Why should any particular class of person or particular individual be allowed a special relationship with the press?
The press has suffered a well deserved loss of reputation of late for ignoring to report (suppressing?) some stories of great public interest.
Now, if we allow certain people a de facto immunity from their activities' being reported on in the public press, then what credibility remains for the press, the journalists, the tv and radio stations?
But really, I do believe that the media; the press; the newspapers, have already suffered a fatal blow to their credibility, and it's a blow which they struck themselves (even if they were well paid in the short term to do so)
It's been said that we shouldn't believe everything we read in the newspapers.
Well, ok, fair enough, but if certain particular individuals can appeal with their money or their formidable social status for immunity from media scrutiny of their sometimes questionable or outright illegal behavior, then what's the use in paying good money to buy bad news articles?
It's good news week? but only if you're royalty or some bogan neanderthal sporting "hero" with a jockstrap full of cash?
Or, on a more sinister note; if you are a politician and have a political agenda to pursue and accurate reporting of factual incidents might be embarrassing.
I picked up a copy of the Australian newspaper today at my local pub and was surprised to see how far the Murdoch journalistic tide has run out on our current prime minister.
There was an article criticisng Mr Turnbull and implying a desire for the return of the infamous budgie smuggler, Tony Abbott.
It's been a long time since our press has restricted itself to just impartially reporting on the facts, and now we have gotten ourselves used to the press as a tool, used to massage and guide public opinion.
and I guess that now we have to get used to certain people being able to buy immunity from and invisibility to our oh-so-up-to-date reporting, on the minute every minute, news service.
What we have nowadays is a Claytons news service. It's still a service of course; it's just that it's not serving me or you.
which begs the question . . .
