Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is on the slide, once again reporting a loss – $306.7 million for the September quarter – in stark contrast to its $186 million positive result at the same time last year.
Murdoch is the proxy State Media for the LNP government “No questions asked” as long as you slash the funding to the ABC. Today our public media has been reduced ti the equivalent funding it had in 1984. This Government rode into power on the promis of No Cuts to the ABC. (ODT)
Any decent journalist would have asked basic questions such as:
How and when did the extraordinary surge in asylum seekers come about? How big is the problem, really, given the Government is saying it is no big deal? Is the Government really getting on top of the problem or are they just spinning a line? What is the surge costing the economy and the budget?’ Does the Government actually have an effective plan to get on top of the problem?’
But no, Chambers and Kelly just happily ignore such basic questions.
However it will have little or no impact on News Corp, Sky or Fox Corp (ODT)
Last week News Corp Australia commercial finance manager Emily Townsend told senior management she found it “unconscionable” to continue working for the company given she believed it had mislead readers about the cause of the bushfires sweeping across Australia.
James’ intervention shows that such concerns aren’t just held by some outspoken employees and left-wing critics on Twitter. They go to the very top of the Murdoch family tree.
The comments were a clear rebuke of James’ father Rupert, who insisted at News Corp’s annual general meeting in December: “There are no climate change deniers around I can assure you.”
For anyone who has read the opinion pages of News Corp publications or tuned into Fox News, it was a laughable statement – and one Mudoch’s second-eldest son refused to let go uncorrected.
For example, several recent News Corp articles highlighting the role of arsonists in causing bushfires have been used by prominent Fox News hosts to discredit the link between climate change and bushfires.
In an editorial last week The Australian said its bushfire reporting had been “wilfully and ineptly misrepresented by The New York Times and Guardian Australia as climate denial”.
News Corp’s Head writer of Foreign Policy talks Politics (ODT)
No less than three times did Sheridan declare the Greens insane. Which is Entirely Sensible and the way to win over several million Australians to your point of view! And there was this, also from Sheridan: “The Greens party is a party of hatred of Western civilisation and of our economy which wants to deindustrialise Australia and destroy every tradition we’ve been built on.”
Entirely Sensible! Thank goodness for an election campaign that has brought back common sense, and also brought back Greg Sheridan to Q&A.
The most notable recent evidence of this anti-Science drive is Scott Moorison’s and News Corp’s attack on doctors who are not to be trusted because they have sworn to abide universaly to the Hippocratic Oath in their application and practice of the science of Medicine to patients in their care. According the Scott Morrison those universal ar far too dangerous left in the hands of doctors and Peter Dutton is in better position to be trusted with intelligent decisions. Wasn’t he voted Australia’s worst ever Health Minister?(ODT)
Those who question whether scientists are the appropriate people to review the scientific evidence underpinning contested policy decisions may do well to consider who would be better placed to do it and what their motivations for doing it are. Calls for inquiry as Adani confirms it released contaminated water Read more
While the treatment of the scientists involved in the Adani review may seem shocking, it is one of many examples of people with vested interests undermining the role of experts in our discourse and decision making. We are seeing a clear erosion of trust in science around the world, driven by those entities who do not want evidence to be assessed, and do not want the frank and fearless advice that scientists will provide given to the people who ultimately make the decision.
By Eileen M. Ahlin | (The Conversation) | – The accusation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, made by California professor Christine Blasey Ford, has been met with a variety of responses.
Among those responses has been the idea that what happens when someone is young should not be held against them, especially if they’ve led a commendable life ever since.
My research and that of others on criminal justice shows that, in fact, that’s not the way the system treats offenses committed by minors, especially if they are a person of color. Their crimes often haunt them for the rest of their lives.
ABC election analyst Antony Green predicts the ALP will win the Braddon and Longman by-elections and that Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie will defeat Liberal candidate Georgina Downer in Mayo.
Newscorp loaned Foxtel $900M with an interest rate of 12%.
A report by Michael West describes Foxtel was spitting cash (highly profitable) at the time of the loan and there was no requirement for the loan.
The interest repayments from Foxtel to News resulted in Foxtel reducing their tax to the ATO to zero, Foxtel generated $6 Billion in revenue over 3 years and paid no tax.
If Foxtel had no requirement for the loan it can be argued that Newscorp, Foxtel and their tax lawyers and accountants conspired to draw up a loan agreement for the sole purpose to defraud the ATO of taxable income.
