Rudd is saying some interesting things about the Murdoch media. I have a few things to say about his interview with Neil Mitchell. Mitchell made glib lines about media outlets campaigning for a political result. Is this what we want? A thread.
Here is the interview. I recommend watching it as Mitchell’s squirmy and aggressive body language was an important part of the story:
3aw.com.au/neil-mitchell-…
3aw.com.au/neil-mitchell-…
Commentators like Mitchell are completely missing the point when asking for evidence from Rudd that Murdoch campaigned against Rudd’s Labor government for commercial interests.
Rudd is claiming that Murdoch opposed Labor’s NBN policy as it threatened out-dated Foxtel. Mitchell says there’s no evidence for this, saying: ‘Where is the proof that [Murdoch] went to his editors to run a dishonest campaign against Kevin Rudd for these reasons?’
Dishonesty is not the question. Media power is not, for the most part, wielded by media overtly lying or sitting in a smoke filled room plotting against their political opponents. Media bias is about what media choose to focus on, and the perspective they use in that coverage.
In his defence of Murdoch’s anti-Rudd campaign, Mitchell said: ‘What evidence do you have that he has misused his power for commercial reasons?’ He wanted to focus on evidence, while misunderstanding the elephant in the room.
Mitchell then said (and read this twice because it’s the most important part of the interview): ‘Maybe he thought you were a dodgy Prime Minister. Maybe it was a legitimate campaign to say we've got to get rid of this government’.
A legitimate campaign to get rid of a government. Mitchell is admitting here that he thinks it is reasonable and legitimate for a powerful media company owner, who owns 70% of the country’s newspapers, to CAMPAIGN to get rid of a government he doesn’t like.
It is not important WHY Murdoch chooses to get rid of governments. I’m sure Labor’s policies do play a part in his choice to campaign against left wing governments the world over. Murdoch is a conservative, and he has business interests in opposing Labor policies.
Murdoch also has interest in supressing wages, and stamping on trade unions because of his business interests. And, Murdoch opposes labour movement because he is ideologically opposed to all progressive policy, including welfare, education, healthcare, infrastructure etc.
We are constantly told that journalists are working in defence of democracy. We are told they hold politicians to account. We’re told they are watchdogs. I have no problem with this noble idea and would love it if the media would go back to this important cause.
However, we are learning through conversations such as Mitchell’s with Rudd, that News Corp is not interested in making sure that a government is fair, honest and behaving appropriately. No, News Ltd, and any other media which behaves the same way, and WAGING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
How, as a society, do we feel about this? Are we OK with Murdoch deciding he wants to get rid of a Labor government and then using his media power to do this? Do his readers know that this is his goal, and that his editors are working to bring this goal about?
I feel like society is a boiling frog in that it has just become natural for media organisation to assume that their role is to intervene in the political process to bring about a certain political result, and that this is somehow a natural state of affairs.
This is not a natural state of affairs. An honest, fair media reports policies and politics without fear or favour. They report in a way that ensures the public are benefiting from as much information to make smart decisions about what is in their interest.
If people pick up a Murdoch newspaper, and they are not aware Murdoch is presenting news in a biased way that is designed to advantage the side of politics he personally supports, they are being manipulated without their knowledge. Are we OK with this?
For someone like Mitchell to be comfortable with this idea is very telling. How can the media be the ‘lifeblood of our democracy’, when it is actively campaigning for a political end? How does this perspective influence Mitchell’s editorial decisions?
I will very soon be ready to talk publically about the results of my PhD research looking at the way the media reported the industrial dispute between the CFA and the United Firefighters Union in Victoria. I’ll give you one hint though….
The Herald Sun have admitted that their coverage of this news story was proudly ‘campaign journalism’. So, they were actively campaigning for the CFA’s side, at the expense of the union and career firefighters’ side in an EBA negotiation.
Did readers of the Herald Sun know that the editorial line throughout the news coverage was blatantly and proudly biased towards only one side of the dispute? Do the readers think it’s fair for a media outlet to mount a political campaign?
And how does the rest of the media who covered the dispute in a similar way to the Herald Sun, justify following the ‘campaign’ in such an unbalanced way? How did the Herald Sun’s campaign influence the totality of the coverage? Watch this space.
Point is, this issue is not about Rudd. It is about the part media plays in our democratic system, and how it intervenes and distorts political reality. What I have found out by looking closely and researching a case, frankly terrifies me.
This week we see tens of thousands of Australians supporting the #ChangeTheRules campaign to improve our livelihoods & working conditions. Can we trust our media to report on this campaign fairly and accurately after what we know about the way Murdoch behaves? In a nutshell, no.
Can we trust the Murdoch media, and those who behave in the same way, to fairly report the upcoming Federal election, or are they going to be campaigning on behalf of the Liberal Party? I think we all know the answer to that.
Murdoch is not involved in a conspiracy. He is blatantly wielding political power to topple policies, politicians and governments he ideologically opposes. Conspiracies are in the shadows. Murdoch campaigns in the light of day. DMs are open if you have any questions. END.
Unroll please @threadreaderapp
