Calls for our readers to comment on bias at The Oz have provoked a
number of responses (of a similar vein), plus Bolt and Akerman come in
for some comment, along with Nine News veteran Jim Waley.

The Oz and anti-Latham bias

In response to your request for other comments on the anti-Latham bias
in the Oz: My understanding is and has been for some years that the Oz
is simply the news publicity arm of the Liberal Party and its political
comment is either sourced or edited in the PM’s office.

Therefore the Oz’s strident criticism, most of which is either
ridiculous or incorrect, is a measure of how scared the PM is of the
new Labor leader. I say PM as no other Liberal has any standing
these days, the rest of them will not even break wind unless he
approves the action first.

The Oz covers this bias by having a few token Lefties such as Mr Adams
and some Labor folk, and the odd articles about the dangers of the
‘extreme Right’ but the anti everything Labor theme runs through
everything. Their political stuff is relieved by Matt Price’s
humour and the letters page. The rest, Sheridan, Pearson et al
are not even worth reading, just gutter press material.

Even Time magazine is running anti-Republican, this stupid war mess and we stuffed articles.

I buy the Oz paper on their previous cheapie offer because I love
Kerrie Murphy of Defrag fame. I have been shattered to hear that
there is a Mr Defrag but will remain loyal.

Enjoy you stuff, thank you.

The “Australian” newspaper

I have been a loyal supporter of yours for some time now. I also used
to read the “Australian” newspaper regularly, day by day, in spite of
all it’s extreme right-wing Rupert standards, hoping that things would
change; that the old traitor would at last change his new Yankee views
and re-align back to the Oz standards espoused by his revered mother,
etc.

However, this was not to be, and his absolutely gutless so-called
“journalists” should really look towards the future. For, if it
by chance the Labor Party is deprived of office once again by the
untruthfulness of their reporting, they will surely find themselves
unemployable by the rest of the mainstream press in the days to come.

Jayesso


The Australian’s anti-Labor bias

This letter was sent to The Australian, which, unsurprisingly, chose not to publish it:

The Australian has become so blatantly, even hysterically, anti-Labor
and pro Coalition Government that it no longer can be trusted by those
of us who want to be informed citizens. This is particularly so in its
front page headlines, which read more like a one sided Izvestia
“mouthpiece” during the height of the cold war than what might be
expected from a newspaper calling itself a “quality broadsheet”.

Tom Richman

Adelaide and Murdoch bias

No surprise to me that you are cottoning onto the Murdoch pro-Howard,
anti-Labor bias. Try living in Adelaide for a short while. I
think the most scandalous example was the headline in the ‘Tizer the
morning, yes the morning, of the last Federal Election. It could not
have been more to Howard’s script if Howard had written it himself. In
large letters it proclaimed “The Boat People Poll”. What a
disgrace.

Mike Hopkins

Bias and The Oz

Oz bias? And I thought it was just me being a sensitive pinko-leftie.
I’ve stopped buying the Oz on weekends simply because I’m tired of its
reflex anti-Latham headlines.

With Rupert as Dubya’s chief cheerleader, you don’t need to be a Mensa
president to figure out why Latham gets so much negative press.

Howard must love it.

Mike Shuttleworth

Margo Kingston on Crikey’s corrections policy

I must agree with Mad Margot. Your corrections policy adds to your
credibility, it does not detract. Other journalists, and those
who call themselves such but shouldn’t,
are often too belligerent and self-opinionated to correct their errors
and distortions.

I only ever read Bolt, Akerman, Albrechtsen etc to discover what the
latest Left conspiracy is. I never take what they say seriously. They
are jokes.

In case I’m to be accused of being a Left-hugger I rarely take any
notice of Philip Adams or Michael Moore either. I think if Jesus Christ
Himself was running the US and declared world peace Adams and Moore
would still find some way to attack it as a militaristic plot. But
least they coat their bias and pre-prepared opinion with intelligent,
erudite observation.

The other frothing clowns just rant.

So, keep on correcting and don’t worry about it cheapening the brand.
Subscribers in the media industry know how many mistakes are made every
day and how few of them are adequately corrected. Your policy
strengthens your brand.

