Dear Rupert

[givemeaspell]

[freakiness]

Mild in comparison.

Not a nazi uniform in sight, nor any full front page assaults.

[the_great_she_elephant]

How quickly you all forget the absolute disgusting comments by the left about Howard, so bad in fact that none of them can be repeated on here

Regardless of whether or not you are correct, a sweeping accusation regarding alleged statements which cannot be referenced for validation  is the language of propaganda not rational debate.

[newstart2380]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
Newstart , Do you really believe that Rupert. Murdoch exercise no editorial control over his papers and that it is merely a coincidence that every single reporter on every single one of his papers exercises their right to favour the LNP in every one of their articles?
If you really do believe something so patently absurd then you are a lot more naive than I took you for, and if you don't believe it, why would you want to make yourself look foolish by pretending to?

---

Of course he does and that is called "free speech" the Labor party just has to 'suck it up" and get on with it same as the NLP would have to if the shoe was on the other foot. I don't believe for one minute RM does not have the influence to direct the reporters ( he is the boss after all) who work for him to write what he suggests them to write but that's the way it is and he has the right to say (same as you and I) what he wants to say. He has the advantage of putting it in a newspaper so his audience is massive unless you choose not to buy the paper.

For the LP its called "sour grapes"

[freakiness]

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@newstart2380 wrote:

---

@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
Newstart , Do you really believe that Rupert. Murdoch exercise no editorial control over his papers and that it is merely a coincidence that every single reporter on every single one of his papers exercises their right to favour the LNP in every one of their articles?
If you really do believe something so patently absurd then you are a lot more naive than I took you for, and if you don't believe it, why would you want to make yourself look foolish by pretending to?

---

Of course he does and that is called "free speech" the Labor party just has to 'suck it up" and get on with it same as the NLP would have to if the shoe was on the other foot. I don't believe for one minute RM does not have the influence to direct the reporters ( he is the boss after all) who work for him to write what he suggests them to write but that's the way it is and he has the right to say (same as you and I) what he wants to say. He has the advantage of putting it in a newspaper so his audience is massive unless you choose not to buy the paper.

For the LP its called "sour grapes"

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Newspapers have a resposibility to present facts. Yes, they are can and should publish opinion pieces and editorials. However, the lines should not be blurred.  Opinion has traditionally and should be separated from the news not be presented as news (facts).

[topsidesoul]

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@newstart2380 wrote:

---

@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
Newstart , Do you really believe that Rupert. Murdoch exercise no editorial control over his papers and that it is merely a coincidence that every single reporter on every single one of his papers exercises their right to favour the LNP in every one of their articles?
If you really do believe something so patently absurd then you are a lot more naive than I took you for, and if you don't believe it, why would you want to make yourself look foolish by pretending to?

---

Of course he does and that is called "free speech" the Labor party just has to 'suck it up" and get on with it same as the NLP would have to if the shoe was on the other foot. I don't believe for one minute RM does not have the influence to direct the reporters ( he is the boss after all) who work for him to write what he suggests them to write but that's the way it is and he has the right to say (same as you and I) what he wants to say. He has the advantage of putting it in a newspaper so his audience is massive unless you choose not to buy the paper.

For the LP its called "sour grapes"

---

He went to court in the US to re classify 'news facts' and 'opinion' when it comes to FOX News.

Now Opinion in the US is passed as fact, regardless of how true it is.

If you have been wronged you have to dig through your pggy bank and afford to take him and his company to court.

When it comes to the ABC, News ltd, Andrew Bolt and The Liberal Party do not suck it up as you suggest.

They argue for changes and 'privitisation'  and throughout the 'cold war era' used ASIO, tax dollars and spies to monitor and start files on people employed by the ABC to add to the files on people who 'had a public opinion that was different to the Government at the time'.

The hosts of playschool had ASIO files and survielence done on the....

Meanwhile two people were succesfully charged as communists in 16 years and Russian spies had managed to make theirt way into ASIO while The Liberal Party used it as a way to silence those who spoke against it.

Rupert has history in England involving ' getting MP's to agree to ownership of 'SKY televison and cable TV'.
Given the daily complaints about the fibre optic network in OZ from his media outlests, one could guess when The Liberals get in the NBN will be adjusted to help his stake in Australia.

