Cash gets 60 Minutes out of jail, for now

There would then follow wall-to-wall coverage of the Lebanese men convicted of the rape of women in Sydney some years ago and a tidal wave of unsourced stories linking Lebanese Australians to any sort of dubious practice which could be concocted as terrorist in nature. Filleting fish for example. He's got a knife!

Once upon the time the media broke stories and exposed corruption. Now the Australian media – especially TV current affairs shows – is morally bankrupt. It's no wonder kids have turned off. It's a turn off. If you're looking for authenticity and factual coverage, you won't find it here.

To add a bizarre element to the story, game show host, Andrew O'Keefe, was in Lebanon recently covering a story on the plight of Syrian refugees. Dada is alive and well.

The Lebanese authorities claim one of the agents Adam Whittington said he was paid $115K for the operation directly by Channel Nine and says he has the receipts to prove it. Had the kidnapping succeeded, it would have been a ratings winner and relatively cheap at $115,000 minus accommodation and airfares for the crew and Ms Faulkner.

As one commentator wrote, "the West has a habit of seeing itself as fundamentally and inherently good. Indeed, 60 Minutes claimed they were on a "humanitarian mission" to cover the story of "a desperate Australian mum trying to get her two Australian children home".

This was a desperate and unsuccessful attempt to boost ratings – to sell the spot to advertisers at a premium rate and make a bucket load of money. The Lebanese judge let them go because he realised he was dealing with a pack of idiots.

Less clear is the fate of child recovery specialist Adam Whittington and his Lebanese associates who carried out the operation on April 6, and provided a safe house for Ms Faulkner and her children Noah and Lahela, until they were arrested and detained. They have been cut lose by 60 Minutes.

Ask yourself for one brief moment, as you plant your bum in a comfy chair and flick on A Current Affair or 60 Minutes, whether what you're watching is closer to a snuff movie than TV journalism.