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The Forum > General Discussion > Campaign For Press Freedom

Campaign For Press Freedom

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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.
To carry out research, lobby and generate public debate on alternative forms of ownership and regulation of the media in order to guarantee freedom both from state interference in all its various forms, and, equally importantly, from domination by vast, unaccountable business interests.
To campaign for the right of media workers to carry out their professional duties free from pressure or interference from media owners.
To help to unite the efforts of trade unionists inside and outside the media in promoting fair and accurate coverage that reflects a wide diversity of views and cultures.
To work actively alongside trade unionists, civil society groups and social movements who are creating alternative, democratic and independent media as a response to being denied a voice in the mainstream media.
To help and encourage media workers and the media and communications unions in promoting values of diversity, and in particular promoting positive coverage of traditionally disadvantaged and marginalised groups.
To campaign for a statutory Right of Reply in the press, which is absolutely fundamental not only to redressing inaccuracies and bias but also to raising journalistic standards.
To campaign for a reduction in legal restrictions on media freedom such as the libel laws, the Official Secrets Act, and legislation pertaining to confidentiality.
To campaign for free and fair access to information for all news outlets, and, in particular, to campaign for a significantly improved Freedom of Information Act.
To campaign against any measures which entail that the flow of information from the state to the media is distorted by political interference or manipulated for political gain.
To campaign for publications' statutory right of access to the distribution system and a guaranteed right of display.
Posted by Bronco Lane, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 1:17:45 AM
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I am no ones comrade, yes I think I am a traitor, see I am a foot soldier of the Australian Labor Party.
And the trade union movement, always and proudly.
My life has been a long march, away from the idea we can progress by pulling high achievers down to our level, that true Socialism is the way of the future.
This thread proposes that free speech is only free if it says what we wish it to.
That Medea is ok if it is on our side.
I remain joyful that we have a truly great ALP government at last.
And that its direction is not socialistic but to restore the ALP brand.
A caring sharing brand, we earned our poor showing in WA we confronted press bias in NSW but over came it.
Know the days of Labor being extreme left will never return it is not acceptable to Australian voters and never will be.
Posted by Belly, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 4:26:31 AM
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Thanks for starting the thread, Bronco Lane.

If I was in Western Australia I would probably have a lot to say which is critical of the Carpenter Government as I do of the Queensland Labor government at http://candobetter.org/node/118

(BTW Have you checked out the forum "Flames of Hell" at http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=1387 about the state of the WA Department of Environment and Conservation?)

Nevertheless, it seems to be a tried and true tactic of the Murdoch Newsmedia to play up shortcomings of State Labor governments both real and invented at the time of Federal Elections.

The Murdoch Newsmedia was extremely biassed against Labor over here in Brisbane too. This is not fundamentally altered by the fact that, at the last minute, Murdoch's Courier Mail newspapers in an editorial pondering the choice voters faced between two both supposedly "worthy opponents" "recommend(ed) a vote for Mr Rudd". I argue that the Murdoch newspaper, notwithstanding this editorial remained biassed against Labor because they failed again and again to inform its readers of the gross degree of misgovernance of the Howard Government. They parroted incessantly the lie that the Howard were better economic managers and better at managing Australia's defence, the two supposedly most important considerations. The latter flew completely in the face of well-known ongoing defence equipment procurement scandals (see for example my article "The Myth of the Howard Government's Defence Competence" of 21 Nov 07 at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=6665) If the Murdoch newsmedia had told a fraction of the truth about the Howard Government, the landslide of 20 October would have been a wipeout, so it's overall role in the 2007 elections, notwithstanding it's occasional pretence at pro-Labor reporting, was extremely pro-Howard.

(tobecontinued)
Posted by daggett, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 9:07:42 AM
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(continuedfromabove)

To maintain its value as a propaganda tool serving the wealthy elites of Australia and overseas, the Murdoch newsmedia does need to occasionally appear to take a pro-Labor stance. Sometimes it even went further and posed as a fiercely independent critic sometimes to the left, rather than to the right, of the Howard Government, hence its largely good (but ultimately flawed and self-serving) coverage of the AWB scandal (of course almost forgotten by the time of the 2007 election).

I have had a bit more to say about the media particularly the Murdoch newsmedia at: http://candobetter.org/PropagandaWatch

Now that Labor has formed the Federal Government in spite of its hard efforts to prevent that from happening, the Murdoch Newsmedia can be relied upon to work overtime to ensure that the Rudd Government's policies are as right-wing and pro-business as possible.

---

My thoughts about the supposed left wing bias of the ABC under John Howard may be of interest at http://candobetter.org/node/17
Posted by daggett, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 9:10:24 AM
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There is a problem with the mass media, This problem becomes bigger and bigger, as the mass media controlled from less and less corporations, internationally.
Murdoch has controlled a huge part of the mass media worldwide and he used his media as propaganda machine, in the war in Iraq. You remember all the lies for the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I can not understand why Murdoch's corporation gave for free thousands of newspapers in Paris, before the war in Iraq. Why?
They control our information, they decide if, when, how and what information to give us, they create and control the public opinion. They have huge power to press the political parties, the political leaders, it is very easy for them to promote their own benefits and become even stronger!!
Our freedom of expression is very weak it depends on the corporations of the mass media. They decide what, when, how and if they publish or not our comments, our thoughts, our dreams.
Our democracy is extremely weak, our democracy is captivated by the corporations that control the mass media.
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide
Posted by ASymeonakis, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 8:40:57 PM
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The last three posts are of interest and in my view very true Murdock is biased against my party the ALP.
He always has been he always will be , the description of his Medea's last minute switch is also spot on.
But his bias did its best in every state yet NSW an Queensland gave the best ALP results.
My question then is, why did it work so well for conservatives in WA?
Clearly it did not we the ALP did poorly on the back of some truly dreadful events.
Do those who share my passion for the ALP think we can perform badly yet win?
Is it not true we overcame biases in every state except WA?
Did the Brian Burk mess play a bigger part than biased Medea in our poor showing?
Surely my party right or wrong is bad for that party? we must hold ourselves accountable for our faults or never improve.
Posted by Belly, Thursday, 24 January 2008 3:21:57 AM
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