Linton Besser
@lintonbesser.bsky.social
Prize-winning reporter, writer, broadcaster. Host of ABC’s Media Watch. This is a personal account, opinions mine etc. Tips: lintonbesser@protonmail.com
Shades of the eruptions inside The Sydney Morning Herald in 2012. A must read on the dismantling of the Washington Post: www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
You Can’t Kill Swagger
My old corner of The Washington Post raised some of the best journalists in the business.
www.theatlantic.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Shades of the eruptions inside The Sydney Morning Herald in 2012. A must read on the dismantling of the Washington Post: www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...
Morten Morland at his finest.
January 20, 2026 at 6:42 AM
Morten Morland at his finest.
Reposted by Linton Besser
A source confirms to me that this disturbing letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM is real.
Not the sort of letter committed to paper by a well man. "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace"
January 19, 2026 at 7:32 AM
A source confirms to me that this disturbing letter from Trump to the Norwegian PM is real.
Reposted by Linton Besser
Re-upping with this, by far the more read thing in my feed lately. By @adambonica.bsky.social
"The wall looks permanent until the day it comes down."
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
Several people I know have used the word "beautiful" for this piece, and that's exactly right. A beautifully phrased essay on the bind we're in— until we aren't.
Recommended, in an extreme way.
data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-wall-l...
Several people I know have used the word "beautiful" for this piece, and that's exactly right. A beautifully phrased essay on the bind we're in— until we aren't.
Recommended, in an extreme way.
The Wall Looks Permanent Until It Falls
On the optimism of preparation in a time of democratic decay.
data4democracy.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Re-upping with this, by far the more read thing in my feed lately. By @adambonica.bsky.social
Sobering essay worth the time … www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/o...
Opinion | When A.I. Took My Job, I Bought a Chain Saw
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Sobering essay worth the time … www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/o...
Reposted by Linton Besser
Ghislaine Maxwell lied about Trump never going to Epstein's house (directly contradicted by her email correspondence with Epstein), and she was rewarded for that lie with a transfer to a cushier prison. The coverup is happening in plain sight.
November 12, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Ghislaine Maxwell lied about Trump never going to Epstein's house (directly contradicted by her email correspondence with Epstein), and she was rewarded for that lie with a transfer to a cushier prison. The coverup is happening in plain sight.
On news of Matthew Carney stepping down at Four Corners, it’s worth reading his recent and stirring address on the 50th anniversary of the killing of the Balibo Five: www.abc.net.au/abc-internat...
50 years on, the Balibo Five remembered for their courage and conviction - ABC International Development
Esteemed Australian journalist and foreign correspondent Matthew Carney reflects on journalism and urges reporters to 'seek truth' at a special event in Timor-Leste, marking the 50th anniversary of th...
www.abc.net.au
November 4, 2025 at 2:29 AM
On news of Matthew Carney stepping down at Four Corners, it’s worth reading his recent and stirring address on the 50th anniversary of the killing of the Balibo Five: www.abc.net.au/abc-internat...
Advice to Sarkozy from a fellow traveller: www.thetimes.com/world/europe...
My prison tips for Sarkozy: keep hush and let the sex jokes slide
The Tory ex-minister Jonathan Aitken was jailed for perjury in 1999 — whatever you do, he tells the former French president, don’t sing London’s Burning
www.thetimes.com
October 26, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Advice to Sarkozy from a fellow traveller: www.thetimes.com/world/europe...
Reposted by Linton Besser
REAKING: New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump foe, is indicted by Trump’s DOJ.
She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.
She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump foe, is indicted by Trump’s DOJ
She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.
www.politico.com
October 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
REAKING: New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump foe, is indicted by Trump’s DOJ.
She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.
She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.
Fascinating piece on the rise of Christian fundamentalism in Trump’s America: www.spiegel.de/internationa...
Trump's Crusaders: Christian Nationalists Are Gaining a Solid Foothold in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump has opened the doors of power to far-right Christian nationalists. Their goal: an American theocracy. The separation of church and state in America is at risk.
www.spiegel.de
October 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Fascinating piece on the rise of Christian fundamentalism in Trump’s America: www.spiegel.de/internationa...
Reposted by Linton Besser
What a grim lineup of headlines.
September 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
What a grim lineup of headlines.
