When a government exercises significant influence over media outlets, propaganda and alternative facts easily become the message that people hear.
Category Archives: the media
Equity in the media
We are not there yet
Sometimes we fool ourselves that equity is being treated seriously by most sector of society.
clarifying Macron
Just so no one gets confused…
A WORD or TWO on Facebook
Check out links to news from our Facebook page.. click here
ABC heritage under attack
A WORD or TWO on Facebook
Check out links to news from our Facebook page.. click here
A WORD or TWO on Facebook
Check out links to news from our Facebook page.. click here
The New Yorker
A great magazine cover!
photoshop gone wrong
This is an official white house photo (or at least a cropped version)
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt Pepper’s 50th birthday
I cannot be! That it is 50 years since at around 11pm when I was suppose to be asleep in bed, that I heard this music coming from the lounge room.
Scientists say – what?
It had to happen. According to recent reports – roast potatoes were in the frame for causing cancer. Science says…
Trumpland gets even weirder
OMG – is this really 2017 – or 1984. Click on image for the story
Trump and the media
click on the image for the wise words about dealing with Trump
Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey‘s new posters
click on the image for the story behind these ‘we the people’ posters
The Media
Did Media Literacy Backfire?
click on the image for the article
Journalism
A word or two on the media and journalism – click on the image above
Journalism
What’s wrong with journalism today?
Picking up on an online article by Dr Martin Hirst where he lays out some of the problems with journalisms – I offer the following additional thoughts.
The ABC being Turnbulled
click on the image for The Guardian story – and weep about how Turnbull has set the ACB up to be dragged into the gutter.
more threats to the ABC
Changes to Radio National are gutting a cultural treasure trove
Siobhan McHugh, University of Wollongong (this article originally published by The Conversation)
Why all the super buzz about the supermoon?
Trust your ABC – no longer
A report that signals the ever increasing problems Australians have with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (the ABC) inaccurate reporting on issues.
The Art Newspaper – Still Wrong on The Bishop Museum
An update on the issue of a misleading article in The Art Newspaper. Click here and scroll down the page to see the latest on this story
The Art Newspaper – Wrong about The Bishop Museum
An open letter to The Art Newspaper( 29 July) plus correspondence (5 August 2016)
Over many years I have accessed the Art Newspaper and when appropriate have either passed on links or have posted articles online that have links back to the Art Newspaper.
Continue reading The Art Newspaper – Wrong about The Bishop Museum
Clive James
Trump Baby
Another sign of wonder. This one we came upon while walking down a street in Auckland. That hair should be a registered trademark.
Quentin Dempster’s ABC rally speech
click on image for the speech – and for anyone who still hangs on to any trust in Malcolm Turnbull – please note Quentin’s very accurate description of this lousy person.
Obama and the Realities of the Media
Comment on the main stream press churnalism
Australia, as with most western countries, suffers because of the death of real journalism. This has been mentioned before in particular with Nick Davies’ book, Flat Earth News – click here.
In Australia the main stream press is quite diligent in ensuring that any real social equity and justice issues are panned as being not relevant if they are mentioned at all. The media have a history of defining and then pursuing a neo-conservative agenda.
Journalism in Australia
Comment on Australian Journalism
I have long been disappointed by the quality of Australian journalism. This includes the quality of the work being done through the ABC as well as most mainstream media. It has become far to easy to churn out any story without checking facts.
Hack Attack Nick Davies
2nd Notice: New Book
Hack Attack by Nick Davies
Just to remind you that this book is worth reading. Sadly the ending is a bit depressing in that Nick considers the power elite have reshuffled a little but carry on a s before.
It has also been interesting to read the story of Rebecca Brooks. The question has been posed elsewhere, was she just a user of the corporate and political systems in order to climb the ladder to join the ranks of those in power?
When news gets weird
Commentary: when the news gets weird
Most days the news is too predictable in that most sources simply churn out whatever the others are churning out.
Michael Moore of Canberra
Commentary: Articles by Michael Moore of Canberra
I have mentioned articles written by a local, Michael Moore. While he holds down a very busy job in health, he continues to devote serious time to punching out thoughtful articles in one of the local free newspapers. They are most welcomed.
