Dear Otokonoko,

What the media brings into our homes is highly
selective or distorted. News programs tend to feature
visually exciting or emotionally moving stories that
will draw in large audiences - even if this means
omitting issues that are more sober but more significant.
And with today's technology - photographs can be made
to portray whatever emotion is wanted - so the supposed
look of fear on the PM's face - is open to interpretation.
If I tripped and fell and lost a shoe and was caught by
a bodyguard - the look on my face would be one of panic
as well. Had the PM not tripped - the media would have
found another "newsworthy" controversial
photo of someone else for their front pages.
They could make anyone look like a lunatic if they
chose to do so - even Mr Abbott.

As for the callous comments by Laurie Oakes writing for
The Herald Sun - again, were there no positive comments in
the entire crowd - only "callous" ones? Why did we not
see the peaceful march photos - which was the major part of
the demonstration. I guess they're not very exciting.

There's always two sides to each story and as celebrities
have testified in the past - rarely do we get the full
truth of what actually took place. As you stated - our
media has a lot to answer for. I wonder whether the
Aboriginal Leadership intends to take a class action
against the media for the way they were misrepresented?
I'm sure there would be plenty of law firms willing to
take on the job on their behalf. It just may teach the press
something about responsible reporting.

[PDF]
Constructing Aboriginality: Archibald Meston's Literary Journalism ...
www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/jasal/article/download/.../38

Haven't read it yet but sounds interesting

Dear, sweet lexi,

Come on, surely we've both been on enough demos to realise that a bit of biff and police action - especially if it gets filmed - is just what we want ? There's nothing so dreary and frustrating as a demo which starts and ends peacefully, all that buggerising around to get it going and then it sort of fizzles and we all head off for the pub, telling each other what a great day it's been. We remember the good ones by the amount of 'action' we could provoke, let's be honest.

The point of a demo is to cause some hassle and get it in the paper and on TV. Isn't that so ? Please let's not pretend that this was all started by Abbott making his entirely reasonable comment, or by police provocateurs, or by the media: people got stuck in, and kept it kicking along: I'll bet the conversations later turned on the 'success' of the event, how they had really shoved it up the whitefellas: "Did you see the look on Gillard's face?" "Yeah, even Tony was sh1tting himself." "Yuk, yuk."

Meanwhile, what do you reckon Gillard and Abbott talked about in the back of the car, in relation to Constitutional change ?

A brilliant publicity coup for ..... somebody ....... or something .....

A typical misinformed riotous crowd, a bloody disgrace for the whole of Australia. When a riotous mob come at you unannounced, the police should have the right to open fire. There demonstrations, organized, but this was an act of mob rule, misinformed and uncalculated.

Loudmouth has it right. Lexi should stop reading the lefty rubbish in new matilda.

What do we have here? A bright spark, or more, from the PMs office seeking to cause embarrassment to Abbott for political advantage. A heavy union official and an aboriginal extremist and former greens candidate, to rev up the crowd, with misconscrewed info.

Then we have new matilda coming out with "oh no sir it wasn't us, we have done no wrong", except gloating and laughing about how we put fright into the two highest polys in the country.

Now we have a PM sacking one of her staff and saying he acted alone. That could be so but our PM does have a deserved reputation for lieing, so who is to believe her now?

Facts are it is another stunt and bright idea that has gone wrong for this government. This story and pics will not generate much support for either the government or the proposed changes to our constitution.

Another Labor stuff up!

Banjo I have stopped reading that rag, not having a shot at Lexi.
But is it, no less than the Murdock toilet paper press capable of only its view.
Bonmot,with respect, my thoughts on Abbott are unprintable, my thoughts on Shadow Minister, not as heated but he, is out of the Monty Python show is he not?
Consider this
Debate. conversation is quite like the Tower of Babble.
If we left of center posters, include lies, deliberate lies, to combat Abbott?
We then belong as he does in the local rubbish dump!
Australia day, the event is an every day one in hundreds of Aboriginal community's around this country.
As drunken people fight one another.
WATCH the deniers, watch them slam me, for telling the truth.
These few and the brain dead two from my side of the fence took us back by actions that stink.
RACISM, is it honestly used? or more likely abused, in conversations such as this, if it was trade unionists would we not want them in prison?
WHY must we be confronted with leftist crafted junk, that drives voters away from Labor Friends away from these people and conservatives into power?
Under standing views other than our own is far more important than just putting ours here.
You can not plant spuds and harvest pumpkins truth exists.