When will the ABC stop promoting Murdoch?

The following email we just sent to ABC Coast FM is self explanatory:

Hi!

We are regular listeners to the station and enjoy your musical selections and local coverage.

This is not a complaint, just a question and a point: Today you referred listeners to "news.com.au" and promoted the comments about the $90Million Lotto prize. Isn't that kind of product placement or promotion of the News Limited website in breach, or very close to a breach, of the ABC Act or editorial code of conduct?

Just for clarity, we believe the Murdoch media to be a very dangerous and unnaccountable blight on our democracy, society and journalism.

We look forward to your response for OUR website (feel free to refer your listeners to it, if there is in fact no problem with such references):

www.stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/

Regards,

Fresh preedom and your night to row

Mate. the emperor has no clothes

If you really want to advance press freedom in Australia, the $75/$55 you are considering spending to hear what the Chairman and CEO of News Ltd. has to say about it at the National Press Club would be better spent on genuinely independent media.

Consider subscribing to a community radio station or placing an advertisement in your local independent paper.

Who is Steve Lewis?

"After the party
You took me back to your parlour.
A little nervous laughter
Locking the door.
My stockings fall
Onto the floor.
Desperate for more."

'Feel It', Kate Bush [1978]

We're waiting for Kerry O'Brien, Tony Jones, Leigh Sales, Barrie Cassidy or Virginia Trioli to interview Steve Lewis, or even mention the intrusive role of the Murdoch organisation in our politics.

They always have these fuckers on their shows to broadcast their opinions, so why not have them on to grill them a little?

'7.30 Report' asked Annabel Crabb for her opinion, and all we know now is that we don't have to read her well researched essay about the Opposition Leader.

What gives?

FLASHBACK (from the Murdoch biased but taxpayer-funded 'Insiders' of 6/6/2004):

PAUL KELLY: I don't know what the two leaders said to one another during their talks. John Howard said afterwards when we asked him, that Mark Latham's policy was not discussed at all. But what I do know, as far as the media is concerned, is that there was no sense of set up or conspiracy at all. The question to Bush was asked by my colleague Steve Lewis from the Australian. I was standing next to him at the time in the Rose Garden, we discussed the question. There was no pre-warning at all to either Bush or Howard and any suggestion that there was pre-warning or there was some sort of media set up is quite forth and absurd.

BARRIE CASSIDY: Well, OK, what are the implications of the statement? You've already written that in fact, the President in effect put the alliance on the line?

PAUL KELLY: I think the main implication here is the extent of President Bush's concern about Mark Latham's Iraq policy. As far as George Bush is concerned, Iraq is the main project of his presidency. It's the main issue in global politics today and the American administration is concerned at the prospect that Mark Latham might go to an election in Australia, campaign on bringing the troops home, win and in fact implement that policy. And there is no doubt that if that happened it would in a psychological and a political sense undermine the Bush position. I think the second reason for concern as far as the administration is concerned is that they are worried about Mark Latham's vision of the alliance, they are confused and uncertain about what that vision is but they suspect on the basis of what he has said so far that he wants to downgrade the alliance.

"UTE Gate"? Implausible Deniability

Are the AFP investigating News Ltd.?

Only Jonathon Holmes from the ABC's 'Media Watch' went close to the real point. So, there is "the e-mail", which Turnbull says he was told about, Senator Eric Abetz appeared to have a copy of, a Murdoch staffer seems to have, Godwin Grech says he recalls but can't find and Murdoch's papers have run as a front-page story (of course, the ABC can't do journalism anymore so they just follow the Murdoch lead).

Now we are told that the AFP say "the e-mail" was sent to Godwin Grech's home e-mail from his place of employ. So? That could mean all sorts of things, but what it doesn't spell out for everyone is the obvious problem: How did it get the kind of publicity Murdoch's most famous lie, "The Hitler Diaries", got when everyone now is trying to say they never saw it?

Glenn Milne's 'Latham Sex Video' and the 'Herald Sun' Pauline Hanson nude photos were also Murdoch fabrications. Apart from settling out of Court with confidentiality, these people are never properly held accountable.

So, in this latest example of how badly a mono-media serves your democracy, what can you do?

Don't worry, you don't really have to do anything. In fact, we are gathering evidence that you are already doing just that! Yay, you!

We have noticed enormous amounts of unpurchased Murdoch muck bundled up outside Newsagents and shops all around the place and we are working on recording just how many of these horrible rags are wastefully printed every day, just so that Murdoch can screw more advertising dollars out of sadly credulous businesses [there is, of course, another matter and that is why so much advertising appears in his papers for government and big business and whether they pay the same rates as small and medium businesses for ads, but we'll come back to this later - Howard spent hundreds of millions of your dollars with Murdoch, we don't know how much the 'Harvey Norman' spend is].

