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.

A selective roundup by an ex-ABC journalist .. and it favors the ALP and is critical of the coalition .. what a surprise.

It's probably the French newspaper media getting all their information off the wires that gives them their view of Australia, and since most of the print media in Australia are generally pro ALP and anti coalition, no surprise we see a reflection in that.

the newspapers and French journalists quoted would all fit in well at the ABC or The Age in Melbourne. the comment about Rudd speaking Mandarin has differing opinions in France, a country where some were enchanted by Tony Blair giving a speech in French, and others outraged

The references to Rudd's apology .. it was not for 200 years of injustice, it was specifically for the so called "stolen generations", but feel free to exaggerate, they do here as well.

Do you think the French might apologize to the Tahitians, Mauritians, other colonials .. of course not, they are horrified at the prospect that such an act might embolden the inhabitants of France! As all colonies, are part of France! To say such a thing is just ridiculous if you know any French people. Most think it was stupid and unnecessary, as many do here at home.

no mention of the radio or TV media I see .. a friend of mine is a TV compere for news programs in France, he loves it here - was here last month with his whole family, would love to move here and just might.

he see Australia very differently, certainly the views expressed by the author he would find typical of the left .. or as they all want to be called nowadays, in the American way "progressives"

As at home here, we can find just as many views as they do in France - to say this article sums up the French view is just tripe, it's a selective "progressive" view of Australia and not at all mainstream

Merci, Herculee.

"Australians can oftentimes demonstrate
particularly insular perspectives."

Such encapsulation. Brilliant! Ah, the beauty of being moat people. Paid your way on OLO with that one, Herculee.




Thank you, too, Pericles, for this gem:

"... 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."




How is it that the world, and particularly the French, while recognising our first contribution to democracy constituted by the Australian, or secret, ballot, do not recognise the second singularly Australian democratic innovation, the secret result? It is because we have been so thoroughgoingly SUCCESSFUL at it! Proof: not even the French know, even though they use Mandriva Linux and their communications security cannot be breached.

Australians all let us rejoice, for we have triumphed over the Fourth Estate! Hencforth we shall only listen to what we want to hear, have printed only what we want to read. We have DECIDED. Get with the programme!

Australia has perfected the ultimate refinement of the coup d'etat. It is impossible to destabilize a nation where nobody knows who is in power.

Its not that, as Australians, we are too inwards-looking. We have saluted the French especially, with respect to matters democratic, only just this last Bastille Day. Act of the Commonwealth Parliament No.110 of 2010, the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Modernisation and Other Measures) Act 2010, received the Royal Assent on 14 July 2010. It permitted, among other things electoral, 16-year-olds to enroll provisionally upon the electoral rolls. More little secret voters. At least a whole cohort's worth, potentially, say around 270,000 of the computer-literate little blighters, and that's only the ones on the island!

Not only are they computer-literate, but young demiAussiecrats can concentrate their birthdates at will! For example, around 47,000 17-year-olds turned 18 in the 22 days between 30 June 2010 and 22 July 2010, the date of the first roll-close for the recent Federal elections.

They can now enroll online, too.

I wonder what the French will make of Abbott's refusal to put his policies to the treasury for costing.

Perhaps they'll think that Ned Kelly has been reborn, one with big ears and perhaps the elusive, tricky skills of Houdini!

Merci for these responses. All appreciated.

Keith, on banning the burka in public, this is not yet law. The Senate will consider it next month. But I think it will go through, so you are right. Agree entirely about Labor’s failure to achieve Indigenous members of federal Parliament. Many ALP members are also ashamed of this and wish to amend it.

No, Amicus, no analysis of radio and TV but agree that would be intriguing. The Oz election was reported here on TV news, to my initial surprise. Just don’t have the technology to study it.

To defend France Soir, Kevin Rudd’s 2008 apology did seek “to bring the first two centuries of our settled history to a close”. He reflected “in particular on the Stolen Generations”. Not exclusively.

Amicus, the surprise abroad at Rudd’s address in Beijing in April 2008 was not that it was in Mandarin but that he dared challenge China over human rights in Tibet. No-one expected that.

Poirot, for reactions from other countries, click here. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/23/how-the-rest-of-the-world-digested-oz-election-2010/ If you can’t open it, I can send it to you.

Agree entirely about the role of the Australian media, Donkey. One difference here is that there is a wider range of outlets from which to choose.

As pointed out by Pericles, the French are now on their fifth republic, and have a constitution not yet fifty-two years old. Moreover, they don't have a constitution that can only be changed by the people, and which has weathered the last 109 years with aplomb. Our convict tradition, which regards the government as the enemy of the people, is the fountain of all our liberties, and referenda that have been supported by both major parties and rejected by the people are one of the most enjoyable parts. The propensity of the French to resort to violence and mayhem, alas seen all to frequently, compares unfavourably in my view to major strikes here in which there is no real violence. After all, it is only 33 years since they stopped chopping people's heads off.

Unfortunately I must concur with the writer that few journalists here could pen a similar piece on French politics, as they seem to find much of local politics incomprehensible. How many chardonnay-sipping journos here have ever written on the real reasons that the republic was thrown out in 1999? Due to the wonderful comprehensive educational system here, many have trouble with basic spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Though essentially I agree with the OP, I don't agree with the motive Donkey outlined in his last paragraph. It's not as insidious as he has identified with the media being motivated for some sense of control. It's about how the media competes with each other to sell "news", and that's by sensationalism.

The media is Shakespearean...much ado about nothing. But who's fault is it if that's what it takes to get our attention? Competing news services will use differing language to make their story (which is the same story on the other 42 channels of crap) sound more sensational and therefore more important to listen to or watch, than another news service.

If Donkey was talking about media magnates and their ability to put governments in and out of office, then I would have to agree with everything he says. But he was talking of media, not media magnates.

