Shanahan and Bolt doctor a quote to accuse Conroy of doctoring a quote: Welcome to Murdoch news:

By Margo Kingston March 21, 2013 Stephen Conroy said on Insiders Denis Shanahan 19 March In his evidence to the Finkelstein Inquiry into media standards, Professor McKinnon… said: “One editor jovially once remarked that he would rather double his annual contribution than have a complaint upheld.” Andrew Bolt yesterday Headline: Labor uses doctored evidence to grab […]

Why can’t Kim Williams describe the public interest?

By Margo Kingston March 18, 2013 Kim Williams is Murdoch’s chief executive in Australia. Williams cannot define, or even explore, what ‘the public interest’ might be in relation to newspapers, because it is completely relative: ‘The public interest is as long as a piece of string… it is in the eye of the beholder.’ And his […]

Media reform laws address abuses of long-fought for freedoms

By Matt da Silva (@mattdasilva) March 15th, 2013 Source:Happy Antipodean In a useful run-down on his blog, journalism law academic Mark Pearson outlines some objections to the government’s proposed media reform legislation. It is a little brief and although it starts out promisingly, political concerns quickly rush to the fore. Here’s his first objection, near the top: […]

Sane analysis and comment on media reform

By Margo Kingston March 15, 2013 In this post we’ve linked to sane analysis and commentary on media reform. We’ve also asked you to nominate a fair, accurate and balanced MSM news story  – the criteria print media groups tell their self-regulation body the Press Council they strive for. If you can bear it, here is Crikey’s wrap […]

The MSM won’t report this, so here’s Gillard and Conroy on media reform

Question Time House of Representatives March 13, 2013 Mr TURNBULL (Wentworth) (14:29): My question is to the Prime Minister. Can she provide the House examples of published content in breach of the standards her government wishes to enforce through the Public Interest Media Advocate? Is the front page of today’s Telegraph such an example? If she […]

Media despots, tsars and henchmen bury media reform

By Noely Nate March 13, 2013 OMG! Australian Media Reform means the sky falling in, freedom of the press under attack, the Government trying to gag the media.  Growing anger at ‘Soviet’ media reforms, Gillard’s Henchman Attacks Our Freedom (great Mao photoshop on that one). My personal favourite is Press tsar to check standards from The Australian, our supposedly pre-eminent National paper.  Hell, even Blind Freddy […]

Conroy demands ABC transparency after second pro-Coalition slap down of strong journalism

By Peter Clarke March 7, 2013 The Federal Communications Minister, Victorian Senator, Stephen Conroy, has accused the ABC of  a ‘lack of transparency and fairness’ over its reported disciplining of its online technology writer Nick Ross, who has written extensively about the NBN. The minister’s allegations, made to Jon Faine on Melbourne ABC radio this […]

Transcript – 774 ABC Melbourne, Mornings, Friday, 8 March 2013 08:35 AM

Audio of Jon Faine – Stephen Conroy Interview JON FAINE: We shall turn or attention to state politics in a moment or two, but first on the federal sphere, is it true that there is now a push within the Labor Party to replace Julia Gillard and look for a Denis Napthine style option? Stephen […]