Please send any photos of these bundled up piles of "returns" with the date and general location. Perhaps we can actually demonstrate to the advertisers what a waste of money and credibility it is to give their money to Murdoch.

If they see that he has such scorn for genuine journalism, we might just be able to bring back economically viable journalism. One hundred years ago Brisbane had heaps of viable newspapers. If we are to get back any kind of corporate and government accountability, and journalistic independence and integrity into a balance which can work, we need first to undo the mono-media model. Without the Brisbane, Queensland and Federal Government's financial support of Murdoch's monopoly, you might just have a chance at having some real newspapers.

Just to make a point: Today (22/6/09) your federal House of Representatives spent about 3 hours of your tax-funded time on crazy point scoring based on a Murdoch fabrication. Nothing was actually done for this country.

Who runs this place?

Send those photos, and we will not only publish them but perhaps send them on to the small businesses paying through the nose to advertise in all those unread rags!


From Hansard [22/6/09]:

Senator CARR—Once again I would urge Senator Mason to protect his own reputation here by not relying on reports that he reads in the Australian, because on each and every occasion to date it has been demonstrated that those reports have not been accurate in their presentation.

What's wrong with this story?

Scientists fear pollution may have killed off up to 6000ha of mangroves in Moreton Bay _ trees vital in maintaining fish and healthy foreshore areas.

The loss over five years equates to as much as 20 per cent of the bay's mangroves.

Stark forests of dead mangroves range from North Stradbroke Island in the south to Redcliffe in the north and the city's edge at the Port of Brisbane.

As trees die, the soil sinks around them, causing foul ponds in which nothing regenerates.

University of Queensland wetlands specialist Norm Duke said yesterday it was first thought drought was the issue but it appeared the cause was far more complex.

One theory was that cancerous pollution or chemical spraying for mosquitoes was killing tiny fauna such as crabs, molluscs and worms that lived in the soil around the trees. Mangroves need the creatures to aerate the soil and transfer nutrients.

"As a result of this change, we might be getting faster breakdown of root material," Dr Duke said...

What is wrong with this story? We don't know! But there must be something wrong with it because Murdoch never publishes anything without an ulterior motive. We are left with conjecture.

Perhaps Brian Williams has been let of the leash to shore up Murdoch's enviro-hating image? Perhaps it's a kind of extortion (bank bashing = cash for comment) type of tactic by News Limited? It is highly probable on past experience that it is a bizarre segue into some greenwashing of one sort or another, but we are 99.9% certain of one thing: it is never genuine journalism when "fair and balanced" Murdoch is involved.

Murdoch's hordes all survive because they rely on the tendency of decent people to tolerate, and politely accept, obscene and vulgar members of their own circle. These people are NOT your circle, they are a bunch of fascist enablers and they have no in place honest discourse, as they have proven over and over again.

Murdoch's people are exactly like the child molester who is well known to the family, tolerated despite his outrageous behaviour, and ultimately completely destructive. They deserve their place in society as much as the pedophile, mass murderer and terrorist does, but they must also be treated accordingly.

Murdoch's people have given up any right to be heard as decent voices. Sure, they will still be heard, but are always tainted by association.

Wait and watch to see how this atory unfolds.

You Pay Tax So Murdoch Can Tell You How It Is In Iran

"We'll look forward to reading your article in 'The Australian' tomorrow," said Leigh Sales.

Speak for yourself, nobody with a brain reads that rubbish for anything other than laugh value. Let's be honest (a virtue unknown to Murdoch operatives), the few people who read that rot only do so because they get it for free, and they view it with the contempt it deserves.

When exactly does some person or media organisation lose credibility? The Murdoch outlets have completely lost any claim to it. The ABC is getting dangerously close to it, going by its obvious pro-Murdoch bias.

Leigh Sales' interview with former CIA agent Robert Baer was all we needed.

Murdoch's media is corroding democracy.

The climate nightmare is real and it is happening now

Senator Christine Milne addressing the National Press Club [17/6/09]

"I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains. I do not wish to go below now." Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Greens Senator Christine Milne addressed the National Press Club today. In her presentation, which was titled - 'The New Culture Wars' - she explained why the Greens do not support the Government's proposed CPRS legislation.

"A failure to agree is better than an agreement to fail," she said.

The Greens are calling for a 350 ppm reduction in carbon emissions and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Senator Milne acknowledged community anger and feelings of powerlessness in the face of taxpayer dollars being handed to polluters rather than the community.

Interestingly, the Senator also referred to a bilateral agreement between China and the U.S. on renewable energy.

