Payback. I criticised The Australian. Now I must pay

[Matilda]

Within hours of the publication of the Finkelstein report, which documents the widespread public disillusionment with the ethical standards and the political bias of the commercial media in Australia, one of its senior reporters, Ean Higgins, phoned me at work. He informed me that The Australian had gained information from a successful Freedom of Information request with regard to two Australian Research Council Grants I had supposedly received for two Quarterly Essays written very many years ago - one for approximately $60,000, one for approximately $180,000.

(snip)

The Australian is of course not interested in the vast majority of the authors who receive grants from the ARC and publish commercial books - those who write for example on literature or military history or Australian 19th century gardens. It is exclusively interested in harassing those it regards as left-wing intellectuals and, a fortiori, the critics of the Murdoch Empire against which it wishes to use its vast resources and influence to intimidate and to wound and if possible to discredit. In cases like this, it can often seem that an editor whistles, and the well-trained team of attack dogs - Andrew Bolt, Piers Akerman, Miranda Devine, Tim Blair et hoc genus emerge from their various kennels, teeth bared, snarling, moving in for the kill. This is the kind of culture that now prevails in the media corporation that dominates between 65 per cent and 70 per cent of the Australian newspaper market.

The Finkelstein inquiry into media ethics in contemporary Australia was sorely needed. This little incident underlines why.

It is time for fellow democrats in Australia to stand up to the bullying tactics of the Murdoch press in general and in particular to the bullying tactics of its most important general staff - Chris Mitchell's editorial team at the Australian.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3871300.html


This makes very interesting reading. It's a great pity that the majority of the Australian public will never bother to read it, much less think about it.

That's how Murdoch thrives.

[sabrina 1]

1. It is interesting. Murdoch and Moon have destroyed the media. I used to

think it was just here in the US, I had no idea that Murdoch was in many, many countries around the world. It's as if he was the propaganda arm of the Global Cartels. DUer Turborama posted a list of the coutries Murdoch was operating in a last year and it was a shock to realize how Global his reach was.

But why do you think most Australians will not read that? I am not familiar with Australia's general political leanings. I also did not know that Murdoch was so powerful there. I thought he was thrown out of Australia.

The tactics described in the article are reprehensible, clearly using the news media as a weapon against anyone who disagrees with them.

[Matilda]

2. Murdoch controls 70% of the print media in Australia.

And right-wingers control all the commercial radio networks. Only the major
public broadcaster, the ABC, gives a different slant to news and current affairs
(and is therefore labelled as "pinko" by conservatives). But although a majority of Australians will tell pollsters that they trust the ABC more than the commercial networks, their ratings are pretty low, so that trust doesn't translate into regular viewers.

The success of the media campaigns against action on climate change illustrates how many people get their information from these sources and receive it uncritically. Sadly, the majority of the Australian population probably have a similar mentality to those who get their opinions from Faux News, and they won't bother to go the source of articles like this (ABC online).

[sabrina 1]

4. That is a shame. How about all the scandals surrounding Murdoch and

his Empire now, does that get reported in Australia?

I guess I thought the Australian people were more savvy than we are here. But propaganda that is so widespread is hard to fight.

[Matilda]

5. The Murdoch scandals are reported here, mostly by the ABC.

People are well aware of Murdoch, and he's not terribly popular here on a personal level, but people still read his newspapers - in some cities, there is no other choice.

There is currently a media review underway, which may result in tighter scrutiny of what is printed, but Murdoch has so much power now (given to him by both political parties), that politicians are wary of taking any action against him, because they know they'll be under attack through the media he controls.

[pink]

3. Excellent post Matilda

I have found that even the ABC tries so hard to prove that its not biased towards the left, they tend to lean more towards the right.

I'm pretty sure Corey Barnardi is keeping tabs.

[Matilda]

6. And don't forget Gerard Henderson.

I think his correspondence with the ABC regarding what he sees as left-wing bias would fill a whole room.

[pink]

7. You betcha

n/t

[Matilda]

8. Oz editor marshals lawyers to halt Manne attack

The Australian’s editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell has launched legal proceedings against the ABC over a column penned by Robert Manne and published on commentary site The Drum.

(snip)

Crikey understands the ABC received a letter yesterday from News Limited in-house counsel Jane Summerhayes demanding the post be pulled. Another letter is believed to be on its way.

In his piece, Manne called on “democrats in Australia to stand up to the bullying tactics of the Murdoch press in general and in particular to the bullying tactics of its most important general staff — Chris Mitchell’s editorial team at the Australian”.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/03/07/oz-editor-marshals-lawyers-to-halt-manne-attack/


Sensitive little souls they are at Murdoch Media.

[peakhillfm]

9. Murdock & the ABC

Being involved with the media.both electronic and paper,I find it very hard to be able to grapple with the Murdock empire.If one is employed by a Murdock paper then one has to be a Liberal supporter otherwise the job is NOT filled.This has been the same for years.Murdock supports the Libs/NCP and so for that matter does Packer & Lowy,BUT as far as the ABC well its hard to take them sometimes,they try to be 'on the fence' BUT again its very difficult when we get the likes of Abbott,Hockey,Bishop and the rest of the Libs.
I keep to myself,BUT being a member of the ALP and having been this way for 20 odd years,I find that Murdock newspapers WILL not accept or even print posts that criticize the Libs.The ABC is the same,BUT they dont like people criticizing the Labor Party.
All in all Murdock,Packer and Lowy are just plain old Liberal supporters who shove all their dollars into the Liberal Party and dont care who they hurt on the way.I was under the impression that Murdock was a US citizen,BUT with an Australian passport as well.Its time that he made up his mind which way he wanted to go.
As far as newspapers here the Daily Telegraph,the Herald Sun,and many other daily papers are so far Liberals that its as plain as the nose on your face,BUT the ABC can change at the drop of a hat.

[mackerel]

10. I'm c&ping and sending it off to me man in Canberra. (He's part of the Australian public.)

[foreigncorrespondent]

11. This is disgusting!

I hate reading The Australian... half the shit they have there now you can't read fully unless you are a subscriber. I ain't paying no right wing fuck money just to read right wing crap.

Brilliant article by the way... good find.