The Saturday Paper
Review: Media
the SATURDAY PAPER
I am recommending that you read a couple of articles in last weekend’s Saturday Paper. As a general comment, The Saturday Paper is a good read. At times the combined effect of their well written articles about current issues can be a little depressing. Australia’s has one of its worst governments and most commentators are doing the right thing in examining just how much trouble these people are causing the country. It is not good news. My preference is that I would like to see more regular articles on the visual arts!
Team Australia
click on the image for the First Dog on the Moon Cartoon
Nick Davies Hack Attack
Notice: New Book
Hack Attack by Nick Davies
I had read and reviewed Nick Davies former revelatory book, click here. Now Nick follows through with the more worrying story of the damage that has been done to the media following the phone hacking scandals.
Murdoch
INSIDE STORY
The battle of Mort Street
A story about newspapers in Canberra: with both the Canberra Times and Murdoch’s new The Australian going into battle on Mort Street Braddon.
Click here to go to The Inside Story.
Annabel Crabb
Comment: Book Reviews
Annabel Crabb and the reviews of Hilary Clinton’s Book, Hard Choices
There’s a good chance that I will not buy Hilary Clinton’s Book, Hard Choices. I admit to not reading any of these large political biographies. I do however often follow the media’s comments on such productions to sense just how the media treats the authors (even if they are mostly ghost writers).
You Must Read The Monthly
REVIEW: The Monthly
This is a recommended read this month
This is not to say that it isn’t a good read in other months, but the July 2014 issue is definitely a sit and read from cover to cover!
for instance:
Murdoch Power & Money
Comment: Murdoch Power wins again
The saga of the phone hacking trial has delivered verdicts based on the evidence that was presented and accepted. The difficulty was always going to be that Murdoch power and money could always outdo the resources of those trying to make the charges stick.
Doing Murdoch’s dirty work
Comment: On how the ABC continues to do Murdoch’s dirty work.
A couple of nights ago on the ABC’s 7.30 Report, the program’s presenter, Sarah Ferguson, interviewed the Palmer United Party senator-elect Dio Wang. Much has been made of this interview with much scorn heaped on Dio Wang for his somewhat naive responses and that he stated he was not across many of the financial details that Sarah Ferguson indicated that he should have been.
For me this was of little interest compared to the far more serious issue at play.
Guardian Australia first birthday
News: Guardian Australia celebrates first birthday
definitely worth celebrating – click on image
The Saturday Paper
Review: Media
the SATURDAY PAPER
These are our comments on the Schwartz Media weekly publication, The Saturday Paper. It is available in most states and is also available in a subscription online version. (this version revised 14 May 2014)
Murdoch UK
Reminder: of dirty deeds done by Murdoch & co
Just in case you have let this nasty affair slip from your radar
Read the latest by clicking on the image right. (or here)
I love the proposition about her being ‘complete fool!’
The News, A Reader’s Manual
Review: Book
The News, A Reader’s Manual. Alain De Botton
I have pondered on how to react to this little book. It is not really a User’s Manual. It is more of a reality check on what is happening with the news and those who publish it every minute of the day and night.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in thinking again about the news and how news is selected and presented. However I suggest that if you are such a person, then there is a good chance that you are the sort of person who is thinking along these lines already. So why read this book?
Updating on George Pell
Updating on the outing of the evil ones
We had previously reported on the great work being done by David Marr on providing some of the real stories behind the outing of the evil ones involved in the criminal activities of child abuse in Australia.
Here’s the link to the former post on this blog – click here.
Hot News
Notice: Hot News Items
In an effort to keep everyone abreast of the most important current hot news, here are two items recently reported through the media.
One concerns a local incident, and the other from north Queensland. Plus there’s two more that have arrived as this post was being prepared.
This is serious stuff. So please brace yourself for the shocks.
America the Beautiful
The truth is out there
Follow Up to previous post on this subject – Click here
Last week I wrote about the Superbowl advertising and how the Coca Cola advertisement had caused a backlash from the right-wing nut jobs. This of course was good advertising for Coke.
Click here for my original post.
