For any branch of the media to "win" an election for one side or the other, the millions of voters watching, reading and listening to the media have to actually agree with the media. Duh! The drones are always complaining about the MSM and the ABC but, come election time, the silly buggers 'obey' the MSM or the ABC!

Rudd can continue to agonise over what he thinks the Murdoch press did to poor little him, but it was Australian voters 'wot done it'. Most voters, not great readers or intellectuals, get any information they are capable of taking in from the media, private or state. Voters are entirely to blame for the people they vote for, not Rupert or the folk at Ultimo.

More enquiries into the media; a Royal Commission! What bullshite. Even the dopy voters won't wear that.

A royal commission into Australian media is long overdue. Murdoch's 'newspapers' and 'news channels' have been propaganda rags for decades as has Seven West. The Press Council is toothless and useless at calling out lies in media - that's been left to ABC's Media Watch.

To prevent the accelerating demise of democracy all news media must be truthful. And 'news' propaganda headlines against a any political party and 'for' the media owner's darling leading up to elections, as has been common practice in News Corp and Seven West for at least 3 decades must be banned. It is nonsense to say that this does not swing elections. There will always be naive, semi-literate voters easily influenced by propaganda headlines and it only takes a fraction of a percent of such voters to swing an election. Would

New laws are needed to break down the existing media monopolies, ensure that news media sticks to truth in news and ensure that all propaganda, opinion and biased 'analysis' goes in clearly marked opinion pages or editorials. All news outlets - TV, radio, papers and online - would be licensed under stringent rules. An independent Govt funded tribunal would then record all cases of fake or unbalanced news such as the hundreds of articles denying the science climate change in Murdoch papers. Then give warnings and at a certain point be empowered to take away their news license.

OK, lying in mainstream media is a rot that has happened in all democracies in particular the US and UK and is now rampant on social media. Trump, Bush and Blair - all failed leaders - would not have got into power without Fox News and the other Murdoch media. Australia should take the lead and reform media laws. Bravo Rudd and bravo Turnbull for joining him on this!

I agree. If we had a decent media, Australia would not have elected Rudd.

Royal Commissions, new laws. Bunkum! Start thinking for yourselves. Most of the rubbish in the media has no effect on most people. One news service a day (even then most of the tripe is of no interest to most people) no papers at all, and reading books is the only way to stay sane and remain aloof from the Leftist nutters.

Hear, hear and well said, Roses1.
Alan B.

We need to send the evil empire a message! A royal commission may allow the blinded by the light, rabbits to finally act? And dismantle this evil incarnate abomination?

No? Well if it quacks like a duck, waddles like a duck, swims like a duck? There's a strong possibility, it's a duck or at least a phucking quacker?
Alan B.

Roses1, Alan B,

The moment Newscorp gets any fact even slightly wrong there is a complaint. That there have been so very few over the years shows that the facts presented in the Australian etc are correct, more so I believe even than the ABC.

What the left whingers are complaining about are the editorials that are scathing of poorly thought out left whinge policies like the 50% emissions reduction that Labor couldn't cost.

I also bet that most of the twits that signed the petition never even read anything from Newscorp.

Absolutely,

The ABC should be flogged off and the green left whinge staff should try and find their way in the real world.