In case you’ve missed it, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has criticised the ABC, saying that the national broadcaster takes “everyone’s side but Australia’s”.
The Prime Minister’s comments are in reference to criticism of the ABC last year, who, along with The Guardian’s Australian website broke a story about Australia spying on Indonesia causing a diplomatic skirmish with our biggest neighbour and more recently, a story about alleged navy misconduct when intercepting asylum seekers.
Here’s what (non-ABC) journalist Wendy Squires thinks about the accusation:
The only surprise in regards to Tony Abbott’s complaint of ABC bias this week for me is was what took him so long.
Like death and taxes, nothing is more certain in this life than a Liberal leader bleating that our national broadcaster is left wing. John Howard did it and decimated the ABC’s budgets as a result. And so, on Ray Hadley’s Macquarie Radio show Wednesday morning, our latest Liberal Prime Minister also let rip.
”You would like the national broadcaster to have a rigorous commitment to truth and at least some basic affection for the home team,’‘ Mr Abbott complained to Hadley who, if any further right, would fall off the edge.
‘‘It dismays Australians when the national broadcaster appears to take everybody’s side but our own’‘, he added. ”I think that is a problem”.
Well, with all due respect Mr Abbott, get a grip. Because, quite frankly, you are talking rubbish.
I do not understand why Mr Abbott would believe there is “basic affection” for his “home team” government considering the broken promises we have all been served ever since he was sworn in to office.
Top Comments
Need something to counteract the right wingers. What about channel 10s really boring panel morning show, brainwashing bored stay at home mothers. That is a government's mouth piece as are all the other commercial stations, Murdoch press is definitely pro abbott. Then again murdoch gains by the demise of the abc which offers free content. Over in the uk murdoch assaulted the bbc hoping to buy bskyb. He influenced the government to dismantle segments of the bbc. If the phone hacking scandal hadn't come out he would have been successful. Then it will be dumbed down Fox News or that rubbish we see on channel 10. Having said this I admit the show they have on before the ita buttrose show is okay. James M offers some sane view of the world in the mornings.
Shouldn't all news outlets have editorial independence instead of being told what to write about and publish? Otherwise you are looking to the government to tell the public what they think shold be known...sort of like a dictatorship or communist state is it not?