Reposted by Linton Besser
‘This Is Like Something Out Of A David Lynch Film,’ Says Man Driving Car With Headlights On
September 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM
‘This Is Like Something Out Of A David Lynch Film,’ Says Man Driving Car With Headlights On
Criminal justice another of the institutions of state wilting under Trump: ‘On Sept. 20, 2024, with hidden cameras recording the scene at a meeting spot in Texas, Homan accepted $50,000 in bills, according to an internal summary of the case and sources.’ www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/t...
Tom Homan was investigated for accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents. Trump's DOJ shut it down.
The FBI and Justice officials closed the investigation, which a Justice Department appointee had called a “deep state” probe in early 2025.
www.msnbc.com
September 20, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Criminal justice another of the institutions of state wilting under Trump: ‘On Sept. 20, 2024, with hidden cameras recording the scene at a meeting spot in Texas, Homan accepted $50,000 in bills, according to an internal summary of the case and sources.’ www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/t...
The most American essay so far this year: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/o...
Opinion | Why Does Everybody Swear All The Time Now?
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 5:38 AM
The most American essay so far this year: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/o...
Fascinating analysis on Canberra’s culture of drops here: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Australia's press gallery has a unique problem with its political coverage
The federal press gallery is ceding power to the Albanese government. It needs to take it back.
www.abc.net.au
September 14, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Fascinating analysis on Canberra’s culture of drops here: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Reposted by Linton Besser
From cabinet secrecy to “factors against” access, Australia’s FOI amendment bill risks undoing gains won under earlier reforms www.themandarin.com.au/299152-foi-a...
FOI amendment bill not what John Faulkner, Allan Hawke wanted
From cabinet secrecy to “factors against” access, the FOI amendment bill risks undoing gains won under earlier reforms.
www.themandarin.com.au
September 11, 2025 at 8:22 AM
From cabinet secrecy to “factors against” access, Australia’s FOI amendment bill risks undoing gains won under earlier reforms www.themandarin.com.au/299152-foi-a...
Revealing, if true.
This is pretty fucked up in lots of ways.
September 11, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Revealing, if true.
Reposted by Linton Besser
Well overdue for media to ban “drops” by political parties that insist no third party comment can be sought. Insidious, does not serve readers. (The Age banned them at a state level, or at the very least discloses that that was a condition for the story). Time for it to end in Canberra.
September 8, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Well overdue for media to ban “drops” by political parties that insist no third party comment can be sought. Insidious, does not serve readers. (The Age banned them at a state level, or at the very least discloses that that was a condition for the story). Time for it to end in Canberra.
Rodney Bridge, a resident of Perth, Australia, whose 16-year-old son took a hallucinogen bought from Silk Road and then jumped off a hotel balcony in 2013, called Mr. Ulbricht’s comeback tour “a disgrace.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/t...
The Spectacular Comeback Tour of a Crypto Convict
www.nytimes.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Rodney Bridge, a resident of Perth, Australia, whose 16-year-old son took a hallucinogen bought from Silk Road and then jumped off a hotel balcony in 2013, called Mr. Ulbricht’s comeback tour “a disgrace.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/t...
See: every sector of the economy.
See: climate change.
Malignity in policy sciences: a theory and framework academic.oup.com/policyandsoc...
August 28, 2025 at 5:07 AM
See: every sector of the economy.
I thought they were excellent, deeply thoughtful questions. Not rude, not one-eyed, but probing.
The legendary Kerry O'Brien was asked by @lintonbesser.bsky.social's Media Watch what he would have asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had he interviewed him, rather than the sycophantic Sky News. These were his questions: #auspol
August 26, 2025 at 9:32 AM
I thought they were excellent, deeply thoughtful questions. Not rude, not one-eyed, but probing.
Reposted by Linton Besser
A century or so ago, it seems that no writers had this grammatical tic. Now it is everywhere.
The Objectively Objectionable Grammatical Pet Peeve
A semi-attentive investigation into a confounding sentence type.
www.newyorker.com
August 1, 2025 at 9:17 PM
A century or so ago, it seems that no writers had this grammatical tic. Now it is everywhere.
This is worth the time
Some thoughts on digital journalism and the consultants and execs who speak billionaire talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/why-i...
Why Is Jeff Bezos Rakestomping the Post?
I wanted to flag your attention to this piece by Jonathan Last...
talkingpointsmemo.com
July 26, 2025 at 1:39 AM
This is worth the time
Reposted by Linton Besser
Amazing graph from Semafor -- China now forecast to account for almost 60% of all renewable energy capacity installed worldwide between now and 2030
July 22, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Amazing graph from Semafor -- China now forecast to account for almost 60% of all renewable energy capacity installed worldwide between now and 2030