Orwell famously served in the Spanish Civil War and noted how while in Spain he continuously read news stories about things that quite obviously never actually happened. Small skirmishes he participated in, involving a few dozen soldiers, were written up as huge battles, complete with tanks and aircraft.

ABC chair Kim Williams faced the National Press Club today, during which he pitched for funding and railed against podcaster Joe Rogan.

The Sir Vincent Fairfax Oration last week became a rallying cry for the future of Australian culture as Kim Williams AM, chair of the ABC, highlighted the central role of the ABC in shaping and preserving the nation’s identity.