Stephen Harrington
Stephen Harrington is a Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Media and Communication at the Queensland University of Technology, where his teaching and research has focussed mainly on television, news and entertainment.
His career goal is for Sunrise to one day call him a “cultural commentator”.
You should follow him on Twitter (@_StephenH).
Articles by Stephen Harrington
Political correctness? Nah. It’s all about respect
Whenever I hear people complaining loudly about ‘Political Correctness gone mad’, I usually respond in the same way as when…... Read more
From Big Brother, we’re just looking for our little brother
I am still surprised it took this long for Big Brother to return to Australian TV screens. When it finished…... Read more
50 Shades of hypocrisy by anti-porn crusaders
Some call it “erotic fiction”. Others, “those steamy books my friends have been buzzing about”. The 50 Shades trilogy by…... Read more
Turning media bolognese into a fresh pack of pasta
I would bet that for probably 95 per cent of regular visitors to The Punch, media policy is quite a…... Read more
A campaign that gives us reason to be optimistic
So, we all know about Kony 2012, right? It’s rather extraordinary to think that you’re probably reading this just five…... Read more
Eight simple rules for losing your doctoral virginity
Right now, there are thousands of brand new PhD candidates entering universities around the country. Many of them will be…... Read more
Can Obama win the election? Yes, he can. Maybe.
Barack Obama was always going to have a tough presidency. He set the bar so high for himself during the…... Read more
ICB: The myth of rural virtue
Welcome to this week’s “I Call Bullshit”, which has been slowly percolating inside of me for many years. It’s about…... Read more
Can we get rid of this fat home intruder already?
Santa sucks. It recently occurred to me that everyone eventually arrives at that same conclusion one way or the other.…... Read more
A letter to the schoolyard bully who never grew up…
Dear Kyle, I just want to let you know that I feel sorry for you, mate. I really do. I…... Read more
A pointless, political inquiry that misses the point
I’d been mapping out a strong, passionate critique of the media inquiry on my computer for the past fortnight. It…... Read more
Playing games in an uncharted Golden Age
It’s a real shame that so many people out there still see computer games as child’s play; something that people…... Read more
FOOI #11: Listen to the experts, they know their stuff
I remember vividly a very long (and unbelievably frustrating) conversation I once had with someone who was genuinely convinced that…... Read more
Mirabella and the hypocrisy of the shoutier-than-thou
I was absolutely intrigued by Sophie Mirabella’s attack on the growing “Occupy Wall Street” movement yesterday. In case you missed…... Read more
Bloody rabblerousers and their ridiculous protests
Sometimes it’s all too easy to dismiss the significance of public protests. Like so many others, I scoffed contemptuously at…... Read more
The day that changed everything
It’s a pretty reasonable guess that, over the coming week, we’re going to hear a LOT more about the 9/11…... Read more
It’s predictable as English weather, but I love the EPL
It is simultaneously the most gripping and the most frustrating sporting competition in the world. The standard of play really…... Read more
Australia should innovate and let China copy
OK – time to wake The Punch out of its self-imposed-carbon-tax-debate-hibernation… a-thon. It’s been a nice reprieve, but a debate…... Read more
Po-faced and pie-faced, what next for Murdoch?
So much for the schadenfreudegasm. Last night’s grilling of Rupert and James Murdoch by the Culture, Media and Sport Select…... Read more
Ease up, we’re not all bum-obsessed trolls
Last week, Melinda Tankard Reist argued right here on The Punch that the “Pippa Middleton Arse Appreciation Society” set up…... Read more
PUNCH: Kanye’s twisted fantasy is art, not filth
There is a great moment in The Simpsons where, after mounting a successful grassroots crusade against the violent Itchy and…... Read more
Astroturfing: It’s what the big retailers do to get their way
Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh in the face of brazen hypocrisy and insincerity. It can be pretty funny, after…... Read more
You’ve got to harden up, gamers of Australia
Well, it was years in the making. It has taken countless meetings, public submissions, reports, and years of debate, but…... Read more
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Up to the minute Twitter chatter
Found a TV meteorologist on Twitter with the last name Piotrowski. There's a whole newsroom of Piotrowskis out there
RT @businessinsider: Man Being Questioned For Boston Bombing Connection Shot And Killed By FBI by @paulszoldrahttp://t.co/OtypP2PRgI
This is a must read @TheAtlantic. Whether you think you know everything or think you know nothing http://t.co/naoUutCoWF
RT @JoshuaWithers: Have you seen the Australian version of Breaking bad? He get's cancer and Medicare covers his costs and the series ends.
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
