Real risk

While Australian journalists continue taking incalculable risks in slamming Mark Latham - the Sydney Morning Herald's Peter Hartcher takes the prize for self-important and clueless insider - a number of reporters are gathering together to investigate last year's murder of Paul Klebnikov, the Russian Forbes magazine editor.

"...A group of major media outlets and investigative reporters announced in July the launch of Project Klebnikov. Project K is a global media alliance committed to shedding light on the murder and some of the complex stories that Klebnikov was trying to untangle when he was silenced."

Klebnikov was a real journalist, not a seasoned insider who survived on sanctioned leaks from over-zealous politicians. The vast majority of successful Australian journalists are little more than propagandists for one side or the other. So concerned about keeping their job and not stepping out of line, they'll rarely write anything that challenges the status quo or their media owner's wishes. Their greatest challenge will be wondering when they'll next be asked to interview John Howard in a real "exclusive."