Allo Poirot,

I agree with you Poirot. It is enlightening to glean others perspectives of ourselves. However Austin merely reports on articles in the French Media that have obviously gleaned their views from media articles in Australia.

It might surprise you to find out that the Australian media is utterly biased towards Labor and anti Liberal. An analysis of the French articles cited by Austin merely reflects this bias.

That Poirot is an analysis of our media opinion by mosly French Opinionators. Is that a perspective that is worthy of consideration?

You know not once in any of those articles did it say that only 37% of Australians voted for Labor or that Labor's representation was cut by 25% at this election to a mere 72 seats. Not once was there any reference to The Greens with 10% electrol support ... and one seat. Not once did it say that almost 50% of Australians Australians voted for the Liberal National coalition and that the independents would probably support them in Government. Not once was there any reference to Liberal?National Policy on Debt, waste Taxes or Boats.

Hell Piorot that's exactly what our media do here in Australia ... Whyever would I want to take notice of a French Media that carps on about the same shallow biased bullpoo.

I might also tell you one of my mates daughter's is married to an English media foreign corrospondent. They actually visited Australia to report on the election. We had his ear for an afternoon and he left us with a totally different view to that with which he had arrived. His opinion wasn't dissimmilar to that expressed in those French media ... and of course his opinion had been formed from a persual of our media.

bon jour.

keith: << It might surprise you to find out that the Australian media is utterly biased towards Labor and anti Liberal >>

It certainly surprises me. Certainly, anything associated with the name Murdoch (which is most of the MSM in Oz) was blatantly and unashamedly cheerleading for Abbott for the duration of the recent election campaign. Indeed, it still is if this weekend's 'Courier Mail' and 'Australian' are anything to go by.

Fortunately, we have the ABC for something that resembles reportage and analysis of all sides of Oz politics with a minimum of bias.

C.J.

Very true about the Murdoch stable.

Bonjour M. keith,

Is it really so difficult to fathom the French media's bewilderment that Australian's have rejected a government that assisted us to ride out the financial crisis in a reasonably healthy state? The Australian media have made a meal out of all the money spent, but ignored the fact that we still have a healthy rate of growth and a manageable unemployment figure.
The media in this country have been happy to run with the "overwhelming debt" angle and ignored an economic imperative that dictates that going into debt in hard times is as acceptable - especially as a stimulus - as putting away and saving is in good times.
I believe the French media distilled the information they gleaned from Australian sources and reported in a more balanced way, without the myopic sentiments and slavering point scoring (and revenue inducing) coverage so evident during this campaign.

Dear CJ and Poirot

It is clear the Australian public aren't fooled by the media slant's on anything.

They have magnificiently ignored all favourable ALP propaganda from the ABC, other TV outlets and most Murdoch papers. They ignored the unbiased and balanced Australian and delived an obvious decision. They've rejected Labor and Gillard, are tentative of Abbott and the Liberals, totally re-inforced Browns irrelevance. We have left, as an unintended consequence, three anti-(any)-party oddballs, who basically want the one third Australians still living in the dying bush to still be better looked after, to determine who is to govern us.

Well done Australia.

And I'd bet you'd never read that view in any French provincial rag let alone any of their alleged national media.

Keith, you obviously don't like the bush. Why?

Now that we manufacturer almost nothing our cities are merely a drone on the bush. All they do is filter off as much of the income generated in the bush, as they can pinch, to keep themselves going.

As I said elsewhere, if we started a new country, north of the tropic of Capricorn, it would be extremely wealthy. The balance of Oz, including my bit of it, would quite rapidly fall into third world status, & be begging for aid in no time.

keith: << They ignored the unbiased and balanced Australian and delived an obvious decision. >>

They ignored the biased and unbalanced Australian and delived an obvious decision.

There, fixed that for you. Once upon a time I used to subscribe to 'The Australian' as a journal of record. That ceased sometime in the 1990s.

C.J

Have to agree,....reminds me of the Fox News spiel - "Fair and Balanced"....ie, "Unfair and Unbalanced".

Poirot

In addition to your point regards Fox Media, Keith should note it is also owned by Murdoch.

Keith are you beginning to see a pattern emerge here?

Maybe this will help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_News_Corporation

Very good article. But I feel the 600,000 informal votes could have seen a difference in the result. This was recommended by ousted former
ALP leader, Mark Latham. And certainly the media are having a hay day
over the recent announcement by the National party MPs that they won't
necessarily vote for any coalition legislation. Now I feel that is because they have felt like the 'poor relation' in the Lib/Nat coalition. And that is why former National party members are now Independents. Neither party had a good campaign, they talk about the
national debt, is nothing as one poster said. And the Liberals had
a surplus, but spent little on infrastructure. It's like you earn
100,000 dollars a year and pay off your 100,000 mortgage, "I'm not in
debt..you say proudly...but your wife reminds you, they haven't eaten
for three days and can't afford to run the car..." Abbott has announced he won't continue with Broadband networks, well that is important to some bush areas. Energy is another factor, the Regional
areas already pay more for energy or electricity for the distance it has to travel. Water - the life blood of Oz... ownership of water and agricultural land by foreign countries is another factor. No governments perfect... but basic factors are important as well as health.

Hasbeen

I don't hate anything or anyone. Some of my best friends come from the bush ... yes yes I know ... farming produces heaps but so does tourism, education and mining. Those activites don't have political parties or independants proporting to solely and exclusively represent them, their employees and families and their interests. From that aspect ... well you might get my drift.

Yes Johnny there is a pattern. Labor supporters and other lefties don't like fair and balanced reporting.

CJ, Poirot and Johnny R. since you don't dispute my evaluation of Australians choice am I to understand you agree with moi and of my views of Austins article?