Kevin Rudd accuses News Corp of ‘dog-whistling’ over reporting of Daniel Andrews: The Guardian
Kevin Rudd has accused News Corp Australia’s Herald Sun tabloid of “dog-whistling to conspiracy theorists” over its election campaign reporting of Daniel Andrews’ fall last year and a nine-year-old car crash involving his wife.
On Tuesday, the paper published its second front-page story in five days on the 2013 crash which showed photos of the Andrews’ damaged car after it collided with cyclist Ryan Meuleman. The photos were consistent with the statements made by the couple at the time of the accident.
The Sunday Herald Sun also devoted its front page to the premier’s 2021 accident, headlined “The steps that took down a premier”. The exclusive story provided no new information on the accident, other than a picture of the wooden steps at the Mornington Peninsula holiday rental.
Rudd, a former Labor prime minister who has spearheaded a campaign for a royal commission into News Corp, said the articles served to assist the Coalition at the upcoming state election.
“News Corporation is a taxpayer-funded company that has a vested interest in electing Liberal governments they believe will do them favours,” he told Guardian Australia.
“They can’t beat Premier Andrews on policy, so they’re trying to take him out through smear and innuendo. You see the same happening with the Courier-Mail and Annastacia Palaszczuk in Queensland.”
He also accused the publication of encouraging baseless conspiracy theories.
“By dog-whistling to conspiracy theorists, the Herald Sun is playing with fire. But the moment some radicalised individual acts out, they will deny any responsibility for setting the fuse,” Rudd said.