Brian Mitchell
Editor, Fremantle Herald

Howard: loud on Centenary and quiet on Kirribilli

Dear Crikey: Of course you are correct (I wont use “right”) in pointing
out just how outrageous the Centenary House rort is – but of course the
Murdoch press is silent on that other rort – the cost of the John and
Janette occupation of Kirribilli House. Akerman and Bolt – those
standard bearers of all things decent – are strangely quite on
this one, but then it wasn’t all that long ago when Howard said to
Bolt: I like what you write! Says more about Howard than the boy wonder.

Barry Everingham


Piers and Bolt

Crikey – you are truly amazing. You say that Piers Akerman’s
articles have no credibility because he’s so biased.
Hello!! What about your broadsheet – what about those left wing
luvvies who write for the Fairfax Press (Lane, Kingston, Manne,
Grattan, Carlton etc etc etc)? What about Phillip Adams?
Are you suggesting they are unbiased and their articles have
credibility? Give us a break!!

Thank goodness for Piers and Andrew Bolt. Australia would be in a disastrous state without them.

Suzanne, Perth

What is a journalist?

As a professional journalist, I find it quite discomforting to see that
the likes Andrew Bolt from the Herald-Sun being described as being a
‘journalist’. Even the title of ‘columnist’ is a bit rich for his type
of role.

According to the AJA’s Code of Ethics, the role of a journalist is to
“describe society to itself’. This hardly, or rather rarely describes
the work of Bolt, Akerman, Devine et al.

The shrill that emanates from the mouths of these neo-con babes makes
Gonzo journalism look sublime and yet in many publications (not just
crikey.com.au) these individuals carry the title of ‘journalist’

Please don’t make me laugh! Bolt, Akerman, Devine and their ilk are
nothing more than apologists for those in the world that would have us
believe that official incompetence, high-level corruption, bad
governance and state-sponsored lies are all ‘par for the course’ when
it comes to running a ‘democracy’ such as ours.

It is a shame that a fair amount of taxpayer funded education dollars
went into giving these persons university degrees when for some unknown
reason they still to this day cannot differentiate between the terms
‘right wing’ and ‘neo con’.

Please do not call these individuals ‘journalists’. They are no more a
journalist than Alan Jones or John Laws. In fact, better still,
why even quote them at all. If you close your eyes and cover your ears,
maybe they will go away for good. We can only hope.

Branko Miletic

Old and tired in down town Baghdad

Crikey, as you would be aware there has been much speculation
associated with Jim Waley and Mark Ferguson are’ the channel 9 nightly
news and Ferguson poised to take over. Last night with
Waley in Baghdad (looking absolutely ridiculous in a flack jacket)
there was a great piece of vision which involved him and Ferguson on
screen at the same time. As Waley threw to Ferguson in the studio
for the local news events there was a graphic on the screen separating
the two which read “Transition of Power”. Transition of Power
indeed! When Waley returns he’ll suffer cold shivers looking at
that graphic. It looked so obvious that there must have been
laughing going on in the studio. Also what a contrast between the
2, Waley looking tired and distressed in downtown Iraq and Ferguson
looking polished and professional in the studio. If you didn’t
see it try and arrange to do so, jc.

John Cox

Channel 9 News debacle and Jim’s flak jacket

Can anyone tell me why Jim Waley appears to be the only TV journalist
in Iraq constantly wearing a flak jacket. As the picture in today’s
Australian shows, Adrian Brown of Seven and Geoff Thompson of the ABC
certainly aren’t.

Is it because Jim is closer to the action? Highly unlikely.

Is it because it helps to make things look more dramatic? More likely.

Is he preparing to help protect his back for when he gets back to fear and loathing in the Nine newsroom? Most likely.

The 9 Dots

The new Iraq

On 28 Jun 04 Iraq’s unelected interim leaders said his first priority
was to fight the insurgents. Wrong Dear Leader your first priority is
to hold free and fair election within the next 6 months.

You may also find out that some of the Iraqi “insurgents” may form
parties and could be your future government if the Iraqi people so wish
it.

Like “dug out Doug” MacArthur in 1942 Bremer will be remembered as “cut
and run Paul.” They both left their armies to there fate when it got to
hot.

Adrian Jackson

Why Panadol/Paracetamol is not the best way to commit suicide

A quote from the BBC webpage: Painkiller overdose unravelled

“If taken in sufficient quantities, and medical attention is delayed, then irreversible liver damage can be caused.

“Far from proving a swift and painless method of suicide, dying from
paracetamol poisoning can take as much as two weeks, and involve
intense pain and discomfort.”