We Used to be Journos
Ette Media
We used to be journalists, but now we mostly just bitch about them. (Kidding. Kind of.) We also break down broken news.Episodes drop Wednesday and Saturday.Hosted by long-suffering journalists and even longer-suffering friends Jan Fran and Antoinette Lattouf, We Used to Be Journos pulls apart the week in media from people who know exactly how the machine runs because they worked inside it for decades.Every Wednesday, the pair sift through the headlines you saw and the forces you did not. Expect blunt media analysis, zooming in on dodgy editorial calls, anonymous sources doing gymnastics, and the occasional whiff of bigotry dressed up as balance. Consider it a guided tour of the newsroom sausage factory so you know what ended up on your plate.On Saturdays, the spin-off segment Only Jan hands the microphone to Walkley Award winner Jan Fran. One issue, one sharp monologue, foresincally researched, tightly argued, and, inconveniently for the powerful, quite funny.Support Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here.If you want to see our mugs as we yap you can watch the episode in full here. Thanks to @jaidanielpyne for composing the music for our podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 27, 2026 • 1min
ONLY FRAN: A quick note
A short update on a scheduling hiccup and why a weekend instalment is delayed. Announcement of a live recording at the Newcastle Writers Festival. A reassurance that the show will return next weekend. A brief sponsored reminder about conversational language lessons.
Mar 24, 2026 • 1h 7min
Media aids One Nation’s grift, ABC staff strike, Rupert Murdoch pushes for Iran attack
They probe how mainstream TV and news outlets amplified One Nation and the media choices that helped that surge. They reveal an AI-driven Australian news site publishing scraped stories with minimal human oversight. They unpack Rupert Murdoch’s influence on editorial lines and reported pressure around Iran. They explain why ABC staff walked off over pay, AI protections and a contested contract clause.
Mar 20, 2026 • 22min
ONLY FRAN : Jan Fran gets personal about Lebanon
In this particularly personal episode of Only Fran, Jan Fran reflects on what it's been like as a Lebanese-Australian watching Israel's invasion of Lebanon this week.She talks about her state of mind, shares some things you probably didn't know about Lebanon and examines the response from Australia’s government, who are not only failing to condemn Israel's invasion, but gaslighting Muslims who booed Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke at a Sydney mosque.Note: Although the poem is often mistakingly attributed to Maya Angelou, it was actually written by Rita Wehbe.Producer: Antoinette LattoufSupport Ette Media by becoming a subscriber here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 17, 2026 • 1h 13min
Lebanese suffering ignored, Theroux’s ‘manosphere’ doco + is Netanyahu dead?
They dig into the devastating attacks on Lebanon and why local suffering is underreported. They unpack Louis Theroux’s dive into the internet’s misogynistic “manosphere” and what the film missed. They trace the strange rumour mill around Benjamin Netanyahu and the bizarre six-finger image. They also note a rare win for Australian media regulation against a shock jock.
Mar 13, 2026 • 16min
ONLY FRAN: The hypocrisy of Tony Burke on Iranian visas
Jan Fran critiques a public relations visa move for Iranian women footballers and calls out performative photo ops. She exposes a migration bill that could bar visitors from conflict-hit countries and explains how that would affect diaspora travel. The segment places these actions in the context of Australia’s foreign policy, wartime rhetoric, and a long history of harsh asylum measures.
Mar 10, 2026 • 1h 7min
ABC’s post-Bondi panel show, #QuitGPT movement + Pornhub access denied
They debate whether TV panel shows can handle trauma and complex politics, dissecting ABC’s cautious National Forum format. They cover Pornhub blocking Australian access after age-verification laws and the privacy fallout. They unpack Queensland’s bans on protest slogans and chilling effects for speech. They explain the QuitGPT boycott, corporate ties to government, and strange influencer ad tactics.
Mar 6, 2026 • 31min
ONLY FRAN: What happened to Anthony Albanese?
A close look at a leader's dramatic political U-turn from anti-war rhetoric to backing US strikes. Examination of changing stances on Palestine, repatriation and ISIS-linked citizens. Critique of cozy ties with media moguls, defence industry entanglements and climate policy contradictions. Concern over party identity, slipping voter support and the rise of the far right.
Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 2min
Media parrots US Iran propaganda, ABC chair gets profiled + billionaire buys Warner Bros (and CNN)
They dissect how Australian outlets framed the US and Israeli strikes on Iran in the first 24–48 hours and trace repeating propaganda patterns. They unpack the $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery and the risks such consolidation poses for major newsrooms. They examine a profile of the ABC chair for clues about a high-profile legal case. They celebrate wins by independent investigations protecting vulnerable people.
Feb 24, 2026 • 1h 1min
BBC’s baffling BAFTA censorship, Trump’s alien files + Jacinta Allan vs a journalist
They debate the BBC cutting a BAFTA speech calling for human rights while leaving a racial slur in the broadcast. They unpack politicians dodging accountability when reporters press on CFMEU corruption. They laugh at actors squirming over politics at film festivals. They flag Trump’s promise to release UFO files as a political distraction. They recommend deep investigations into Epstein and Palantir.
Feb 17, 2026 • 1h 2min
Attacks on Francesca Albanese and Grace Tame, Liberal leader’s immigration lines + media forces sexual assault survivor to go public
They compare two major media pile-ons and how misquotes and slow fact-checks fuel outrage. They unpack a newspaper’s treatment that pushed a First Nations commissioner to go public about sexual assault. They track a politician’s immigration rhetoric and warn how it can escalate into xenophobia. They map how media ecosystems magnify attacks and expose gendered double standards in public life.
