News24 host presents satirical video as authentic 7NEWS report

News24 presenter James Macpherson presented a satirical Kick It Forward clip as a genuine 7NEWS report while hosting The Bolt Report on Tuesday, 8 September.

The clip imitated a television news package about Kick It Forward’s Josh Garlepp receiving online abuse after Fremantle’s AFL finals loss. Macpherson introduced it by saying 7NEWS had run a story about an AFL fan receiving abuse online and later referred to the material as being “according to the 7NEWS report”.

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The satirical news package

Kick It Forward is the comedy trio of Garlepp, Harry Fitzgerald and Giorgio Savini. They shared a skit on their social media about Garlepp quitting Twitter following Fremantle’s loss, accompanied by a parody news package and the song Don’t Text Your X.

The skit contains several deliberately comic details. It describes Garlepp as a “Reddit premium user”, links his departure from social media to the release of his “debut single”, and ends by asking how he plans to promote it. His answer is: “Probably Twitter.”

The clip played on News24 was credited to “Seven”, while the on-screen list of insults carried the attribution “Source: 7NEWS”.

Macpherson then drew directly from that list, saying Garlepp had been called, among other things, a “flog”, “cuck”, “woke”, “baby penis” and “Albo”.

The clip formed part of a broader editorial about the Albanese government’s proposed Digital Duty of Care and changes to the way social media algorithms operate.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kick it Forward Podcast (@kickitforwardpodcast)

Segment absent from current versions

The Kick It Forward section is no longer present in the versions of the 8 September episode.

The current podcast version remains available, but its transcript contains no reference to Fremantle or the Kick It Forward parody. The current video-on-demand version of the show reviewed by Mediaweek also omits the section.

Mediaweek has not established when it made the edit. At the time of publication, the public podcast & VOD episode descriptions did not include a correction or note about the change, or any retraction.

Garlepp: ‘We assume it’s too dumb for anyone to believe it’

Josh Garlepp told Mediaweek the trio generally assumes its satire is obvious enough to be recognised as such.

“Every single one we put out we assume it’s too dumb for anyone to believe it, and then there's a huge wave of 45+ people and red pill internet people that fire up,” he said.

“The piece itself was just a bit of fun because Twitter is so clearly the most negative platform, it's always hilarious to post anything vulnerable at all to see the reaction.”

But he was more pointed about the clip subsequently being treated as genuine on News24.

“What is concerning is how a network that tries to make out they are the voice of reason in Australia is potentially sipping their own Kool-Aid a little too often.”

Even so, Garlepp said the response to the skit had been largely positive.

"There isn't that much news satire anymore as well, I think, which might add to the effectiveness. I think more of the reaction has been positive, even from people that normally hate our stuff.”

“At the end of the day it's a joke.”

News24 rebrand still has some catching up to do

Kick It Forward subsequently shared the moment on social media with the message: “Sky News thought our satirical news story on online abuse was real”.

Sky News Australia has not technically been Sky News Australia since 27 July, when the network rebranded as News24 across its broadcast, streaming and digital platforms.

News24 has described the change as the beginning of “A new era of news”, while acknowledging the challenge of moving audiences away from a name built over three decades.

Kick It Forward’s continued use of the Sky News show that less than two months into the rebrand, the old name still has considerably more recognition in the wild.

How did the parody make it to air?

The more consequential issue is how the parody was treated as genuine in the first place. 

The fact that it was introduced on air as a 7NEWS report raises an obvious editorial question about what verification took place before the footage was broadcast.

And with the segment now absent from current versions of the program, that editorial question hasn't disappeared.

Mediaweek has reached out to News24 for comment.

Disclosure: The author of this article previously worked at Sky News Australia, including time executive producing programs hosted by James Macpherson.