The Australian Outs Shier....

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Friends of the ABC : One Thread

It's interesting that it was The Australian that has been instrumental in exposing the inadequacies of Jonathon Shier at the ABC. Although FABC has worked long and hard, it was The Australian making Shiers inadequacies a front page story that really gave the issue the high media profile it deserved. This is a news organisation owned by Rupert Murdoch, whose papers do not have the best reputation for investigative journalism (to put it mildly). Also several of his other news organisations are well known for their strong conservative bias, the classic case being the Fox News Network. Anyone who watches Fox News (via Foxtel) will know what I'm talking about. Apparently you can't get a job at Fox without being a card carrying member of the American Republican party. For more info on Fox's bias go to www.fair.org

So why is Murdochs paper effectively dealing body blows to a Liberal stacked ABC board? Most conservatives can't stand the ABC, they perceive it as biased. Is it simply a case of investigative journalism still being alive and kicking? Was it simply to good a story to pass up? Maybe a cynical grab for credibility? Is Rupert Murdoch trying to gain favour with anti-Shier forces in the Government for some reason? Does Murdoch have some other secret agenda?

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2001

Answers

Stewart, I just don't know. Certainly the Australian editorial has carried a line more than once about the so-called ABC 'culture' and how it needs reforming, whether or not Shier is the right person to do it. And Frank Devine gets a run regularly, whose views on most subjects are rather predictable and who apparently not long ago dropped any pretence (thank goodness) and made his views plain about whether the ABC should continue to exist. But it is certainly true that we also owe heaps to journalists such as Errol Simper and Amanda Meade who have been absolutely instrumental in keeping essential Public Broadcasting issues in the public eye. There is no reason so far to doubt the genuineness of the sentiments expressed in numerous articles written by them. I can only assume that until further information comes to light, that individual journalists working for the Australian are allowed some individual expression.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

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