The ABC reports that it has acquired thousands of emails from the official account of John McTernan held during his time as Prime Minister Gillard's media adviser.

Of the thousands of emails we're told the ABC has acquired, one story was published yesterday and just moments ago a second story today.   Rather than release the emails the ABC's journalist Latika Bourke will hang on to her gold mine and release stories as and when she and her news editors decide.

Yesterday's reporting on Latika's story focussed on McTernan's language - a screen grab of the google news top results is below.

In today's story by Latika the focus is on McTernan's ignorance of Labor's policy position on abortion, an issue on which Ms Gillard said she was "personally offended, I was very personally offended by the leader of the opposition's remarks."  Latika focusses on McTernan's role in the famed Gillard speech in support of Peter Slipper.

But perhaps a little lost in all the commentary is the much more sinister exposure of the unhealthy enlistment of the supposedly independent media by McTernan and the Labor/left complex.

So much that passed for reportage during those years was purely spin - rehashing of press releases and verbatim coverage of ministerial press conferences and stunts.

I've often said the currency in which the Press Gallery and other participants in that sub-economy traded was access.  Briefings, exclusive interviews, leaks, statements etc.   And being denied access was death.

On 5 March this year the ABC reporter Simon Cullen reported on the opposition's criticism of  McTernan's 457 visa amongst other things.   On that same day McTernan sent this email to all staff at the PMO, that is the Prime Minister's Office.

Can you imagine Peta Credlin authoring such a missive?   Dead.   That's an order.   Feel free to forward to him.

To a reporter not dependent or influenced by access and spin that should have been a badge of honour.   It shouldn't have made an iota of difference in his or her day to day job.   And that's the point.   Access denied was death amongst a media pack dependent on access. We have allowed an awfully unhealthy mutual dependence to develop between the supposed observers and political leaders who should be focussed on what they're doing - not massaging how they're seen to be doing it.

ENDS

As an example - look at the stories generated by Latika Bourke's first story on the thousands of emails she has acquired from the account of John McTernan.   Once someone decided the most interesting bit was his vulgar language - voila!   That was the received wisdom and theme of reporting.