West Australia suffered during the last General Election from Media Bias. West Australia would have fallen into line with all the other States and Territories in having a landslide Democratic Socialist victory if it hadn't been for their Newspapers. It was blantantly biased for the Liberal Party raising unfounded issues and incorrect reporting that was angering the voting Public. Alan Carpenters and Geoff Gallop Government have repealed unfair Industrial Laws statewide. Extended Freeways with Railways both North and South with not a hint of gratitude from the West Australian and Sunday Times. This is why we all need a Campaign for Press Freedom. We all need a Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom is an independent voice for media reform. We must all work to promote policies for diverse and democratic media.
To have a Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom to work for a more accountable, freer and diverse media. We have to have aims
To challenge the myth that press freedom is best served by current forms of ownership and control, and by 'self-regulation' on the part of the Press Complaints Commission.
To defend the principles of public service broadcasting and to argue for democratically accountable forms of broadcasting regulation which actively promote and encourage high programme standards and genuine cultural diversity. We need a Campaign that firmly believes that broadcasting is a public service as fundamental to the wellbeing of our democracy as our education and health systems, and should under no circumstances be treated as merely a producer of commodities. Equally, the Campaign holds that broadcast audiences must be treated, first and foremost, as citizens with distinct communicative rights, and not merely as consumers of entertainment products.
To encourage informed debate on the implications for media content of technological advances in the whole communications arena in order to ensure that the public interest is safeguarded and that commercial interests do not override democratic accountability.
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I have never differed more with a post in my life!
And boy that is saying something.
Is Bronco having a go at us? well unlikely from the very left it appears this is how he thinks.
A heading fighting for press freedom filled me with hope, we could debate the real gag put on some story's by both the Howard government , and when it suits them ALP state ones.
Yet the debate is about our personal biases, the ones we have always had.
They let us see the story's that support our side as good journalism and those that do not as slanted.
West Australians, most of them, do not need news papers to make a choice .
High incomes and growth played its part in that choice not being ALP.
like the rest of Australia it will be governed by a Rudd Labor government not the western Australian press.

play together nicely, children.

the press is free. if you've got one, you say what you want as long as you don't rock the boat. press-owners never want to rock the boat.

bronco, start a newspaper in the west. call it 'tribune', see how you go. nowheres, for an informed guess.

or you could educate yourself on the meaning of democracy, and it's effects. but that's hard, here in the great sheep paddock down under the serfs are still hoping some kind grazier will take care of them like nana used to do. so go on saying "sumbuddy odda...", and sit on yer ass till sumbuddy does.

Bronco and Demos

Firstly Thank you Bronco for starting this thread.
Of course media ownership controls what is said - especially speaking of ships Demos . I have written of course to what is now three different Ministers for Comunication and also Radio Hosts etc.

I wont divert this thread off your topic by giving more details at the moment and because I will miss my plane.

In the past i have written to three Ministers of cominication about all talk back hosts supplying a copy of ownership conflicts.

Mind you this control served Howard well for years.

This control effects ever aspect radio mags newspapers and even music.1192 removal of restrictions on foreign ownership opended markets to new money, especially radio.

Hoyts was brought out by Village Roadshow which in turn mergerd with Austereo leaving the former in control in a dozen cities or so.
The same year Tony Oreillys newspapers [itself half owned by north American interests] bought Wesgo. Unlike newspaper and tv ownership there were 1995 saw Alberts sell Oreilly their three regional and four metropolitian stations.

To be continued in one week
Yes you most certainly are correct Bronco

I will post on WA back ground when I return'

PALE - I have to disagree with the foundations of your view there. You're basically saying that media ownership affects it all.

I've said in other posts that it's always the bottom dollar that affects it, not the biases of the owners. Murdoch or the CVC mob who bought out packer, will print whatever people want to see, because that's where the money is.

This attitude, that there's some omnipotent mogul out there with a guiding hand, I tend to think does quite a bit of damage for the cause of press freedom.

Why?

Because when the media press for more freedom of information laws, or reviews into the secrecy in our courts, the public doesn't get behind the push - they often think it's a wasted effort, because the press are only doing what their barons demand.

All too often it's a simplistic idea of the way the media works. The vast majority of newspapers that are in conglomerates never have direction from their owners, unless their readership is slipping, which is a pretty fundamental aspect of any business.

While Bronco Lane has found a fan but the truth is remote from this threads intent.
I have lived my life on the same side of the fence as Bronc, given it is several paddocks closer to the center than the one he lives in.
Press, all Medea has always, yes always been targeted for its biases, strange as it seems by both sides at once on the same issue.
I expect it , beleave it is more often against the ALP than others but
it made no difference in both NSW and federal elections.
Politics is a science, not a conspiracy but the expression of peoples wishes at that point in time.
Given Brian Burke and a host of bad press, nothing could save my ALP from it why would I hide the fact we are in big trouble in WA?
Given the economy of the west, and the growing impatience they have with us wise men of the east, the result would have been the same with no Medea.
Bronco should understand his description of the ALP as a social Democrat party is at best hugely funny and wrong, tell me in 12 months you do not agree.
Quote me no quotes yes it says we are but it was not true 10 years ago.
Look closely at the Labor victory, understand the best gains came from the places we trailed the most in.
Next election, yes I stand by it, Labor will do best in the west.
Politics is a science not a place to let dreams or even spite run free, unless you want to make statements more to taunt other posters than be about right as the race finishes.
My views are based on none of those just as it will be and as it is.
It can be worth while reviewing our letters to politicians, or any way we approach them.
Some are bound for the waste paper basket the day we send them, ask your self would you be any different if you got some mail?