Fairfax (now Nine) and other left-wing media bias in Australian political coverage

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Link?

He was campaigning for his sister, I can't find the pic.

 

[RupieDupie]

He was campaigning for his sister, I can't find the pic.

I found one of him all decked out, but for the SA election on Twitter. Wonder whether this is a conflict of interest?

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I often say Fairfax carries very biased left-wing coverage (in contravention of its stated "Independent. Always." goal), and am often shouted down here.

We need to analyse this issue further. I will be doing so and invite others to in this thread.

Take, for example, the main headline on SMH at the moment "Breaking. Morrison caught lying."

What's the basis for this screaming headline in the middle of an election campaign? Oh that's right, just the shadow Treasurer saying it:

Mr Bowen said that Mr Morrison had been caught "lying" about the Labor policies.
https://www.smh.com.au/federal-elec...-387-billion-tax-costing-20190412-p51dl7.html

What's the small print?
The $387 billion estimate is the Coalition's total based on Treasury estimates of policies including changes to negative gearing, dividend imputation and family trusts.
The $387 billion figure is very close to the total for Labor's own cost estimates for its policies.
"Treasury received requests from the Treasurer’s office outlining a number of policies to be costed. The requests made no reference to the opposition," the spokesman said.
"The relevant policy officers costed these proposals and provided this analysis to the Treasurer’s office prior to the commencement of the caretaker period."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday that the "Treasury costings" revealed $387 billion in higher taxes under Labor

So, PM/Treasurer asked for policies to be costed as is normal. PM used the total of those costings to estimate that taxes would be $387 billion higher under Labor than they would be under the Coalition if they were elected and implemented their policies. This figure accords with Labor's own estimates. End result? Screaming headline branding the PM a liar.

Seriously, this is such shoddily sub-par journalism from the SMH.



View attachment 653086

Not really sure what your problem is here. I thought you right whingers heartily approved of privately-owned media saying whatever the f*** they wanted to?

Not sure if you've noticed, but the Murdoch-owned media has been known to get more than a little positive about the right-wing side of life from time to time. Does that trouble you equally? It should, if you're being consistent here.

Anyway, despite the fact that this is a total beat-up from you (won't even bother with your error-riddled breakdown of the apparent bias, and BTW, the headline no longer says "Morrison caught lying" nor does the body of the article make any reference whatsoever to who might have said that), this is entirely an issue of media diversity.

Australia, compared to the UK or US, has a woefully small range of media voices on offer, because Coalition and Labor governments over the last few decades have given the existing media players everything but their own arses in order to let them maintain their inside running. Richard Denniss is really good on all this sort of stuff (Oops, sorry, you don't read anything that might jolt you out of your pre-set mindset, do you?)

As someone else pointed out earlier, if this troubles you so, there's a simple solution for you. Just vote Green. They are the only remotely major party advocating legislation to force greater media diversity.

But you right wingers are always whinging about "deregulation" and "letting business get on with business" aren't you? Well in this case you're going to have to make a choice. Do you want greater media diversity, which means greater regulation?

Or the current laissez-faire setup, which despite being philosophically harmonious for you, is jarring your ears and eyes with its consequences?

You can't have it both ways.

 

[GoldenSky]

Not sure if you've noticed, but the Murdoch-owned media has been known to get more than a little positive about the right-wing side of life from time to time. Does that trouble you equally? It should, if you're being consistent here.

Awesome. Now that you've stated what everyone knows and accepts about NewsCorp, I can use this thread to display how Fairfax just as enthusiastically (though under the cover of "high brow" discussion) attempts to sway things to the left.

 

[GoldenSky]

Here is another example from Fairfax today. Their classic use of a clickbait-y outrageous "quote" but then immediately linked to an individual or group they wish to smear. The word "downside" is used to link the quote, not said specifically of Morrison, to make it sound like voters picking a phoney is specifically the downside of Morrison's campaign.



What does the article ACTUALLY say?



So, in other words, no politician campaigning can afford to overthink things lest they seem phoney.

Nothing to do with Morrison. Or his campaign. But a smear designed to stick.

 

[HurleyHepsHird]

There is NO leftwing media bias in Australian politiccs.

