Newsagents should refuse to sell Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph – which has a fictional front page featuring a Bill Shorten-led government – because it is pure political propaganda, according to the Australian Newsagency Blog.



Victorian newsagent and software businessman Mark Fletcher, who runs the popular industry blog, condemned the unusual front page, saying it had nothing to do with the news and was not journalism. If his two newsagencies were in New South Wales, he would not sell it, he said.

“There are no facts in this piece,” Fletcher said. “This game by News Corp is considered more important than key stories of the day, news stories. It is typical for a selfish publisher that runs its agenda ahead of reporting the news, reporting the facts.”

The Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid dated Wednesday’s page one 5 July 2019 and showed the Labor leader celebrating his “first 100 days” in power, a terrible period with “workers laid off, record tax rates, rents hit new high”.

Written by the paper’s national political editor, Sharri Markson, the article attempts to portray a dystopia under Labor including a $17bn injection for the Gonski funding package and marriage equality law passed – policies many would see as positive.

“A chuffed Bill Shorten celebrated his first 100 days in power yesterday, marking the milestone with a rousing party at ACTU headquarters,” Markson wrote.

The Tele - desperate much! Wonder where Rupert will be on this day in 2 years when the sky falls in on his corporate toadies.Such journalism — Leichhardt (@Leichhardt12) July 4, 2017

“With the Coalition still in disarray since bitter infighting broke out in July 2017, and with Anthony Albanese named governor general, a triumphant Mr Shorten quickly moved to lift personal and company taxes, scrap negative gearing, introduce a 50% renewable energy target and force businesses to pay more for hiring workers on Sundays.”

In an editorial inside the paper the editor, Chris Dore, explains that the “prophetic document” is looking forward to 2019 using Labor’s policies to predict a “probable Shorten Labor government”.

“Given the current Newspoll trend, which shows Labor holding a significant advantage over the Coalition government, such a scenario is far from unlikely,” the editorial said.

Fletcher is not alone in his condemnation of the front page, with many on Twitter saying it was propaganda rather than news and journalist Wendy Harmer saying the paper had “lost the plot”.

you have lost the plot — Wendy Harmer (@wendy_harmer) July 4, 2017

One fan of the stunt was Crikey founder Stephen Mayne who praised Dore for his creativity.

Front page of The Daily Telegraph pic.twitter.com/jYOeE83DlM — Christopher Dore (@wrongdorey) July 4, 2017

A good effort at Holt Street tonight - gets the punters talking. Nice creative agenda setting effort by editor @wrongdorey - well done. — Stephen Mayne (@MayneReport) July 4, 2017

The Telegraph under Dore has tried this sort of campaigning for the Coalition before, although it has had little success.

Using Photoshop and cartoon imagery the paper campaigned for Malcolm Turnbull at last year’s election and took every opportunity to make Shorten look incompetent.

But the readers in the Telegraph’s heartland of western Sydney turned its back on Turnbull and the Coalition lost three seats.

.@dailytelegraph reports @billshortenmp has celebrated his first 100 days in power with a party at ACTU headquarters. #HeadsUp pic.twitter.com/R0jbuvwIzd — Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 4, 2017