Margaret Simons, The Guardian

Margaret Simons

The Guardian

Melbourne, VIC, Australia

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • The Guardian
  • Foreign Policy
  • Nieman Reports
  • The Monthly
  • Crikey.com.au

Past articles by Margaret:

ABC’s lack of ambition on coronation coverage left Stan Grant to shoulder outsized burden

What looks like objectivity to white journalists looks very different to those who are, to quote Grant, ‘on the other side of history’ → Read More

Daniel Andrews’ media-free trip tells us something about China – and a lot more about journalists and the premier

Of course it would be better for Andrews to take some media. But would they do a good job, or would it be all ‘Chairman Dan’ and local political bullshit? → Read More

Philippine President Marcos Jr. Is Losing War on Drugs

New President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has promised a more compassionate approach, but that’s not what it looks like in the slums of Manila. → Read More

Taiwanese Flock to Civil Defense Training Ahead of Potential Chinese Invasion

“We have no right to ask others to help us if we are not prepared to defend ourselves,” Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said. → Read More

Victoria’s election result dispelled the myth of Daniel Andrews’ supposed unpopularity

Media and the Liberal party were enthralled by the ‘toxic Dan’ narrative in the face of evidence to the contrary → Read More

The story of Daniel Andrews: dogged, divisive and enduringly popular

Journalist Margaret Simons speaks to Laura Murphy-Oates about the rise of Victoria’s Labor leader and why, despite lockdowns, scandals and a reputation as Australia’s most divisive premier, he appears set to win another four-year term → Read More

The Daniel Andrews paradox: the enduring appeal of Australia’s most divisive premier

He’s dogged, dour, the opposite of charismatic. Despite lockdowns and scandals, Daniel Andrews appears set to win another four-year term. Why are Victorians so enamoured with him? → Read More

Penny Wong Wants Australia to Be More Than a Supporting Player

Can the new foreign minister escape the slipstream of the superpowers? → Read More

‘Trust the science’ is the mantra of the Covid crisis – but what about human fallibility?

Science is the only method we have of understanding the world, making predictions, and rationally adapting our own behaviour → Read More

‘We thought we were Australian’: Melbourne tower lockdown lives on in legacy of trauma

Australia’s most severe Covid response put systemic problems and lack of trust in the spotlight. Now many are working to make things better → Read More

From blood clots to Craig Kelly, is the media reporting Covid responsibly?

In a pandemic, messaging matters. Journalists, public health experts and politicians are wrestling with how to exercise responsibility without becoming censors → Read More

Melbourne doctors under review for promoting discredited Covid treatment

The drug regulator says a group of doctors is being investigated for promoting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus, against all scientific evidence → Read More

Google's search engine not as good as its competitors for news, research finds

Monash University research finds Bing and Ecosia delivered substantially more professionally produced news in the top 50 results compared with Google → Read More

The facts don't support claims of a Brett Sutton cover-up over emails

The documentary trail does not back a sinister reading of the Victorian chief health officer’s actions around his evidence to the quarantine hotels inquiry → Read More

Hunter Biden: do digital platforms care more than News Corp about likely misinformation?

Tech firms, newly sensitive to fake news, stopped the story circulating. Now the global media giant has roared in outrage → Read More

'Culture of fear': why Kevin Rudd is determined to see an end to Murdoch's media dominance

The former Australian PM admits he once courted the mogul’s mastheads but now says democracy is at stake → Read More

Data breach: Dfat reveals email addresses of vulnerable Australians stranded overseas

The email addresses belonging to hundreds of Australian citizens were accidentally disclosed in a message about interest-free loans → Read More

Victoria hotel quarantine inquiry: systemic issues more urgent than individual blame

Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus was caused by a mix of bad luck and bad management → Read More

Scott Morrison's friend, his Indigenous charity and the millions in defence contracts

Leigh Coleman has inspired the prime minister with his convictions and set up an unconventional charity → Read More

The unconventional charity run by Scott Morrison's 'dear friend' Leigh Coleman

A company run by the prime minister’s mentor has received millions in government contracts and enjoys tax-free status as a registered charity helping Indigenous businesses → Read More