Good article. However it is not only talkback radio that is full of spin. The print media has been involved in an orgy of spin regarding Labor and IR. If we believe our daily press,Labor is doomed if it does not soften its stance on AWA's.This despite the latest polls demonstrating that tricky John's lies and deceptions are finnally catching up to him.Labor has improved in the polls for the period covering the National Convention and the Budget.
This is quite fascinating, given our media's strident insistence that Rudd's honeymoon was over.

What makes me puke is that politicians - ALP and Coalition - take Alan Jones and his ilk so seriously. Note Howard's quick defence of Jones recently when he was in legal hot water over the naming of a minor on air. Howard wouldn't give the time of day to most of us.

If you participate in talkback "debates" one of two things will happen. The host will agree with you and you'll get a fair hearing. Or the host and/or guest will shout you down and probably cut you off because they don't. You won't get the same chances to air your grievances compared with writing to politicians or demonstrating or forming a lobby group.

Talkback is pseudo-democracy in action.

You have as much chance of getting balanced talkback as you have getting from the ABC who is largely just a voice for the ALP. The fact that taxpayers money is used for this propaganda machine is a disgrace.

Radio station talk-back hosts will always possess a psittacine willingness to present their overt biases. We would indeed be surprised if Jones at 2GB started to sing the praises of North Korea’s Dear Leader. Likewise, I can’t see the ABC radio talking heads praising GWB as being a swell guy. We know that a strange brand of democracy exists at radio studios because people who call in and wish to challenge the host’s view are put down, sometimes rudely. Radio stations are much like a closed shop in that one announcer will be followed by another whose views are simpatico. It doesn’t pay to step out of character. You could also say that university academia mirrors radio stations to a certain extent because it doesn’t pay to challenge the bien pensant opinion within the professorial ranks. Think about the treatment professor Fraser received because he invited us to think about our future.

Poor Runner, he believes tax payers dollars are wasted at the ABC. This is due to the biased reporting on politics. He knows its biased because it is so out of step with the balanced morning shows on 9 and 7.
What Runner needs to understand is that Kochie and Karl are Vaudiville puppets jumping to thier masters tune. These shows(they are not news)would make Goebells blush.
The only tax payers money wasted at the ABC is in the payment of the Board fees.

My tax dollars go to the likes of John Howard so he can spew out biased rhetoric and implement policies like Workchoices which he didn't even have the courage to put before the electorate before he won office again in 2004. My tax dollars also go to unelected private school administrations which propagate religious rubbish. If you want to have an argument about tax dollars then bring it on.