And how they are lapping up the “good news”, unemployment “hurtling towards 50-year lows”.
That was one excited radio announcer this morning – who must have just read the papers, which had themselves just run the latest leak straight from Scott Morrison’s office. But it’s not even actual cash promises now, it’s down to just theories, theories that if the jobs market keeps firming then wages “will rise.
After two weeks of relentless leaks to the small cabal of corporate media, the dozens of items of cash-splash spending for tonight’s Federal Budget faithfully followed up on morning TV and radio, and this year’s public relations campaign for the Budget is nearly done. It has been a resounding success.
Post pandemic, after two years of no migration, years of no wages growth, but Scott Morrison’s magical marketers have the corporate media focussed on their one positive, low unemployment, and a bunch of predictions which stem from that such as rising wages and a $20b fillip to the budget.
Michael West established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker.