The Australian has always had articles exposing failures of government policies. That Labor is presently in government automatically implies that they would be the focus of scrutiny, and negative press. The alternative would be a compliant media that gives bland Ra Ra support.

I have seen in both the fairfax and news ltd papers opinion pieces supporting both sides. However, with the litany of policy failures and taxes that are wildly unpopular, it is not surprising that the press, in reflecting public sentiment, are not wildly complimentary.

The reason that the government is the focus of criticism is because of its blatant incompetence, it is not biased to report what you see.

shadow minister .. hear hear, completely agree

The 70% ownership by News Ltd was never an issue when Howard was in government, he accepted criticism and didn't bleat about it.

I'd like to see the ABC less biased, but don't expect it to happen overnight. (I reckon we should put them up for sale, and then sell them to the lowest bidder, who would then gut them and keep what is going to work, get rid of the benevolent leftie retirement village mentality.)

If Fairfax have genuine investigative journalism, it's unfortunately lost in a sea of vested interests, biased commentary and barracking for personal interest areas, like "earth day", or whatever it is. Little wonder it is in trouble.

I can see where this is going though, the NYT is in trouble, and progressives in the US have suggested the taxpayer should fund it now, or lose an "important" source of alternative news .. if the progressives won't pay for it, why should anyone else? Same with Fairfax, let it die and maybe the people masquerading as journalists will go and get real jobs.

rpg you very clearly are both overly self confident and rather poor at looking at posts other than your own.
My links, and they could have been 3 times the number mostly came from America and the British Ilse's.
Senior police now soon, the head of the press council and heaps more have been forced from their job even sent to prison.
I read, every morning, on line editions of Australia's best paper the Fairfax Sydney morning Herald.
The Melbourne age,West Australian paper too.
Australian, can not finish the bias bigotry and lies sicken me.
Sydney Telegraph, as above.
Goggle Australia/New Zealand/Canada English And USA following the links.
I finish with the Guardian and English Telegraph New York Times.
So much for your observations made I think in haste.
I long ago saw you are welded in to defense mode uniterested in truth.
Much pain on the way, News International run on rails that Rupert Murdock wants and its problems are international and will be the end of this purchaser of power.

oh dear, belly I'm not interested in, nor care for your links, you can find anything you like on the internet, that's all it proves, big deal.

So you read a bunch of left wing papers online, but probably don't subscribe, and thus fund, any, but bleat they should survive and Murdoch not.

News Ltd readers are prepared to actually buy his product, what does that tell you?

Oh jeez, I better tell you, they care enough to make sure the News Ltd substance continues, what are you prepared to do?

Apart from demand someone else should pay for the sustenance of your political beliefs propaganda vehicle? Or insist that the government regulate what you are not prepared to back .. typical sense of entitlement stuff, get over the fact that most Australians are conservative, who occasionally dabble in progressive thought, but not for long. On the whole they are conservative.

The Sydney Morning Herald, is but a phantom image of the Age in Melbourne (or vice versa) and yet they still can't make a buck, any wonder when their content is rubbish and only read by penny pinchers .. have you ever bought the newspapers and read the content that is not published online?

If you did you would know the quality of the News Ltd papers is superior. The journalism is way better written and is deeper in thought, do you know that?

Like the New York Times, the SMH and Age are all dying, for lack of subscription, why is that?

I used to try to read the Age and SMH, but it just got too much, too much left out, too much evangelizing and too much elitist talk down your nose, finger wagging at the masses and telling them what they should do and believe.

no thanks, are you an inner city eco snob .. ?

Tell me I'm wrong ..

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-29/fresh-hacking-allegations/2815254
This link comes from the New York Times.
It leads to a page that has many other links about this story.
A story fast developing and changing, A conservative Baroness, unlikely to be other than entrenched conservative?
Has been forced from her job.
We, every one of us,are chess pieces being moved by other hands.
But lift your head fellow posters, look no further than rpg.
Those comments are so blind, in defense of such a crime, and extremism with in Sir Robert Menzies Child Liberalism.
After my leader, Dysfunctional Julie Gillard falls, she will, after a split ALP vote sends greens and Labor over the other side.
What of Australian politics? rational debate is dead for some.
Liberal Labor, middle Australia, is justice in the Matter of Murdock, dependent on our biases?

uh belly "look no further than rpg. Those comments are so blind, in defense of such a crime, and extremism"

That's verballing and misrepresentation and could even be regarded as the usual leftie hysteria, but what's truth got to do with anything.

I have not defended the hacking crimes, just defended free speech.

But I guess from your perspective it's the same thing.

I expect an apology mate .. call me for what I am, not what am not, but the left never apologizes does it, just fabricates, exaggerates and moves on to the next lie or "framing of the story" about the evils of conservatism .. and you wonder why rags like the leftie newspapers are dying, sheesh.