Plus the ethics of publishing Brittany Higgins’ diaries.
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Saturday Feb 25
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This week, news that Roald Dahl’s words would be sanitised drew the ire of many. Writing for Crikey, James Ley railed against the decision, arguing we shouldn’t shy from the author’s racist tropes and vindictive moralism.

Also this week, Julia Bergin wrote on a misleading breakfast television segment anti-vaxxers rallied behind, John Buckley covered the reality of our alleged “wage-price spiral”, and Charlie Lewis introduced you to Dan Andrews’ popularity secret.

Meanwhile Cam Wilson went deep on a little-known company spying on you in thousands of stores, and elsewhere delved into the colourful emails from controversial new Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming.

We also had Guy Rundle criticising Labor’s law-and-order push on kids, David Hardaker asking who Scott Morrison speaks for when he weighs into foreign policy debates, and Christopher Warren taking a look at recent revelations at Fox News.

All that plus journalism academic Alexandra Wake on the ethics of News Corp publishing notes from Brittany Higgins’ diaries.

We hope you have a magical weekend,
Gina Rushton Gina Rushton,
News editor
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Sanitising Roald Dahl’s words treats readers like fools
JAMES LEY

Dahl was a hack whose books are laced with racist tropes and vindictive moralism. Censorship shouldn't blind readers to this.

Roald Dahl (Image: AAP/Mary Evans Picture Library)
 
Anti-vaxxers rally behind woman denied transplant and platformed by Nine’s Today show
JULIA BERGIN

Dr Nick Coatsworth was told he would be talking to a patient using anti-vax rhetoric as the Today episode was about to go to air.

(Image: Nine)
 
Was it ethical of News Corp to publish Brittany Higgins’ diary?
ALEXANDRA WAKE

The private notes were never tabled in court so they must have been leaked to journalists by either the defence or the prosecution.

Former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
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Morrison swims in a swamp of US influence peddlers. But who does he speak for?
DAVID HARDAKER

The former prime minister's speech went down very well with libertarian US policy centre the Hudson Institute, home to Morrison's great pal, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison speaks during a symposium of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Image: AAP/AP/Eugene Hoshiko)
 
‘I won because God arranged it’: New Liberal MP’s emails show promise of $100,000 donation for preselection
CAM WILSON

Emails from controversial new Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming show behind the scenes of her successful run for state Parliament.

Composite of an excerpt of an email and Moira Deeming (Images: Supplied/AAP)
 
State Labor’s law-and-order push on kids: a return to the White Australia policy?
GUY RUNDLE

In a settler society, substituting crackdowns for tackling real exclusion will draw Labor into a spiral of racist social repression.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Image: AAP/Darren England)
 
Why a poet laureate is a terrible idea
GUY RUNDLE

If the Albanese government seriously wants to revive the arts, it should start by rescinding the Morrison era's slanting of arts courses' fees.

Illustration of William Wordsworth, UK poet laureate from 1843 to 1850 (Image: AAP)
 
Surveillance tech that ‘predicts crime before it happens’ used in 40% of Australian stores
CAM WILSON

Little-known company Auror provides a 'crime intelligence' product used in stores such as Bunnings and Coles. Privacy experts have concerns.

A promotional image of the 'crime intelligence' platform from Auror's website (image: Auror)
 
We need to talk about political violence against women
KRISTINE ZIWICA

Threats and horrific online abuse are hurled at female politicians around the world — but so far there has been little done to tackle it.

Former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon and former NZ prime minister Jacinda Ardern (Images: AAP)
 
Will the RBA keep raising rates as your wages fall? Economists say yes
JOHN BUCKLEY

ABS figures show no evidence of the wage-price spiral so feared by the Reserve Bank, and Jim Chalmers says wages growth 'isn't the problem'.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch)
 
Who did Chris Minns have lunch with?
ANTON NILSSON

Over wine and roasted grouper, the NSW Labor leader shared his vision for the state with business leaders and lobbyists.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns (Image: AAP/Dan Himbrechts)
 
Government dismisses call from Assange campaign to join press freedom forum
ANTON NILSSON

The US case against Assange is a 'direct threat to every publisher in that room', a prominent silk said.

Julian Assange in 2017 (Image: AAP/AP/Frank Augstein)
 
‘It says we’re innovators’: Greens push to make Indigenous IP a policy priority
JULIA BERGIN

Australian intellectual property laws do not protect Indigenous knowledge, cultural practice and traditions. That has to change.

Greens Senator Dorinda Cox (Image: AAP/Richard Wainwright)
 
Why is Dan Andrews so popular? Allow us to introduce Victoria’s opposition
CHARLIE LEWIS

With yet another IBAC report impugning yet another former Labor minister, why can't the Victorian Liberals make any headway?

Moira Deeming (Image: Liberal Party)
 
When Fox News knew it was wrong, it kept on going
CHRISTOPHER WARREN

Comments by figures such as Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity have been revealed in Dominion's $2.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News.

Fox News television hosts Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson (Images: YouTube)