Marilyn
Under the proposed laws, a government appointee will be able to remove a media organisation’s privacy law exemptions if it is not deemed to meet acceptable standards. That seems like an attack on free speech to me

Plenty of criticism of this article made in the comments but no-one seems to be disputing the "facts" presented regarding the on-going distortions/misrepresentations etc published as "news" by News Corp outlets in Australia. Re the endless whinging about left-wing bias in the ABC. As many ex-ABC journos have gone on to represent or work for the Liberal/National Parties as have gone to work for/represent the ALP. Again can we stick to the facts. Please check http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message.aspx?b=33&m=7854&ps=50&dm=1&pd=3

Only if they are proven to be lying over and over again Rhian.
Why would anyone in their right mind support a mafia media outfit though?

What an outstanding article by AlanAustin and what a disheartening attempt by a commentator to blame the ABC for a kind of similar bias. What nonsense. I saw the four media moguls today on TV pretending to complain about the "draconian" draft legislation today. This proposed legislation is about the freedom to stop media abuse. What we need here is more media diversity common in just about every other OECD country. The domination by News Limited over the Australian media, 70% ownership of all media, looks like being tested somewhat by the Federal ALP. That would be a great contribution to Freedom of Expression! The so-called Freedom of Expression that News Limited wants to defend is like the deplorable, provocative Daily Telegraph treatment of Minister Stephen Conroy. Editorial Director Campbell Reid on the ABC's 7.30 Report portrayed it as "creative journalism". To compare Conroy with Joseph Stalin and other dictators is merely sordid abuse. Presumably he believes that by now Australians are sufficiently conditioned to accept such nonsense as the norm. The extreme right in Australia seems to admire this abuse greatly.

However, most Australians were not at all impressed by the abuse of press freedom by the tabloid press of News Limited in Britain. Clearly "self-regulation" was a disaster there.They couldn't handle it there though. It was grossly abused as Alan's article makes perfectly clear. But it is not even the issue here. The daily attacks by News Limited on the Gillard Government is actually the main reason why her government is under severe stress. The often vitriolic attacks generally lack substance. A good Government could be destroyed this way to be replaced by a Government that makes a virtue of complaining and rubbishing everything. The new draft legislation, clearly aiming to limit this trend, should be welcomed by all Australians. It is also hard to believe that the proposed legislation is criticised by the Sydney Morning Herald in a recent editorial. Greg Hywood is failing his paper. He has missed the opportunity to stand up and be counted!

Klaas Woldring,
6 Tourmaline Avenue,
Pearl Beach, 2256

4341 5170

As I observed here last week, the worst excesses in the Australian mediascape are perpetuated by tabloid tv shows ACA and TT, and the radio shock jocks. This does not absolve News Ltd of their sins. Nor the ABC and Fairfax of theirs. However, Mr Conroy already has the power to properly regulate tabloid TV and the shock jocks and has failed to give ACMA the requisite powers.

The 12th point of the Code of Ethics of the MEAA (of which I am a proud member) is “Do your utmost to achieve fair correction of errors”. The Australian Journalists Association was absorbed into the MEAA in 1992. For the record, the MEAA is also critical of Mr Conroy’s frolic saying: “the government has adopted a package that threatens a heavy hand without improving the handling of complaints.”

Dr John Harrison
Program Director Undergraduate Studies
UQ School of Journalism & Communication

Interesting discussion. Thank you all.

@Senior Victorian: Re the ABC “constantly runs an anti-Coalition line …” Maybe. Not sure. But that’s not the issue, is it?

Murdoch, Fairfax, the ABC, the Green Left Commie Weekly are all perfectly free to run whatever line they like, express whatever opinion they like and condemn whatever political party they like. The more divergent lines run the better.

The issue here, however, is falsification of information.

You should be more concerned, SV, at the ABC – along with Fairfax now – following the Murdoch lead in broadcasting distortion and fabrication. This is happening now with increasing frequency.

@Pliny of Perth: Re “Conroy's cure is a direct attack on freedom of the press and should be rejected outright by all citizens that value one of the corner stones of democracy.”

Are you sure, Pliny? Have you read the draft legislation? If so, what section bothers you?

@Shadow Minister: Re “sole purpose of the media legislation is to allow the government to punish a newspaper critical of it.”

Really, SM? Have you read the draft legislation? What section allows ‘punishment’ for being critical of a government?

@Shadow Minister: Re: “Its [News Ltd’s] pursuit of Juliar AFTER the AWU resurfaced”.

No, SM. That saga proves the point of this article, don't you think?

After several years of digging, paying dodgy ‘witnesses’ and writing baseless accusations, all they have come up with are two grovelling apologies to the PM for false allegations.

Plus Glenn Milne sacked. So there was one positive, I suppose.

@Kipp: Thanks. Yes, one of life’s recurrent amusements.

@Hasbeen, Rhian, Coges: have you read the draft legislation? Or just the Murdoch misrepresentations thereof? They are liars. They are laughing at those of you who believe what they write. Not laughing with you. At you.

Cheers, AA