[freakiness]

News Corp should follow the Press Council principles.

General Statement of Principles

The Council has published the following General Statement of Principles. Along with the Statement of Privacy Principles, the General Statement is applied by the Council when providing advice or adjudicating on individual complaints.

• Return to Statements of Principles
• Download a copy of the General Statement of Principles

General Principle 1: Accurate, fair and balanced reporting

Publications should take reasonable steps to ensure reports are accurate, fair and balanced. They should not deliberately mislead or misinform readers either by omission or commission.

General Principle 2: Correction of inaccuracy

Where it is established that a serious inaccuracy has been published, a publication should promptly correct the error, giving the correction due prominence.

General Principle 3: Publishing responses

Where individuals or groups are a major focus of news reports or commentary, the publication should ensure fairness and balance in the original article. Failing that, it should provide a reasonable and swift opportunity for a balancing response in an appropriate section of the publication.

General Principle 4: Respect for privacy and sensibilities

News and comment should be presented honestly and fairly, and with respect for the privacy and sensibilities of individuals. However, the right to privacy is not to be interpreted as preventing publication of matters of public record or obvious or significant public interest. Rumour and unconfirmed reports should be identified as such.

General Principle 5: Honest and fair investigation; preservation of confidences

Information obtained by dishonest or unfair means, or the publication of which would involve a breach of confidence, should not be published unless there is an over-riding public interest.

General Principle 6: Transparent and fair presentation

Publications are free to advocate their own views and publish the bylined opinions of others, as long as readers can recognise what is fact and what is opinion. Relevant facts should not be misrepresented or suppressed, headlines and captions should fairly reflect the tenor of an article and readers should be advised of any manipulation of images and potential conflicts of interest.

General Principle 7: Discretion and causing offence

Publications have a wide discretion in publishing material, but they should balance the public interest with the sensibilities of their readers, particularly when the material, such as photographs, could reasonably be expected to cause offence.

General Principle 8: Gratuitous emphasis on characteristics

Publications should not place any gratuitous emphasis on the race, religion, nationality, colour, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, illness, or age of an individual or group. Where it is relevant and in the public interest, publications may report and express opinions in these areas.

General Principle 9: Publication of Council adjudications

Where the Council issues an adjudication, the publication concerned should publish the adjudication, promptly and with due prominence.

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Note 1 "Public interest"

For the purposes of these principles, "public interest" is defined as involving a matter capable of affecting the people at large so they might be legitimately interested in, or concerned about, what is going on, or what may happen to them or to others.

Note 2 "Due prominence"

The Council interprets "due prominence" as requiring the publication to ensure the retraction, clarification, correction, explanation or apology has the effect, as far as possible, of neutralising any damage arising from the original publication, and that any published adjudication is likely to be seen by those who saw the material on which the complaint was based.

[the_great_she_elephant]

I think we have a different interpretation of free speech, Newstart. To me it means the right to say publicly what you truly believe. To you it clearly means the right to dictate what your employees will say publicly, regardless of what they really believe.

[freakiness]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
I think we have a different interpretation of free speech, Newstart. To me it means the right to say publicly what you truly believe. To you it clearly means the right to dictate what your employees will say publicly, regardless of what they really believe.

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There was an article on the Conversation which talked about the freedom of speech and freedom of the press (2011)

http://theconversation.com/the-danger-of-equating-freedom-of-speech-with-freedom-of-the-press-2444

The problem that remains, for both journalists and the public, was well captured by A J Liebling: Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.

Ensuring free speech and democratic journalism, nevertheless, remains a more important goal. While I have little confidence that, beyond privacy regulation, we are likely to see substantial change in Australia, we should have a more serious conversation.

[topsidesoul]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:
I think we have a different interpretation of free speech, Newstart. To me it means the right to say publicly what you truly believe. To you it clearly means the right to dictate what your employees will say publicly, regardless of what they really believe.

---

So you are saying when News limited print the views of Gerry Harvey of Harvey Norman  on the subject of overseas online purchases requiring a new tax , they are doing so because every Saturday he has full page ads in their publication?

THat does not sound like free speech, that sounds like purchased speech.

[the_great_she_elephant]

Of course it's purchased speech, topside, and it's rampant throughout all the media. Paul Barry commented on it at some length on Mediawatch on Monday.