Our Media Glass House researchers have for some years now wondered what it takes to become a highly paid commentator and columnist for News Crap Australia, especially if you wish to rise to the dizzying heights of being a Sky News “after dark” star.

The only answer they have arrived at so far is that any of the people offered space in any outlet owned, controlled, or operated by Rupert Murdoch and his rather elastic team of family members must demonstrate a clear and unwavering opposition to anything remotely associated with the Labor Party whether it be in or out of office. Even if it means totally ignoring the facts, or to put it in a less-sanitised way – writing and publishing lies.

Take Peta Credlin as a good example. She continues to operate as she has done for most of her career – as a paid advocate for the Liberal Party. If any proof were needed, consider the column she penned for various Murdoch-owned Sunday turdbloids across the nation today. (main picture)

It consists of a litany of anti-Labor Party attacks on all sorts of issues, blaming every single woe our nation faces on Labor governments and their leaders at the federal level and in all states except Tasmania.

Well, Peta has certainly met her KPIs for today, even if her tirade inadvertently highlights the fact that her preferred party is hopeless at appealing to sufficient voters to actually win elections.

But what really caught our MGH teams’ collective eyes was the introductory paragraphs to her columns. (below)

These lines refer to a short-lived kerfuffle during the week that saw Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and a number of her ministers swiftly slap down the suggestion that the City of Brisbane would change its name to the Aboriginal term for the area Meanjin in time for the 2023 Olympic Games.

Multiple stories rejecting the suggestion appeared across a range of media outlets on Thursday 29 June. On that day the state minister who’s in charge of naming things slapped the idea down in a very short statement. (below)

It was accompanied by statements from the Premier and others making it very clear a name-change was not being considered. Full stop.

Numerous media outlets, including News Crap’s own newsonline.com.au reported the fact that a change wasn’t on the cards. (below)

But the odd one out was News Crap’s own Sky News which had reported the story the day before – Wednesday 28 June. (below)

It continued to report the name-change as fact hours after the blanket denials.

Take a look at the pic below from the show fronted by Sky News “after dark” commentator Steve Price.

You’ll notice he’s interviewing a right-wing pollie about the non-existent name-change and is doing so even as a Sky News banner across the screen says it ain’t so.

And, right on cue. Or far-right on cue, who else did Sky News and its “after dark” team dig up to make a comment hours after everyone else had moved on from the false claim. Of course, you guessed right. Or far-right…….

But what sparked this short-lived frenzy?

Our MGH researchers tell us that the original allegation came from former News Crap and Sky News “after dark” columnist and commentator Peter Gleeson in his role as a stand-in host of a show in Brisbane commercial AM radio station 4BC.

He made the claim on Tuesday 27 June by saying “my sources are telling me that the Palaszczuk government is working behind the scenes” on the name-change from Brisbane to Meanjin.

Gleeso – most recently sacked for blatant plagiarism by News Crap – added that he had also been told of “suggestions that streets such as George Street, Queen Street, Anne Street, Edward Street might be renamed, and we may even see the statue of George V outside City Hall removed”.

But such is Gleeso’s (and obviously 4BC’s) reach and power in the Brisbane media market, his comments didn’t appear to generate any interest on the day, or the day after. But come Thursday, the baseless rumour had taken hold and the government’s firm denials were issued.

Our MGH researchers suggest it was the Wednesday story by Sky News cited above that breathed life into the non-story and prompted denials the next day – a story itself based on responses by Senator Hanson and former far-right wing LNP Queensland senator and now Sky News “after dark” star Amanda Stoker.

But as we note above, even after Thursday’s government denials Sky News “after dark” clearly doesn’t care about facts and ploughed full-steam ahead to stoke right-wing anger.

The far-right national broadshit The Australian also played its part with an online story by Jacquelin Magnay appearing on Thursday night hours after the government had quashed the idea. (below)

Our MGH teams – apart from wondering why The Oz’s European correspondent bought into the story – point out the subtle difference in the Magnay piece. In it she claims it is the Greens and indigenous groups pushing the Palaszczuk Government to make the name change and it is not an idea from the government itself – a key point wildy at odds with the headline on her own online story.

Nevertheless, the clear impression left with readers who flooded the Oz’s online comments page linked to the story with their expected right-wing views was that it’s all Labor’s fault. KPIs met!

But back to Ms Credlin’s column today.

It appeared and was apparently written days after the denials by the government and ignored the angle that it wasn’t even a government idea if it ever existed at all.

As a Sky “after dark” star herself, Ms Credlin knows that value in ignoring facts – or lying – to readers.

Building right-wing outrage and right-wing audiences and subscribers is all that matters. It’s the Fox News model imported from the US.

Yes, Ms Credlin has met her KPIs, but they’re based on pure, unadulterated, fat-free, rolled gold, top-shelf, lies. Lies that would make a real journalist blush.