITOR: Intersectional?

EDITOR: Naturally. What’s in the news this week for us to latch onto?

NEWS EDITOR: Well there’s climate change.

EDITOR: What about it?

NEWS EDITOR: It’s still happening.

EDITOR: Good. Make that clear. What else?

NEWS EDITOR: Well, Blacktown City Council has just declared a climate emergency, but the Trump administration continues to refuse to meet with them.

EDITOR: I want 5000 words on this.

NEWS EDITOR: Also, in the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner even though he hates women.

EDITOR: That’s not intersectional!

NEWS EDITOR: No.

EDITOR: Good. Tear him to shreds. Photos?

PHOTO EDITOR: I’ve been photographing a lot of protests lately. Lot of rainbow flags, Extinction Rebellion, that kind of thing.

EDITOR: Good, we need something fresh. Now, the big front page story: what do we go with?

SUBEDITOR: I had an idea … how about “RACISM: THE CASE AGAINST”?

EDITOR: Yes! That’ll get them ANGRY! Get to work.