Without a fair, impartial and investigative, free press then democracy in Australia is in for a hard time. Very few 'so-called' journalists took howard to task for his many lies and distortions. Not one, well maybe one did, mentioned howard's backing for Indonesia re Timor. Not one mentioned the high interest rates and un-employment when howard was treasurer. No one mentioned howard's antagonism towards the GST when he was in opposition. Not one mentioned that when we had high interest rates under labor that the world was an entirely different place. All nations were in the same boat then. There was so much that could have been said but wasn't. Of course the "bold, intrepid',journalists? or as I have heard them titled "the prostitutes of the press" at the australian have been completely neutered. It seems that they cannot pass wind unless the get rupert's permission.
Quote:"The minority, the ruling class at present, has schools and press, usually the church as well, under its thumb. This enables it to organise and sway the emmotions of the masses, and make its tools of them" Albert Einstein, source: letter to Sigmund Freud, 30 July 1932. Regards, numbat

Read 'Media and politics' 1977, I'm sorry but I've forgotten the author and publisher, I will post later. If any book is one all Austrlian's should read then this is one.

It's good to know at least two of us question why Ozmedia ignores vast areas of the globe. The ABC had a South American correspondent for a while. I think he lived in Texas.
I used to blame a want of money for translators, but that doesn't explain the lack of news about India, Bangla Desh, or even New Zealand. Is Canada still there? For me, appropriate subject choice is the problem. Didn't care about OJ whatsisname (Radio National's pathological obsession for many months, about 10 years ago) nor Kylie thingamy, nor even the current kiddyfiddler trial somewhere over there - you know where. Doesn't matter whether I get truth or carefully considered opinion about this nonsense or not. Maybe my choice of blog sites is inadequate, but the same silly content seems to pervade those spaces too. Isn't that where the Clinton codswallop took off? No-one adequately explains to simple folk like me the relevance of the exact location of Mr Clinton's discharged seminal fluid or the final resting place of Mr Bobbit's appendage.

A big problem is the continuing choice of gossip sagas to occupy limited news space. Especially if opposing sides can be spruiked into controversy - usually based on limited context. It seems to sell. Unfortunately controversy about more interesting topics seems too often bedevilled by a similar lack of comprehensive knowledge by many participants. Note how many respondents here line up as lefties or righties & jump into contemptuous contest.

Can't we do better ? I blame it on too much TV myself.

the media is interested in numbers and dollar signs, not the education of the public upon what is REALLY going on in this world; they are a business like any other and have boards and shareholders to report to if these numbers are down....

I dont believe independant media would help either...after all....there really is no such thing as a free lunch in this world anymore....so these independant media groups would be getting paid in one way or another...perhaps based on number of viewers? or number of hits on a web site?....so as long as this viscious circle continues, there will never be a way of producing truely unbiased reports.

Journalists and the media are not really the only people just interested in money.

I mean are all the banks there just to help people get homeloans and shelter?

Are all teachers in the classroom doing it just because they care about the education of the kids?

A good deal of money behind a media organisation helps it to spread to as many people as possible. Try reaching people with no money.

Independent media is myth - everyone has an agenda.

I do agree with Antony about the elitism of the SMH. Its circulation figures are dropping quickly because a lot of what they have to say is irrelevant.

However,have a look at the regional dailies - they are going great guns because they deal with issues which their communities are interested in. Ditto with community freebies in the metro areas.

People sometimes forget that Australian , generally are pretty well off.
Beat up stories about hospital crises are really nothing compared to the how poor health care has been in the past.

t.u.s

given some of the links posted by regular users of this site it could be argued that the proliferation of blogs and other online journalism mearly allows people to be selective of their particular bias.

people interested in multiple views of an issue have always gone beyond the mainstream.