Thread by @kristin8X

Great to wake up to another bullshit #cropaganda story from @abcnews @ABCRural @JessSchremmer today! 🥰

Let's mark their work + see how they fared against the @AusUnemployment reporter's guide we prepared last yr to remind journos how to do their job.

auwu.substack.com/p/auwu-calls-o…

Look, almost everything you need is right there on p1 @JessSchremmer!

Are the ppl complaining in positions of power, do they want something? ✅

Will they get what they want by creating the false impression that unemployed ppl are lazy? ✅

Did they fail to provide evidence? ✅

Had it occurred to you to simply ask workers at some of these farms about their views on this @JessSchremmer ... or literally anyone at all who had a different view to these #cropaganda artists?

While I'm here, I'll give you a hand + point out some of the spurious claims + logical flaws in their story, you know, the #cropaganda you regurgitated uncritically @JessSchremmer?

1. They aren't being "forced" to automate. They could simply pay workers more. Isn't that the free market? #cropaganda

abc.net.au/news/2021-01-3…

2. They are openly admitting to CUTTING jobs, but say they want workers. Which is it? 🤨 #cropaganda

3. @abcnews has itself reported for years on unsafe conditions, well below minimum wage pay, rife harassment and assault in farm labour. Not much of an "opportunity" imo. #cropaganda

2015: abc.net.au/news/rural/201…

2016: abc.net.au/news/2016-09-1…

2017: abc.net.au/news/rural/201…

3. cont

2018: abc.net.au/news/rural/201…

2019: abc.net.au/news/2019-04-2…

2020: abc.net.au/news/2020-09-1…

I only searched the ABC site for 30 seconds and there wasn't a story from 2021 on the 1st page of results but I think you get the drift. #cropaganda

3. cont

If an employer says ppl "fail to turn up to work" you might want to consider whether the real story is the working conditions at the business, or the way the employer treats them, before you run the story. #cropaganda

4. The worker shortage "crisis" might be slightly more complicated than 'ppl don't want to work'???

Here's one from @abcnews just a few days ago: abc.net.au/news/2021-02-0…

And @cait__kelly has been doggedly covering #cropaganda for months: thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/…

5. If, after all, "securing international workers [is] crucial", perhaps they don't intend to automate anything at all and are just trying to get public support for continued exploitation of migrant workers? #cropaganda

6. If they are able to automate processes and save money on labour costs, would they not have already done this? Do you think employers have been paying harvest workers out of the goodness of their hearts @JessSchremmer? #cropaganda

Hate to have to point it out, but @abcnews @ABCRural @JessSchremmer, it's not actually ur job to be a #cropaganda outlet for politicians + bosses pushing an agenda: They transparently want to exploit workers w unsafe, below min wage jobs + ur enabling them. This hurts ppl. Stop.

Please do your job.

If you can't, let us help you do it. Download the @AusUnemployment reporter's guide here.

If you keep this shit up we'll have to do a special edition just for harvest labour stories – pls don't make us. auwu.substack.com/p/auwu-calls-o…

PS: I'm unwaged. I work my ass off, for free, bc ppl like @JessSchremmer @abcnews @ABCRural enable the gov to brutalise those of us trying to survive the "welfare" system. My labour is valuable. I hazard a guess I spent more effort on this thread than you did on the entire story.