The nut jobs launched themselves online to go on about how English is the language for America. Well that’s what they say. The same groups are anti everything else; gay marriage, equal right, migration – the lists goes on.
superbowl advertisements
Comment: on the wonders of two 2014 Superbowl advertisements
First a declaration. I know almost nothing about sport. I have no interest in sport. The whole ‘Superbowl’ thing is of interest in a very limited basis in that it is such a weird cultural phenomenon. It and large sporting events like it are way beyond my interest and understanding.
In the lead up to the 2014 Superbowl I noticed the occasional comment relating to how people were looking forward to viewing the Superbowl advertisements. This I found very strange.
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Opinion:
Be Afraid, be Very Afraid of balance as provided by the ABC
Once upon a time I was a rusted on ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) watcher. I relied on the ABC, and SBS, for most of my news and current affairs.
Over time as a reaction to the style of gotcha journalism that became the norm on the ABC, radio and TV, I started watching less and less. Today as the result of this quiet reduction in watching and listening to the ABC, I have found that I now routinely do not watch or listen to the ABC.
Judeo-Christian
Opinion: what is the government doing?
and now we have a misuse of the term Judea-Christian
I would recommend first reading the Wikipedia contributions on the use of the term, Judea-Christian (click on the image).
This term, Judea-Christian, is being thrown about by our Rabbott government and its appointed camp followers who are to review the yet to be implemented National Schools Curriculum.
There is now doubt that this carefully orchestrated use of the term Judea-Christian is in fact a nasty stirring up of discrimination.
Cultural Writing
Opinion: Cultural Criticism
The current state of Cultural Reviews and Critical Comment
Recently the Guardian ran an opinion piece on the Barangaroo development on the eastern edge of Sydney’s CBD. The author pointed out that she had been involved in the project.
I suggest that the author failed to declare that they had been more than just simply ‘involved’. In fact they had been a leading professional on the team that had won the design competition, that had then seen their designs criticised publicly by people such as Paul Keating, then had their wining design rejected by the client and a new design developed and the contracts awarded to other teams.
The Media
Opinion: The state of Australian Media
The Democracy experiment continues to be under threat
An article from the Asia Sentinel hits the mark on the media issues in Australia.
A milestone of a dubious kind was passed in Australia recently when it was discovered that the number of public relations practitioners had for the first time exceeded the number of journalists actually working as reporters and editors. (Hamish McDonald)
The full article is a good read. Click here.
Blame everyone else
Amazingly Stupid People can still get headlines
Yes those retail dinosaurs are still with us.
All those stupid consumers were supposed to spend up big after the recent federal election. The election of the Rabbott was supposed to bring about a boost to consumer confidence.
Murdoch
Review: Magazine Article
The Monthly November 2013, The Power of One, Robert Manne
Before I picked up this issue of The Monthly, I knew that the great democracy experiment was not doing so well. I appreciated that Australia, along with the UK and USA, is now dominated by the political views and priorities of one person, Rupert Murdoch. I knew that in Australia the governments that are elected are more likely to be those chosen by one man; or to be more accurate, those that fall are more likely to have been pushed, or destroyed, by one person and his empire.
I did not think I needed to read another article about Rupert Murdoch. I knew enough already. I was wrong.
Flat Earth News
Review: Book
Flat Earth News, Nick Davies 2009
Just when you though the media and news reporting was crap, along comes a book that proves your worst thoughts on current journalism.
Nick Davies went out on limb as he has criticised his own profession. I suspect he did not win too many friends.
He was reporting on the facts based on his own research and experiences from inside the tent on what had happened to contemporary journalism and why we are now subject to so much ‘churnalism’. Continue reading Flat Earth News
Media (2)
Very topical speech, reproduced online in the Guardian Australia.
Katharine Viner, deputy editor of the Guardian and editor-in-chief of Guardian Australia, has reproduced her speech on The rise of the reader: journalism in the age of the open web.
It is long. A good read.
Truth is out there?
Julia’s ‘murderous rage’
An article in a paper today by Alecia Simmonds stopped me in my tracks.
In the piece she discusses the reporting of the conversation between Anne Summers and Julia Gillard in Sydney. Alecia questions why the reporting concentrated on the statement by Julia when she referred to ‘murderous rage’. Alecia point was that such reporting was about manufacturing controversy yet again. There remains so many celebratory aspects of this event to be highlighted and discussed but too many reporters have yet again chosen to concentrate on making a headline as some form of criticism.