Post by jules on Jul 14, 2012 23:16:35 GMT 10
Tim Dunlop at the drum finds some flaws with an opinion by John Roskam at the AFR.
Dunlop points out that in a functioning democracy news is a product only as an afterthought. That an informed populace is its main aim, and that often entails situations that are not profitable - he basically points out why the ABC is so useful (tho at the moment it may seem crap to some of us,) and a necessary part of Australian public discourse.
He rightly points out that Australians do trust the ABC, even with its so called "leftist bias" and that the failure of commercial news orgs has something to do with a lack of trust. (They also fail to add value in the form of real cash worthy analysis, but that's neither here nor there.)
Roskam reckons news is a commercial product and the ABC is screwing its private competitors in a commercial market. Dunlop effectively shows this for the shite it is.
Roskam's article is quite flawed. It is in itself an example of why commercial media is failing, and has a strange loop quality.
ABC newspapers are non existent, but the Drum is their attempt at an online version of a "newspaper'. Since that is where the real stress is in the media these days (the papers) and Roskam is talking about News Ltd and Fairfax in light of the recent print upheavals its a fair comparison. A quick look at the drum reveals regular contributions from the IPA (Roskam's org), and, from among others, Peter Reith - that's right the well known Howard Govt leftist who is renowned as an enemy of the Coalition. The abc television arm broadcasts a program called The Business, a new version of Lateline Business. As of yet there's no Lateline Unions, or Lateline - a Socialist Perspective. So he's basically got that wrong. Totally.
So broad liberalism (which must include social and economic liberalism) - the motivation, I do believe, of the Liberal Party of Australia is now a leftist perspective. It was at this point I almost gave up and went to play pool.
However I struggled thru and found Roskam whining about the abc, then whinging about it, then having a good old gripe. All the while pushing questionable ideas - government-owned media company with its distinct political slant, self defeating arguments - The ABC’s rapidly expanding online presence duplicates what Fairfax and News already provide, but with one vital difference – the Fairfax and News sites are, or soon will be, behind a paywall. (I thought the difference was their pro ALP bias.) And gripes about democracy - On the ABC’s website is its own proud boast that “74 per cent of all Australians use ABC services each week via television, radio and online . . .”. Then there’s the threat of any government that wants to change this – “87 per cent of Australians believe the ABC provides a valuable service to the community”.
Roskam thinks that the quality of much of what the ABC produces is very high and that too many Australians use it.
He bemoans the fact that so many Australians believe the ABC is a valuable community service, and given its our taxes that pay for it he appears to be arguing that we Australians aren't entitled to spend our taxpayer money on valueable community services if it costs business people money.
Lets see how long it is till he gets something puiblished on the Drum.
Dunlop points out that in a functioning democracy news is a product only as an afterthought. That an informed populace is its main aim, and that often entails situations that are not profitable - he basically points out why the ABC is so useful (tho at the moment it may seem crap to some of us,) and a necessary part of Australian public discourse.
He rightly points out that Australians do trust the ABC, even with its so called "leftist bias" and that the failure of commercial news orgs has something to do with a lack of trust. (They also fail to add value in the form of real cash worthy analysis, but that's neither here nor there.)
Roskam reckons news is a commercial product and the ABC is screwing its private competitors in a commercial market. Dunlop effectively shows this for the shite it is.
Roskam's article is quite flawed. It is in itself an example of why commercial media is failing, and has a strange loop quality.
There’s not much doubt who’s got the easier task. The Coalition is scared of the ABC, and Labor is satisfied with it. Admittedly, extracting money from ministers takes skill, but the ABC has 80 years of practice.
Every Coalition politician knows, as the refrain goes, “the ABC is our enemy talking to our friends”. The ABC’s huge reach outside of the capital cities ensures that at the slightest change to its budget, the cry of “cuts to rural and regional communities” goes up.
Every Coalition politician knows, as the refrain goes, “the ABC is our enemy talking to our friends”. The ABC’s huge reach outside of the capital cities ensures that at the slightest change to its budget, the cry of “cuts to rural and regional communities” goes up.
ABC newspapers are non existent, but the Drum is their attempt at an online version of a "newspaper'. Since that is where the real stress is in the media these days (the papers) and Roskam is talking about News Ltd and Fairfax in light of the recent print upheavals its a fair comparison. A quick look at the drum reveals regular contributions from the IPA (Roskam's org), and, from among others, Peter Reith - that's right the well known Howard Govt leftist who is renowned as an enemy of the Coalition. The abc television arm broadcasts a program called The Business, a new version of Lateline Business. As of yet there's no Lateline Unions, or Lateline - a Socialist Perspective. So he's basically got that wrong. Totally.
Labor may be annoyed to be invariably criticised from the left, but it would definitely prefer to have the national broadcaster maintain it’s broad liberal/left perspective to any alternative.
So broad liberalism (which must include social and economic liberalism) - the motivation, I do believe, of the Liberal Party of Australia is now a leftist perspective. It was at this point I almost gave up and went to play pool.
However I struggled thru and found Roskam whining about the abc, then whinging about it, then having a good old gripe. All the while pushing questionable ideas - government-owned media company with its distinct political slant, self defeating arguments - The ABC’s rapidly expanding online presence duplicates what Fairfax and News already provide, but with one vital difference – the Fairfax and News sites are, or soon will be, behind a paywall. (I thought the difference was their pro ALP bias.) And gripes about democracy - On the ABC’s website is its own proud boast that “74 per cent of all Australians use ABC services each week via television, radio and online . . .”. Then there’s the threat of any government that wants to change this – “87 per cent of Australians believe the ABC provides a valuable service to the community”.
Roskam thinks that the quality of much of what the ABC produces is very high and that too many Australians use it.
He bemoans the fact that so many Australians believe the ABC is a valuable community service, and given its our taxes that pay for it he appears to be arguing that we Australians aren't entitled to spend our taxpayer money on valueable community services if it costs business people money.
Lets see how long it is till he gets something puiblished on the Drum.
