NathanJ welcome to the club.

Now you know how most of us feel when we somehow get onto an ABC TV or radio program, or a website.

You of course have the major advantage in the you don't have to pay for the stuff you don't like, the majority still have to pay for the ABC garbage, as well as be disgusted by it.

My main point to what other people have said re Andrew Bolt it that is isn't worth the energy. People can be doing a lot more good things in our community. I aim to promote and encourage that.

For example one day I spent 12 hours straight at a book sale raising money for a volunteer group I'm involved with. Good or bad?

In my view doing this is 100% better than petty comments - but do you know why people do it re praising or attacking Andrew Bolt - its a lot easier.

Just another point I'd like to raise is that there is so much misinformation out there or balance. Not everyone wants to be extremist left (i've seen them on the streets screming against religious protesters) or (right more wing like Andrew Bolt and his Liberal Party program that hates Labor, the Greens and the Palmer Party) - but, there is no "label" for myself - people, like myself just want to be individual, make change, see positive change worldwide and don't want to be "normal" or "boring".

NathanJ, "For example one day I spent 12 hours straight at a book sale raising money for a volunteer group I'm involved with. Good or bad?"

Good or bad rather depends on the aims and actions of the group you are involved with and its connections.

If it is providing a service to others that will help not harm and the lion's share of the money raised ends up at the sharp end and not in the organisers' pockets I would say good for you.

That shouldn't stop you from participating as all good citizens should in what is going on around you. You are free to express your views and should do so. What you should be opposing is any move to limit your free speech.

Hi Nathan

What, twelve hours ? Straight ? Wow. Phenomenal. Awesome. Cool. Maybe there's hope for Gen Y, after all :)

Keep it going !

Joe
www.firstsources.info

Nathan J>> People can't have any reasonable discussion with him. I won't read his opinions or watch his program ever again.<<

NJ, I have the same issue as you, my stomach churns at the mass media’s slanted view and their ability to totally disregard facts that do not fully corroborate their point of view. The media as a whole have become partisan, whether right or left, and the expectation of the public is for an unbiased press.

Opinions should be left to forums such as OLO and fact without comment should be the first priority of a mass media service. In bygone times the media left editorializing to a dedicated portion of their service, one they prominently declared as “editorial.” Today every reporter in every organization presents the facts as decreed by the team he is on.

When I was a kid Bob Santamaria had a slot on telly where he gave his opinion as does Bolt on the political issues of the day. He was an advocate for the working class but against the communist influenced Labor Movement. He was not on the side of the developer or entrepreneur, so not an advocate for the Liberal agenda. He was a staunch Catholic so Vatican policy did direct some of his opinions....but he was about as call a spade a spade as I have seen in the paid press....and that was fifty years ago.

I am not saying that the press not been a vehicle for partisan propaganda in the past, but the battle lines are now firmly drawn. Journalists should not be “with em or against em” they should report on what facts have presented to themselves only....but a lefty journalist has a snowball in hells chance of spruiking his diatribe in a right orientated media outlet. As does a right wing journo in our ABC....no facts other than those that suit the Left agenda emanate from the ABC these days.....and being a public broadcaster that’s a travesty.