Stephen Harrington
Stephen Harrington is a Lecturer in Media and Communication at the Queensland University of Technology, where his teaching and research has focussed mainly on television news and entertainment.
He therefore enjoys reminding his father that, in fact, he was quite wrong when he firmly told Stephen that one’s career prospects could not be enhanced by watching The Simpsons religiously.
You should follow him on Twitter (@_StephenH), because that will help to increase his sense of self-worth.
Articles by Stephen Harrington
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
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
RT @JamieTravers: I'm in Europe and don't care for Eurovision, why is my twitter feed filled with Aussies recounting the bloody thing!?
Ukraine song pinches chord progression from The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony. Fo real #sbseurovision
RT @GerardDaffy: @antsharwood all the talk over there is the grannies will win.they entered to get a church built,feelgood story
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it
An email was sent to almost every politician in Australia this week saying that someone should cut off…
Our special forces don’t always need special treatment
We admire them, but we’re not entirely sure why. We allow them to operate in the shadows; we rarely…
A good holiday is about unrest, not rest
Like a fat full-stop, it lay in my hand. A small orange – not exactly fresh, but purchased anyway…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more