News Corporation is struggling to mount a legal defence to its allegations against actor Geoffrey Rush. And then there’s the chilling effect on the #metoo campaign. Hannah Marshall from Marque Lawyers breaks it down. Things are looking grim for the Daily Telegraph in its defence of Geoffrey Rush’s defamation case. The story of the litigation has taken a very distinct turn in Rush’s favour. That story is a courtroom drama and the protagonists are the barristers, lawyers and the judge. Behind the story of the litigation is another story. One that we won’t hear. That’s the story of what actually happened during the production of King Lear. That’s the one with Geoffrey Rush and Eryn Jean Norvill in it. Not the STC, not their co-stars, not the Tele. No-one else really, truly knows what happened. Only them. By commencing this defamation action, Rush seeks vindication; proof that he did not commit the acts of which he was publicly accused. The legal system tries its very best to provide actual vindication and find actual truth. But often it can’t. Cases like the Rush case make this painfully clear. The judge will make his decision based on the pleadings, which document the parties’ cl
Media Matters for America submitted a report to the United Kingdom’s chief competitions watchdog illustrating the havoc that 21st Century Fox and the owners, the Murdochs, would wreak on the British media landscape if their bid to take over Sky PLC is approved. The report was submitted amid revelations that Rupert Murdoch, his sons, and 21st Century Fox attempted to suppress another wave of public scrutiny around Fox News’ sexual harassment epidemic in January of this year.
An interesting dynamic is the relationship between Bill O’Reilly, the superstar of the Fox News Channel and one of the network’s most consistent critics the comedian John Stewart, host of The Daily Show. They appear on each other’s shows and have respectful amusing banter. At one stage in 2011 after a series of encounters O’Reilly seems genuinely concerned that John Stewart may see the Fox News Channel as a “terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization” operated by Charlatans. In a paradoxical performance just after these encounters, O’Reilly conducts an hour where he is both disappointed at Stewart’s assessment but at the same time seems hell bent on providing a concentrated hour proving him right. The first part of this News Corp Narrative is a detailed look at this particular hour of The Factor. Others who see promise in the mutual respect between O’Reilly and Stewart also see in this hour the operation of a “truly terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization” featuring selected charlatans. That conclusion is based on a view that trusted and privileged people who make “elaborate, repetitive and voluble claims to skill and knowledge” are really “quacks or frauds.” These trusted, privileged superstars “fail to reveal the full story or whole truth and while appearing to be sincere are in reality false, deceptive and insincere.” Readers, of course, are asked to judge for themselves. The second part of this narrative challenges a Fox defence against accusations of being a propaganda arm of the Republican Party. It stems from another interview John Stewart conducted with Brett Baier who repeats the mantra that, “there are opinion shows and there are news shows” and he concludes that, “I’m a news guy. I do news.” This is despite having little defence when Stewart points to contrasting interviews conducted with the two most recent Presidents. Stewart characterizes the interview with President Bush as, “You were literally sitting with President Bush in a love seat.” Others remember the interview with President Obama being very tense with the young reporter interrupting the Commander in Chief repeatedly as he attempted to deliver the Fox agenda for his viewers. In the shadow of Baier’s claims to be a news guy, a close look is taken at a week of Special Report hosted by Baier and packaged as a “news” program since it is anchored by “news men”. For part of the week the senior “news man” on the network Chris Wallace replaces Baier in the anchor’s chair. When he Chairman of News Corp has been questioned about lack of diversity on the Fox News Channel he has offered Greta van Susteren as an example of a liberal anchor. Others would say that every daily hour with Greta van Susteren is another Republican hour. Part three give three examples of hours with Greta van Susteren. Others believe that any hour taken at random would reveal similar promotion of the prevailing narrative sold with all the talking points of the day with domination of Republican guest given kid glove treatment and whenever a Democrat should wander into the line of fire a grilling can be expected. The final section deals with a variety of broadcasts where readers can decide if they are witnessing civil discourse and rational debate or the efforts of charlatans abusing the privilege that has been offered them by the News Corporation and the trust of good folk. Others may conclude that when News Corporation’s most highly paid on air personality feigns not to understand the comedian’s perceptions of charlatans and a “terrible, cynical, disingenuous news organization,” that perhaps he “protests too much.” Perhaps he is being as disingenuous as his news corporation. This News Corp Narrative is a story of the operations of the Fox News Channel. Another framing of the account may be of the operations of POOPs proselytizing from a place designated by the same comedian whose observation gave Uthers this book title, as “Bullshit Mountain”
“It’s rank hypocrisy really,” the SBS managing director, Michael Ebeid, said of the attack in the Australian. “News Corp, who is running the agenda against us, has received $30m for women’s sport on Foxtel and millions of dollars through Screen Australia to produce drama for Foxtel and Screen Australia money for a crime vodcast on the Australian. But all this content is locked up to 30% of homes who have Foxtel and 70% of Australians can’t watch it. For them to be crying foul when they’re taking money from the public purse is just crazy.”Despite many requests neither Foxtel nor the government has explained what the $30m is for.Ebeid said: “Surely anyone can see that our budget is 10% of Seven and Nine. We spend $130m on TV, Seven spends $1.4bn and Nine $1.3bn. So at 10% how does the little guy outbid them? I think they just enjoy throwing hand grenades over the fence and running. We’re giving audiences content they’re not getting elsewhere and they’re doing the same thing they’ve been doing for 10 years.”AdvertisementIn the same week Handmaid’s Tale dominated the catch-up rankings as viewers binge-watched the show, Seven’s top show was the universally panned reality show Yummy Mummies.
Rupert Murdoch is the ‘great rent seeker’, John Menadue says – labelling the media company a ‘rogue organisation’
“In recent decades his organisation has become a disgrace,” Menadue, 82, said. “It’s trampled on democracy in three continents, it’s damaged the media enormously in three countries.
