Media Watch

[redandblack]

We all think the media is biased, but I was amused at the 'Tiser's articles today.

Yesterday I watched Juila Gillard give an extensive press conference and join in various public appearances, in surprisingly good spirits.

I watched Tony Abbott looking less happy than the night before and abruptly cut off his press conference after only 2 or 3 questions.

The Tiser gives Abbott the bulk of a page under the heading "Abbott goes from villian to hero".

Gillard gets a column saying how she mixed happily with people all day. - The headline "Not over yet, says irritable Gillard"

Don't you just love the Murdoch press

[Wedgie]

Maybe the TV channels were biased in what they actually showed?

Doesn't the paper also have pictures of a laughing smiling Gillard and a serious not so flattering photo of Abbott?
I think we know where the real bias is r&b!

[Psyber]

You both have a point.
Like the supermarkets and telcos, there are too few players in the media, and the lack of competition enables them to bias the reporting, and play king makers by taking sides over issues.
We may disagree over whose view is right or wrong, but we can agree in disapproving the abuse of power and the will to manipulate.

I'd love to see legislation for truth in advertising, but it would almost certainly be impractical.
But the political advertisements would be more interesting if the promoters could be prosecuted for lying, or taking images and words out of context to bias the public perception.
And I'd love to see the makers of products like Glen 20 in court for their lies about killing bacteria and virus particles..

[Squawk]

You cant overlook the fact that The Advertiser has backed Labor for at least the last two state elections though. Openly backed them - in their Editorials!

Nonetheless, I'd prefer to see far more objective political pieces written which highlight the pros and cons in each situation. Occassionally we see them (eg Peter van Onselen), but the run of the mill journos love hyperbole - or at least their editors do!

[redandblack]

I have several problems with Australia's political media coverage.

Shallow reporting.

Proprietorial and business influence. Surely no-one would pretend that Murdoch isn't anti-Labor.

Extremist 'shock jocks'.

Sensationalist reporting.

I'd suggest the media have totally failed in their reporting in this election.

As an exercise, Wedgie and Squawk, perhaps you could list those media outlets and reporters who yu think are biased towards Labor.

Perhaps others could list those who are opposite.

I would suggest you'll run out of names long, long before the others, regardless of editorials.

[Sojourner]

My thoughts are that 5AA is biased towards the Liberal / National Party, and the ABC towards the ALP - JJJ is quite openly for the Greens!

As for the print media, I have no real opinion one way or the other, The Advertiser seems to have specific journos focused on one or the other.

[Magpiespower]

Anybody heard of Fairfax?

[mick]

My thoughts are that 5AA is biased towards the Liberal / National Party, and the ABC towards the ALP - JJJ is quite openly for the Greens!

As for the print media, I have no real opinion one way or the other, The Advertiser seems to have specific journos focused on one or the other.

You obviously have not heard Keith Conlon and Tony Pilkington in the mornings? Their political correspondent Chris Wallace (former Christies Beach girl) only thinly hides her allegiance. Personally I don't expect complete impartiality and I don't find I need to turn these guys off, generally their comments are intelligent. However Tony Jones on the ABC the other night when Abbott was on Q&A is another matter.

[Ronnie]

I have several problems with Australia's political media coverage.

Shallow reporting.

Proprietorial and business influence. Surely no-one would pretend that Murdoch isn't anti-Labor.

Extremist 'shock jocks'.

Sensationalist reporting.

I'd suggest the media have totally failed in their reporting in this election.

As an exercise, Wedgie and Squawk, perhaps you could list those media outlets and reporters who yu think are biased towards Labor.

Perhaps others could list those who are opposite.

I would suggest you'll run out of names long, long before the others, regardless of editorials.

Do you include the ABC in your statement that the media have failed in their reporting of this election?

[redandblack]

Yes.

[Ronnie]

Yes.

Good, Jonathon Holmes is waiting for your call R&B!

[Dogwatcher]

From my perspective, it is interesting how often some journalists/commentators (like football umpires actually) get accused of being biased towards one party or another when that is not actually the case.

[am Bays]

R&B did you ever read any of Ramsay's rants agaisnt Howard in the Fairfax press? Mind you as Bill Hayden's former presser he never missed the opportunity to put the knife in and turn when it came to Bob Hawke.....

