need to be more careful. Anyone can read this. I am conscious of that. I also know that if I put in certain key words then someone in ASIO will be forced to read the entire post rather than leave it to the computer software that scans everything I write.
Our present government wants to put an internet filter in place. The idea, so they say, is that it would supposedly prevent certain nasties getting into our portion of cyberspace and that children would be protected. It sounds very reasonable - but it will not work. The depraved individuals who wish to access harmful, vicious material will still find ways of doing it. The rest of us will be left with the potential blocking of harmless material and material which criticises the government of the day.
All this would be of less concern if our media was a little more responsible. Much of the time media bias is irritating but not particularly harmful. It leaves us less well informed than we might be but things still jog along. Somewhere a columnist will write an opposing piece or some intrepid young journalist will risk their career and disagree with the line being taken or set the facts on a different course.
Right now however we have an election going on. We have had a week of electioneering. The media bias has been so blatant that yesterday I had no less than eight requests to "write a letter" about the issue. The requests came from all sides of the political paddock. I dictated two for people to tweak and send in under their own names. I made suggestions to other people. It is better that they do this themselves.
I did not write a letter under my own name. I will save my fire power for the moment. I am doing a little analysis you see. Yes, so far the bias is actually there. If it continues then it will be a serious abuse of media power. We already have problems brought on by geographical isolation from our cultural roots and a largely monolingual population.
If we added the proposed internet filter to the bias of the media then Australians will be very poorly served for information indeed.
The letters to the editor in this morning's state newspaper make interesting reading. Whether they will cause a change in editorial policy will be interesting. It will also be unlikely.
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4 comments:
Strange - I wonder if that bias is local because I haven't noticed any.
I suspect it depends on which stable your media outlets come from - one reason I am holding my fire. However, the bias in one of our local outlets is so blatant that even those on the positive side are questioning it. I suspect that, as a consequence, it may be toned down a little - but it will not change. Pity because we could do with some robust debate instead of Master Chef!
NO WAY!! I love Masterchef. I'm going to be lost when that show finishes.
Give me that over Julia and Abbott lying to the public anyday.
If they cut the commercials I might be able to tolerate it. I get tired of pressing the mute button.
BTW there was an interesting article in the Weekend Australian about bias at the ABC - not that I think anyone would argue that Kerry has displayed a certain bias towards the left over the years.
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