Category: Politics

Errol Simper in todays Media section of The Australian says the current litany of accusations about bias in the ABC have nothing to do with the politics of left or right, as the ABC is all about the underdog and if that is seen as left journalism then so be it.

Well, your ancient correspondent obviously can’t speak for everyone. But he’d suggest a favoured journalistic position, whether you work for the ABC or somewhere else, is one broadly in sympathy with the deserving, honourable underdog. If that’s perceived as a variation on the Left-Right conundrum, perhaps it is. Either way, it coalesces with another journalistic responsibility: inclusiveness.

He goes on to quote the chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Service, Cassandra Goldie:

I agree the ABC has a special responsibility (to be accurate and fair). But it (also) has a special responsibility to make sure people who are not that powerful get their voices out there and heard.

Well she would say that, wouldn’t she – it’s her job?  But does the ABC  have this “special responsibility”? No, it doesn’t 6  Charter of the Corporation

(1)  The functions of the Corporation are:

(a)  to provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of national, commercial and community sectors and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:

(i)  broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and

(ii)  broadcasting programs of an educational nature;

(b)  to transmit to countries outside Australia broadcasting programs of news, current affairs, entertainment and cultural enrichment that will:

(i)  encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs; and

(ii)  enable Australian citizens living or travelling outside Australia to obtain information about Australian affairs and Australian attitudes on world affairs; and

(c)  to encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.

Simper, and Goldie are simply ignoring the issue.  Looking after the underdog has nothing to do with Left -Right ABC bias.  Just look at the media scramble over a bogan druggie being paroled in Bali. The issue is blatant bias when dealing with centre or right-of -centre journalists, or, for that matter,  anyone that criticises the ABC. Remember Chris Kenny?

Lawyers for Chris Kenny, a journalist and commentator with The Australian and Sky News, have lodged a statement of claim in the NSW Supreme Court against the ABC, Chaser presenter Andrew Hansen and production company Giant Dwarf for images and words broadcast on September 11 that referred to Kenny as “a dog f . . ker”.

The statement of claim also alleges the imputation the plaintiff’s “attacks on the ABC were so dishonorable . . . that he deserved to be compared to . . . a person who has sexual intercourse with a dog”. The ABC thinks it’s OK to call a journalist a dog f**ker;

In an interview on Melbourne radio station 774, ABC managing director Mark Scott said an internal review found the program, made by The Chaser team, did not breach the corporation’s editorial policies.

But when Piers Akerman responds to Barrie Cassidy raising the issue of Perth shock-jock Sattler talking about Julia Gillard’s boyfriend being gay it’s a different story. Akerman didn’t raise the issue, stated he disagreed with Sattler’s comments and apologised if anything he said could be construed as insulting. However;

It has emerged in an email sent to a member of the public by the ABC that the public broadcaster undertook a review of the broadcast on Sunday, June 16, 2013, which concluded that the comments made by Akerman were “inappropriate”.

The ABC sacked him. One could be forgiven for thinking that because the ABC supports open borders for foreign Centrelink applicants arriving by boat that they are rooting for the underdog.  What they are doing, in fact, is rooting for the Left Green factions that conveniently ignore the thousands of “underdogs” drowned during the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd debacle but instead spend weeks denigrating the poor sailors who are trying to save their lives. If it could possibly derail Abbott’s attempts to stop the boats, they will flog it to death even to the point of damaging diplomatic relationships with Indonesia.  Witness the traitor Snowdon’s revelations of Australia spying on Indonesia – no mention that it occurred during Rudd’s time – just keep on saying it and people will forget when it happened and blame the current incumbent, Abbott. Anything to make it harder for Abbott to achieve one of his election pledges – stop the boats. Even the ABC news broadcasts  show their bias.  Almost any item will cause them to hit their speed-dail for the relevant Greens Senator to give us the benefit of their wisdom…to give us theLeft/Green view of the subject. When Q & A, 7:30, Insiders and News 24 have equal representation of the left-right factions of politics I’ll stop harping on the subject but I can’t see that happening any time soon. If Errol Simper is really worried about the underdog, he should be barracking for everyone central or right of centre. We are the underdogs on the ABC.

The former chief of defence will replace Kevin Rudd appointee Quentin Bryce in late March. Standing alongside his wife Lynne in Canberra, General Cosgrove, 66, said he was “truly humbled” by the appointment. A General,a conservative and a man – the Left will hate it but Australia can now relax as we have a GG who will be for all the people in a non-ideological and pragmatic manner.  I doubt very much he’ll rattle on about a Republic as Bryce did whilst drawing the Queen’s money, nor would I expect him to be an activist for every feminist and gay group in the country. Good call, Abbott!