Fairfax almost uniformly endorses the LNP across outlets, with a couple of exceptions. That was even before the merger with 9 media.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Awesome. Now that you've stated what everyone knows and accepts about NewsCorp, I can use this thread to display how Fairfax just as enthusiastically (though under the cover of "high brow" discussion) attempts to sway things to the left.

Love how you’ve countered my multiple points with one sole attempt at oneupmanship.

I already said your reasoning was riddled with errors, which it was, so if I were you I wouldn’t be using this ill-conceived thread for anything.

If you care to address the points I raised I’m all ears.

(BTW Murdoch’s The Australian, one of the more egregiously biased of his outlets, is also more highbrow than anything Fairfax publishes.)

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

he
So, in other words, no politician campaigning can afford to overthink things lest they seem phoney.

Nothing to do with Morrison. Or his campaign. But a smear designed to stick.

Thank you for using evidence; but it isn't in any way effective at supporting your argument.

Would you like to respond to the point that only the Greens (of the major parties) are willing to legislate against further media mergers, and will push to break up these companies?

 

[GoldenSky]

Another classic this morning. You have been misled. Immediately refers to Scott Morrison. Morrison is pictured.

The reality of the article?









Oh. So nothing to do with Scott Morrison misleading anyone. It's Treasury misleading, apparently with their forecasts.

Not as sexy an article though to talk about Treasury, is it?

So unbelievably biased it's amazing.

 

[GoldenSky]

Thank you for using evidence; but it isn't in any way effective at supporting your argument.

Of course it does.

Writer says "if politician Z happens to do X then they might appear phoney".

Screaming headline? "Voters picking a phoney" is the downside of the Morrison campaign.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Of course it does.

Writer says "if politician Z happens to do X then they might appear phoney".

Screaming headline? "Voters picking a phoney" is the downside of the Morrison campaign.

If you're unwilling to engage with the issue of breaking up media consolidation, what's the solution to combating media bias?

 

[Thegibbsgamble]

Thank you for using evidence; but it isn't in any way effective at supporting your argument.

Would you like to respond to the point that only the Greens (of the major parties) are willing to legislate against further media mergers, and will push to break up these companies?

The greens said nothing about the media bias around same sex marriage. They enjoyed the media using the issue to distract from what is a criminal government.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

The greens said nothing about the media bias around same sex marriage. They enjoyed the media using the issue to distract from what is a criminal government.

This makes no sense.

 

[its free real estate]

Whinging about media bias is a sign of a loser.

 

[GoldenSky]

If you're unwilling to engage with the issue of breaking up media consolidation, what's the solution to combating media bias?

I don't want to regulate the media, lol.

I just want people to have their eyes open as to how Fairfax has become online clickbait for the left-wing community over recent years.

 

[GoldenSky]

Whinging about media bias is a sign of a loser.

Must be why we've heard nothing but bleating about Murdoch from the left for the last 20 years.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

I don't want to regulate the media, lol.

I just want people to have their eyes open as to how Fairfax has become online clickbait for the left-wing community over recent years.

Then you'll need to provide some more convincing evidence of bias.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I don't want to regulate the media, lol.

I just want people to have their eyes open as to how Fairfax has become online clickbait for the left-wing community over recent years.

It’s hardly “left-wing” to oppose this diabolical government.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

This makes no sense.

Must say I’m flummoxed too.

 

[Ice-Wolf]

I often say Fairfax carries very biased left-wing coverage (in contravention of its stated "Independent. Always." goal)...

And as usual you're often wrong.

...and am often shouted down here.

And rightly so!

 

[DaRick]

More left-wing bias from the SMH, notably from that known Laborite Amanda Vanstone:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...e-who-aren-t-rich-at-all-20190413-p51dto.html

 

[DaRick]

Whinging about media bias is a sign of a loser.

Realistically, everybody spins the news.

It's just that some happen to be closer to the truth in their spin than others.

 

[GoldenSky]

More left-wing bias from the SMH, notably from that known Laborite Amanda Vanstone:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...e-who-aren-t-rich-at-all-20190413-p51dto.html

She often has a piece. Are they ever presented as top headline news like most of the left-wing commentary is? Or is she tucked below where she belongs in the Opinion section?

 

[Thegibbsgamble]

This makes no sense.

Strong username post correlation

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Strong username post correlation

Cool, but your most made no sense.