“He is recently, of course, a supporter of Trump, a supporter of Theresa May, a supporter of Brexit; he supported the Iraq invasion and still justifies it; he’s a climate sceptic; his organisation has been accused and convicted of phone hacking; there is serial sexism at Fox News in the US,” he said.
“He is now seeking in the UK amendments to complete his $20bn takeover of Sky TV,” he said. “It’s interesting to me that his papers in Australia and elsewhere are always attacking what they call welfare bludgers and single mothers yet he uses governments more than anyone else I’ve ever known.”
Menadue said News Corp publications liked to “rip apart” activists and organisations who might be critical of them, including GetUp, the Australian Press Council and the ABC. “They are not content to dominate mainstream media; they also want to silence organisations that might be critical of them.”
The watchdog should examine whether Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon exerted control over Network Ten, in breach of current laws, according to experts in media regulation.
In the firing line is Ten’s news division. Staff fear their local weeknight bulletins will be replaced by a national news hour, produced by Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News. Sydney newsreader Sandra Sully is tipped to host the new service, which may retain the Eyewitness News branding. Share on Facebook SHAREShare on Twitter TWEETPopular Ten programs such as The Project will continue unchanged. For now.Popular Ten programs such as The Project will continue unchanged. For now. Photo: TenIt’s possible this bulletin will feature local news “windows”. Even so, viewers will see a drop in state-specific stories. Any cuts to news will affect Studio 10 and especially The Project. Every day, it uses Eyewitness News footage. Sometimes, it even borrows its equipment.
“I am writing to ask you about any influence Rupert Murdoch may have sought to exert over cabinet appointments. Specifically, it has been suggested to me that Rupert Murdoch asked you to appoint Gove to the cabinet,” Watson told May in a letter published Monday.“Given your failure to secure a parliamentary majority and the consequent weakness of your position, it might be tempting to allow yourself to be influenced by powerful media proprietors who can shape the way your government is covered.”
A prescient propagandist, Ailes was quick to see the power of television as a tool of political persuasion. We are feeling the consequences of that every day
President Donald Trump was reportedly upset with the way cable news outlets were covering his unprecedented decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, who had been overseeing an investigation into whether the president’s associates had colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. This morning, his favorite morning news pr
Editorial staff in Queensland blame Sydney bosses and news.com.au for job losses, the Australian’s dinosaurs upskill, and the ABC keeps staff on their toes
“You should be talking to Fox, OK?” President Donald Trump, March 17, 2017.Monday’s House Intelligence Committee hearing delivered a trifecta of bad news for President Donald Trump.FBI Director James Comey confirmed the bureau is investigating whether members of Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia
It’s neither ignorant nor foolish to feel you have been poorly treated and even failed by the parliamentary system of late. You probably have been and it is no wonder people are disillusioned with both our political system and the major parties that control it. Most of us would probably agree that the government and many…
The Sun and Daily Mail have been singled out in a report on “hate speech” and discrimination in the UK. The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) took aim at some British media outlets, particularly tabloid newspapers, for “offensive, discriminatory and provocative terminology”.
ISLAM MUST CHANGE, screamed the Herald Sun headline, and Muslim refugee Aladdin Sisalem – no stranger to conflict with News Corp Australia – took action.
By Jane Salmon Miranda Devine’s article ‘The curious case of NDIS and the autism boom‘ made me sad enough to cry. Then It made me cross. Gee, I don’t think being permanently challenged by learning or behavioural or physical differences is trendy. I think it is frustrating, expensive and heartbreaking. Every dollar spent on disability…
Total revenue for Rupert Murdoch’s media empire falls for fourth straight quarter so chief executive says it will save money across its masthead titles
Malcolm Turnbull’s overthrow of Tony Abbott has ‘set off a civil war within News Corp’, according to the media giant’s conservative commentator Andrew Bolt.
Fox News spent 12 hours over 3 weeks on Harvey Weinstein but just 20 minutes over 7 months on Bill O’Reilly
“I am writing to ask you about any influence Rupert Murdoch may have sought to exert over cabinet appointments. Specifically, it has been suggested to me that Rupert Murdoch asked you to appoint Gove to the cabinet,” Watson told May in a letter published Monday.“Given your failure to secure a parliamentary majority and the consequent weakness of your position, it might be tempting to allow yourself to be influenced by powerful media proprietors who can shape the way your government is covered.”
By Neal Gabler | ( Billmoyers.com) | – – The founder of the right-wing network inflicted harm on the body …
President Donald Trump was reportedly upset with the way cable news outlets were covering his unprecedented decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, who had been overseeing an investigation into whether the president’s associates had colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. This morning, his favorite morning news pr
“You should be talking to Fox, OK?” President Donald Trump, March 17, 2017.Monday’s House Intelligence Committee hearing delivered a trifecta of bad news for President Donald Trump.FBI Director James Comey confirmed the bureau is investigating whether members of Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia
A Queensland Government investigation finds a large spillage of coal from a ship loader at the Port of Hay Point in the state’s north.
Great.