I believe the News Ltd press is as biased towards the coalition as the Fairfax press is towards the ALP. Michelle Gratton whilst not as biased as Ramsay certainly writes a good pro-labour piece once a week.

[redandblack]

aB, there are certainly journalists who write pro-Labor articles. They're easy to spot, as they stand out from the barrage of right-wing hacks, nutters and those doing Rupert's bidding.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, though. Perhaps the perception around the world that News Ltd will slant news to further the conservative cause is just millions of otherwise intelligent people deluding themselves.

We've been through this before, but I'll leave you to enjoy the even-handedness of Bolt, Ackerman, Pearson, Albrechtsen, the radio shock-jocks and the dozens of right-wing commentators. You'll struggle to name their equivalents on the other side.

It won't change, of course, so that's just the way it is, but let's not pretend the media do Labor any favours.

Having said that, aB, would you agree that the Libs will have at least 73 seats, Labor 72, Green 1, Independents 4?

I would predict an Abbott minority government, unless something strange happens in Hasluck or Bruisbane. On the other hand, Corangamite might be lost by Labor as well, giving the Liberals 74, which IMO would guarantee them a victory.

[am Bays]

R&B I concur that the News Ld press leans towards the conservative side of politics as a general rule. The Fairax leans towards the left. On both sides their are exceptions. Whih is why i read both tomes but conscious of their own biases, hence why I didn't believe in a Coalition victory following my perusal of the News ltd press on saturday morning.

[redandblack]

Fair enough, aB.

[bulldogproud2]

My thoughts are that 5AA is biased towards the Liberal / National Party, and the ABC towards the ALP - JJJ is quite openly for the Greens!

As for the print media, I have no real opinion one way or the other, The Advertiser seems to have specific journos focused on one or the other.

I would certainly say that Matthew Abraham and David Bevan are not biased towards the Labor Party - quite the opposite!

[Squawk]

As an exercise, Wedgie and Squawk, perhaps you could list those media outlets and reporters who yu think are biased towards Labor.

Unfortunately I dont get to read as much media reporting as I'd like to, and typically my intake is on-line rather than hard copy which means you dont see it all. I'd like to take in more TV and radio too, but regrettably can't fit that in much at the moment either.

What I will say though is that Labor has one thing going for it. Most of the Australian Education sector is left-minded, and especially universities. Their academics should be called indoctrinators by and large. Any dissenting view of the Left is rarely welcomed, any complementary view is often rewarded. I'd love to see a breakdown of the voting patterns of people say 18-25 and compare them with other age cohorts. I guess that can only be guesstimated through polling 500 people at a time though.....

Anyone who goes to University seems to grow up drinking Coopers at the Uni bars and listening to the left half of the country wax lyrical.

I'm still getting over my results from that automatic polling tendency thing we did pre-election, where I was almost equal across the line of the three major parties!

[Leaping Lindner]

As an exercise, Wedgie and Squawk, perhaps you could list those media outlets and reporters who yu think are biased towards Labor.

Unfortunately I dont get to read as much media reporting as I'd like to, and typically my intake is on-line rather than hard copy which means you dont see it all. I'd like to take in more TV and radio too, but regrettably can't fit that in much at the moment either.

What I will say though is that Labor has one thing going for it. Most of the Australian Education sector is left-minded, and especially universities. Their academics should be called indoctrinators by and large. Any dissenting view of the Left is rarely welcomed, any complementary view is often rewarded. I'd love to see a breakdown of the voting patterns of people say 18-25 and compare them with other age cohorts. I guess that can only be guesstimated through polling 500 people at a time though.....

Anyone who goes to University seems to grow up drinking Coopers at the Uni bars and listening to the left half of the country wax lyrical.

I'm still getting over my results from that automatic polling tendency thing we did pre-election, where I was almost equal across the line of the three major parties!

Then they graduate, get jobs as Lawyers,accountants, doctors, start wearing blue and brown and complaining about bloody radical uni students.

[Moo]

From my perspective, it is interesting how often some journalists/commentators (like football umpires actually) get accused of being biased towards one party or another when that is not actually the case.