The following journalists asked questions:

Simon Grose - 'Science Media'
Peter Williams - 'The West Australian'
Cathy Alexander - AAP
Deborah Nesbitt - Thompson Reuters
Bernard Keane - 'Crikey!'
Sophie Morris - 'Australian Financial Review'

Ask yourself why no News Ltd. or ABC journalists asked her any questions.

It's Time: For some new blood on the Australia Council Literature Board

Dr Imre Saluzinsky is a Rupert Murdoch mouthpiece. He is also the Chair of the Australia Council Literature Board.

This morning he was interviewed for the ABC's 'News Radio' program, and given substantial airtime to have a go at the unions in the context of state budgets.

He already has a paid forum for his point of view.

He has described the ABC as a "national hobby network for the left intelligentsia". (from 'Whose ABC? The Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1983 - 2006' by K. S. Inglis).

I don't think he likes you ABC so why keep interviewing him?

Write to the ABC and demand that they stop using Murdoch staff.

"...picked up my copy of 'The OZ'....." - Kevin Rudd PM

Murdoch's Law again:

SABRA LANE: His opponents say while the PM's well versed in Mandarin, this is a bad attempt to level with voters because it sounds false. And the editor of the Macquarie Dictionary Sue Butler says it does sound odd, because Mr Rudd's mangled two sayings.

SUE BUTLER: He's done a double appeal for reasons of fairness justice by putting two phrases together. One phrase is "fair shake of the dice" and sometimes you get "fair shake of the stick". The other is "fair suck of the sauce bottle". Sometimes you get "fair suck of the sav".

But there are definitely the two underlying phrases: "fair shake of the dice" and "fair suck of the sauce bottle" and Mr Rudd has run them both together.

SABRA LANE: At a book launch in Sydney Mr Rudd responded to reports about his use of the vernacular.

KEVIN RUDD: I was criticised for using some Australianisms and I'd just say to... well I was having and dad and Dave this morning... that's a shave... and picked up my copy of The Oz and saw, it was George Megalogenis having a go at me and I thought, fair crack of the whip.

(Sound of laughter)

Don't come the raw prawn with me George.

SABRA LANE: Funnily enough, transcribers in his own office had problems with that - describing "raw prawn" as "royal prawns". Strewth!

MARK COLVIN: Starve a lizard - Sabra Lane.

As well as his embarrassing butchering of the vernacular, what's really disturbing is that our PM was speaking at the launch of a Harper Collins (Murdoch's book publishing empire) book - Peter FitzSimon's latest, 'Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men'. Once again, an Australian politician demonstrates Murdoch's stranglehold over our entire political and cultural scene:

"...well I was having and dad and Dave this morning... that's a shave... and picked up my copy of The Oz... "

Makes it sound like this is something all Australians do as part of their morning ritual i.e. oblutions then peruse the right-wing propaganda over their coffee and toast.

We don't.

In fact, circulation figures are plummeting at all of Murdoch's right-wing propaganda sheets.

Stop Murdoch Running Our Government and ABC

What gives this guy the right to lecture our politicians and the ABC?

"In another sign the global financial crisis may be easing, many big US banks have been given the all clear to repay the billions they received in government bailout money.

Critics, including news Corporation chief executive Rupert Murdoch, say the government should now remove itself altogether from the private sector. [We don't think he means they should stop funding private schools, private health providers, the fossil fuel industry or government advertising to Murdoch media - Ed.]"

You have to have a special amount of stupidly naive to take this on its face.

Murdoch is spruiking the fascist/neocon line: 'Hi taxpayers, thanks for the $12Trillion, didn't really need it anyway, now bugger off with your prying eyes and stupid damaging "regulation", "oversight" and "accountability", which everyone knows is bad for the economy.'

Those 'Free Market Fundamentalists' will never give up, they are like that junkie sister who keeps robbing from you while sneering at you for both your pathetic stupidity, and, your bleeding heart idealism. And, just like the family junkie, it is time they went cold turkey and face the consequences of their own actions.

Unfortunately, unlike the family junkie, they have guns, politicians, police and army, newspapers and TV stations at their disposal, so they will continue to get whatever they want at your expense. And you will keep putting up with it.

As that annoying bastard Billy Connolly says in those ING ads: "WHY?"

Why? Because you are stupid. Now, what are you going to do about it?

Murdoch's Law - Part II

I see robots ...

The Minister for Superannuation and Financial Services defends the interests of the Superannuation Industry over the hard earned savings of Australians on the ABC's '7.30 Report', then to add insult to injury breaks "Murdoch's Law":

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, Kerry, look, 'The Australian', the financial editor of 'The Australian', Andrew Main, has said the Government's handled the issue very well in terms of dealing with the industry concerns. We've listened, we've sat down with industry and we've said, "OK, we won't walk away from the fundamental tenant of the Budget measure," which was to raise a significant amount of money and to protect the revenue base and ensure everyone's paying their fair share of tax. Now we've got a measure which does that, and which by and large - you'll never please everybody - which by and large, most reasonable commentators have said, achieve those objectives in a way which they can live with. So we have - this is not an easy issue, we've got a real obligation to protect the revenue base and ensure everybody's paying their fair share of tax. That's never going to be uncontroversial, Kerry. That's never going to be easy to do.

