Alan Austin - But do we want to defend the rights of newsrooms to fabricate and deceive? Or should news and current affairs outlets report what is actually said and done?

We can't defend the indefensible, all media-mogul controlled media operation & all under gubmunt control are subject to biased reporting. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any workable control system that functions in the face of effectively unlimited money and / or influence, leastwise none that involve either self-regulation or ostensibly 'independent' gubmunt / bureaucratic controls.

Whilst in some ways I'd hate to see the end of ABC / SBS, I do think it inevitable that one or other version of our present utterly unaccountable political tribes manage to either sell the operation(s) or otherwise adjust them to ulterior ends. Considering this, I figure at least part of their place is probably best taken up in the future by a number of smaller & hopefully truly independent online forum / blog / news / current affairs sites. If / when the NBN rollout is completed, there will also be enhanced potential for streaming video.

Radio National News is a scandal. Fix that, and the tin-eared complaints department, and I will put up with the endless music shows and interruptions. The specialists such as Health Report, Bush Telegraph, Hindsight etc must be kept.

Radio National News is a farrago of about ten headlines from sports, overseas and domestic news all mixed together, with a Brisbane car crash coming before 10,000 dead overseas.It has no insight into what is happening. It is read by a series of newsreaders - most of them one-offs or nearly so. Why? How much does this cost?

Sack the newsroom. Get something better, and you neednt sell the ABC.

Academic Bull$hit Company

I suppose it would be easier for the ABC to criticise Abbott if he had the balls to appear on it and answer a few questions from time to time, instead of getting soft-soaped by his shock-jock pals and walking away from any hard questions.

It seems the ABC is setting itself up to becomes Abbott's version of Pravda in exchange for no cuts in funding.

You can all read Peter Reiths's frequent columns on ABS's The Drum Website or watch the TV version with it's representative spin merchants from both sides.

If that's not enough, Amanda Vanstone has a programme on Radio National every Monday afternoon, but be careful, it's very biassed toward the Liberal Party.

I recall Neville Wran and Bob Hawke in particular both had problems with the antagonism of the ABC toward the ALP. So much for left-wing bias.

The ABC IS a left wing, asexual outfit which pandered to the ALP but now that that trough is is drying up they do the natural thing & suck up to the other lot. You can't possibly get a clearer display of lack of integrity than that. The Academics & bureaucrats are crapping themselves now that their excuse for an existence is going out the window. Imagine the panic they're in.