Thank you for a valuable perspective at a distance from the fishbowl of Australian politics.

One of the issues that is yet to receive intensive critical scrutiny is the current role of the Australian media in politics. So often in Australia the media works to create a sense of crisis, to focus on and incessantly undermine individuals, to distort and mobilize public perceptions in order to generate controversy and a sense of drama. I understand that this is all intended to create a product to sell (news), but journalists and newspapers end up wielding enormous power, playing the 'ringmaster in the circus'. Even the ABC tried to create a fake 'scoop' at the launch of the new 24 hours news channel.

And now we have Dennis Shanahan from The Australian shouting for another election. Why? Because there is now a strong likelihood that the new balance of power arrangements will see a return to genuine Parliamentary democracy that will strip the media of its disproportionate power and influence and remove the media obsession with the politics of personality and denigration.

I made a few notes to respond, however, Donkey has put it so well that I find it unnecessary to add further comment - agree absolutely!

This is a fascinating perspective, and thank you very much for providing it.

I agree totally with Donkey's comments on the Australian media. I'm particularly infuriated with the media's demand that the Electoral Commission hurry up and count the outstanding votes - and that the Independents hurry up and make up their minds, which they cannot do until the counting is finalised.

We won't have a chance to properly deal with the situation if the media don't back off and stop pressuring everybody involved.

But from what I observed in the USA early this year, their media are much, much worse.

I wonder if Nicholas agrees with such biased views being expressed as french views?

The French ... now aren't they the country that still has extensive colonies across the pacific, who embrace Nuclear power generation and have outlawed the burka in public buildings?

oh so progressive.

Why are you people always so blindly anti-Australian and anti-liberal?

You must be choking on the facts that the nearly 50 year old spinster Gillard is still unelected as PM and that not only was our first indigenous lower house member a liberal but so was our first indigenous senator. Queensland Senator Neville Bonner.

Ah some are born to lead and others ahhh ... to carp.

keith,

It's always enlightening to glean views from beyond our borders as to the political process within them. I'm encouraged that the French are interested enough in our domestic politics to cover it in their media. I'd also like to hear comment from other countries.
Donkey's fishbowl metaphor in relation to our political perceptions rings so true. Australians can oftentimes demonstrate particularly insular perspectives.

After reading your post, I'm inclined to agree that some people are born to carp.

Very interesting.

I wonder how many Australian journalists could put together a comparable piece on a French General Election?

And whether any of our esteemed organs would see fit to print it...?

No matter.

I particularly enjoyed Le Figaro's observation on our status as a constitutional monarchy. Now on their fifth version, the French are particularly experienced in establishing republics, and should be able to give us a couple of hundred years' worth of advice.

Sadly, we don't have an Ancien Régime to rebel against. But I'm sure we'll get around to it one day.