For decades, the powerful have used a simple but effective tactic to protect their profits: distraction. Every time real public pressure builds to fix corruption, environmental destruction, or corporate exploitation, a scandal conveniently erupts—one that dominates headlines while the true crisis fades into the background.

Take Australia’s water crisis, for example. When public anger over taxpayer-funded water buybacks and mismanagement reached a boiling point, the national conversation abruptly shifted to Barnaby Joyce’s affair. While people debated his personal life, billions of dollars continued to flow into the pockets of corporate water barons, and struggling farmers were left high and dry—literally.

The media, especially the Murdoch press, plays a critical role in this cycle. Instead of holding power to account, they amplify the distractions. A politician’s personal scandal gets wall-to-wall coverage, while the financial deals costing Australians billions receive only a fraction of the attention. Why? Because exposing real corruption threatens the very people who fund and own these media empires.

It’s a formula repeated endlessly: outrage over cultural issues, celebrity scandals, or political gaffes takes center stage while the destruction of our environment, the exploitation of workers, and the hoarding of wealth by the elite continue unchecked.

So what can we do? First, recognize the pattern. When you see a political scandal dominating the news, ask yourself: What isn’t being talked about? Who benefits from this distraction? Second, demand better from the media—support independent journalism that prioritizes real issues over clickbait and third, never let the conversation drift away from what matters. Corporate greed thrives in the shadows; it’s our job to keep the lights on.