And.

From 'Waiting In Vain', Germaine Greer responds to Kevin Rudd's essay on neoliberalism in 'Overland' (Issue 195):

"Australians detest being patronised. Giving people $950 and telling them to run off and spend it is about as patronising as it gets, especially when the money you're being given is your own, in theory at least. Nothing was said about the most vulnerable segment of the population - pensioners living on fixed income, who desperately need some assurance that they are not faced with utter destitution. What provident Australians would appreciate is some sort of guarantee against the white-anting of their assets and investments, but this Rudd could not give. In Australia more people have more money invested in managed funds than anywhere else in the world; the performance of $1.7 trillion invested in 300,000 financial entities is monitored at a distance by four separate regulatory bodies, only one of which is concerned with consumer protection. The Australian superannuation inudstry is now vast, complex and opaque, and all Australian workers, however squeezed, have no option but to see 9 per cent of their earnings disappear into it."

Don't Do The Corporate Media's Work For Free

Use your finger to send them the right message

"Your cellphone, your wallet, your time, your ideas
No barcode, no party, no iodine, no beers
your bankcard, your license, your thoughts, your fears
no simcard, no disco, no photo, not here
your blood, your sweat, your passions, your regrets
your office, your timeoff, your fashions, your sex
your tits, your pass, your face, your ass."

'We Want Your Soul' Adam Freeland [2003]

They have enough resources to get off their bums to go and get footage and photos of fires, natural disasters, nature shots, celebrities misbehaving etc... They should PAY for freelance work, that's what freelance is all about. After all, they're the ones who constantly tell you about the joys of the free market, they just never mention that your "free" work is what they profitably "market."

If you have the the technology, inclination, desire and ability to do this, you obviously have the capacity to set up your own blog or website. Make sure you clearly retain "copyright" over all material and sue them if they use it without payment.

In addition, don't participate in their on-line forums or comment on their stories. It only helps them own the public discussion of every issue. That is certainly not how a democracy works and Rupert of all people knows that.

Grassroots astroturf greenwash? You decide.

Greenfest is being held in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens this weekend.

A quick look at the program reveals Graham Readfearn from the 'Courier-Mail' is speaking at two sessions about blogging:

Courier-Mail's environment blogger Graham Readfearn sorts the green from the green-wash and the eco from the no-go.

Readfearn writes across all sections of the Courier Mail newspaper, most often the daily CM2 section, and online

At Greenfest, Readfern will conduct "So you think you can Blog" on Friday, 5th June, 8pm and Sunday 7th June 10am at Converga Green Economy Hub.

If you care about the environment, and freedom of expression, you should boycott these events.

If you can't help yourself, and feel you must attend, please ask him this question:

"What on earth did Rupert Murdoch mean when, in the Boyer Lecture, he talked about News Ltd.'s "Eye Degree", (or maybe it was "I Degree")?"

Another question might be, "Why is the blogsphere wetting its pants over 'The Punch?"

We don't remember News Ltd. promoting any independent websites or blogs.

Murdoch's Law

When a politician quotes a Murdoch newspaper or Murdoch himself, they lose the argument - especially in relation to climate change and/or the economy:

Here are three examples from one day alone in Parliament.

From House of Representatives hansard [3/6/09]:

Warren Truss, Leader of the Nationals and member for Wide Bay:

"But, for those who still have doubts that we should be taking action to combat climate change, let me remind you that we all take out insurance policies, even though we hope we will never need them. In the words of Rupert Murdoch, ‘the planet deserves the benefit of the doubt’."

Kay Hull, Chief Nationals Whip and member for Riverina:

"As Rupert Murdoch has suggested, Australia’s emphasis should be on practical solutions. He said:

'The ultimate solution is not to punish the Australian economy by imposing standards that the rest of the world will never meet.'"

Joanna Gash, member for Gilmore:

"Rupert Murdoch suggested that Australia’s emphasis should be on practical solutions. He said:

'The ultimate solution is not to punish the Australian economy by imposing standards that the rest of the world will never meet. It’s to take the lead in developing real alternatives to solve the problem by offering clean, cheap energy to meet the growing demand.'"

Half the coalition were quoting Professor Ian Plimer to support their "deny" positions, the other half were quoting Murdoch to push the "delay" position.

Keep an eye on your local representative.

If Murdoch told them to stick their head in the oven they would.