One-track minds
It appears the minister for communications, Senator Richard Alston, is hell-bent on proving that the ABC has a bias against the Coalition government. In his latest tirade against the ABC, Alston claimed that the broadcaster had given favourable coverage to the wharfies during their dispute with Patrick, at the expense of the federal government.
He accused the 7.30 Report's Jennifer Byrne of "egging on" ACTU vice-president Greg Combet, when she asked how much in damages the Maritime Union of Australia would seek against Patrick Stevedores and the commonwealth. Alston was joined in his attack by Liberal senator John Tierney, who accused the ABC of bias over Wik and other social issues.
What are the social issues which the ABC is supposedly pre-occupied with? Could it be the regressive GST? The Liberals' commitment to open the uranium mine at Jabiluka? Or Howard's cosy relationship with the Indonesian dictatorship?
The Howard government would rather people base their judgments on the pathetic news and current affairs programs produced by the Packer and Murdoch media empires. The bias in the newspapers and television stations owned by these tycoons provides ample fuel for the Liberals' right-wing attacks on workers, Aborigines, migrants, women, the unemployed and students.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly is committed to providing an alternative news source, covering events and issues which are ignored or distorted by the establishment press. It seeks to unite campaigns for the environment, human rights, social justice and democracy.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly has no income other than the cover price, donations and money raised from fundraising events. It relies on the generosity of readers and subscribers to donate to the Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly fighting fund. If you want like to keep the radical presses rolling and help support Australia's leading alternative weekly, please make a contribution.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly — it's your newspaper.