'Is that the Truth or is your News Ltd.'

What is worse than government spin and probably worse than denial is total silence not only from our politicins on both sides, but also from public newspaper editors. On SBS Dateline last Wednesday George Negus spoke on a problem that has been concerning Australian livestock breeders ever since Howard and Bush chummily or cunningly arranged our bi-lateral trade agreement. The bringing in of exotic diseases to Australia, which has such an admirable record, especially by our customs and CSRIO of keeping such diseases at bay. The frightening term, is Foot and Mouth, and when it was mentioned by a retired farming director to one of the West Australian editorial staff, that a shipment of possibly infected carcase meat had been landed in Australia from Brazil, the editorial secretary pretty well brushed the caller off.

Here we are so cleverly arguing about government spin when such things are going on. The carcase meat going by the Dateline report came from a large section of Brazil previously banned for meat export owing to Foot and Mouth infection, but now allowed to export because the breeders had been ordered to inject their livestock. The scary facts are, that injected animals before the Trade Agreement would still be under ban, but now it is okay.

As a farming director who can't get any sense through the media, with an angry feeling that the Howard government has already quietened down the media about it, is now suggesting
that not only the Foot and Mouth incident, but the whole damned rotten Trade Agreement should be given the stick by our Forum, a post medium which is proving such an asset to free speech among our communities.

PS Suggest that SBS be requested to replay the Foot and Mouth episode, one part showing uninjected cattle breaking in from a neighbouring state mixing with treated Brazilian cattle.

Regards,

George C, WA - (Bushbred)

There is too much conflict of interest within the media.

Look at Packer`s` and The Le Courts, Murdock just to mention a few.

Giant media owners are Live Animal Exports as well.

Fair Crack Of the whip because clearly they own the reporters and dictate what passed on.

You mentioned the power of talk back radio and smaller papers.

All through Australia including and especially the rural papers there are people who I suppose in a sense rely upon the locals to advertise .

I live on the Gold Coast with the Gold coast Bulletin owned by Murdock as our main local paper.



For eight years The gold Coast Bulletin have refused to do a story on Live Animal Exports.

They 'claim' that "People on the Gold Coast are not interested in Animal Cruelty or things that happen in the country".?

The Gold Coast Bultein is owned by the Murdocks who are long time Live Animal Exporters.

Well acording to the polls Australian People everywhere are very interested and I think even John Howard would confirm that.


Only last year we had another ship stuck with animals on board just like the Cormo.

" This time right here in Australian Waters'

We knew better than to take it to the Bulletin. We called radio Stations ,regional newspapers. One reporter said- it would cost me my job- Sorry.
By that time we were told by PACAT the animal welfare group in WA that Animals Australia had 'instructed' them not to deal with our organisation. [ i will deal with that on another thread]

Our concern was 'only' for the animals.


Needless to say if you try to raise this issue on talk back radio along with the issue of conflict of interest with giant media owners you get the flick.

Without media Conflict of Interest live Animal Exports would have been banned after two open Senate enquires recomdeded it be banned immediatly. Oh you didnt read about that in the paper - Wonder why?


When does the Minister Of Comunications intend to do something about this clear conflict of interest?

John

This is a great article.

I will tell you our amusing story to confirm the above comment .

Last Year as you know Australia held its biggest ever enquiry AWB.

Around the same time 60 minutes did another report on the cruel live Animal Export trade.

AWB had purchased live Animal Export Trade from the company Wesfarmers in 2003 just after the first 60 minute report on the Cormo Express.

Few public were really taking that much notice of the AWB but it would have been a different story if the public ever linked live exports to the AWB and they knew it.

Here it was the connection and right under everybodys noses.

Kevin Rudd "Shadow" Minister headed for the Hills when I contacted his office asking him to inform the public of the connection.

Likewise Animals Australia and Animal Liberation


So In the end We sent half a dozen strippers to stand out the front of the AWB enquiry holding pretty much nothing else but a bright yellow banner the size of texas with black letters reading CITIZENS SAY BAN LIVE EXPORTS

[There that should get the media attention I thought to myself]

Well it worked John. All day they walked up to the strippers asking questions> Whats your name- Who sent you here etc. They even got a good earful from the clearly very surprised and shaken AWB bosses who verbally abused the strippers telling them to go away please just go away.
Clearly this was not supposed to happen! Good Heavens Not Real Stories unplanned.

There were newspapers taking pictures of all this and TV crew everywhere.

Did anybody RUN the Story ? Well do you rember seeing footage of Stippers at the AWB?

Speaking of Turning a blind eye and people with Vetted interests in the media.

But It was a fun day watching them sqwirm at least!

We are lucky to have OLO and I do hope the public support it properly.

I am disillusioned by the spin. Was there ever a time when ordinary Australians could raise issues regarding health or transport or water or housing shortages without the real issues being covered up?
If the ABC is cut back any further the organisation might begin to identify with the issues of the "have nots". If you have views which are not right wing then you are hardly likely to succeed in getting published in the mainstream media and not employed as a journalist. Rarely do we see comprehensive articles covering the pressing issue of our 522 billion overseas debt.
On the other hand the internet is a good (unpaid) way to communicate.