Ne News
5 March 2017
In recent months, and in particular with the election of real estate mogul and reality television star Donald Trump to the most powerful post in the world (President of the United States of America), there has been much debate over the role of the media. It is worth noting that a free press is mentioned in the Constitution of the United States of America, but in recent decades, it has become less of a 'check and balance' and more public relations.
Mainstream media (and in particular the privately-owned commercial media outlets) are becoming more obsessed with so-called "reality shows" (which are actually staged) and "celebrity gossip" (such as Kim Kardashian) and not paying attention to what the community wants: hard-hitting journalism. And while the mainstream media waits for media released from public relations companies, the alternative media is doing the hard yards by reporting on the hard-hitting issues such as the crimes against humanity that western governments are committing (in the name of the people) in the Middle East, as well as reporting the crimes against humanity that Israel is committing in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank (in last week's editorial, we mentioned the opposition to Connex Melbourne's parent company Veolia Transport operating the light rail in Jerusalem, which includes parts of the occupied West Bank, which was one of the factors that resulted in Connex Melbourne losing the right to operate Melbourne's train network in 2009).
Note that the distrust in the mainstream media is not just the so-called "liberal" media outlets, but also the "conservative" media outlets. But no matter what's your opinion on the mainstream media is, we need a media that is answerable to the people and brings those who misuse their power to account. But unfortunately, Australia has one of the most concentrated media landscapes in the world, in which around 70% of the newspapers is controlled by American media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and the remainder is controlled by Fairfax. And the media in Australia is set to become even more concentrated as the Federal Government is complementing getting rid of the two-out-of-three rule, which was introduced in 2006, as well as getting rid of the reach rule (which is currently 75%) (https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/why-does-mainstream-media-sing-from-the-same-songsheet,10055).
The reason behind the further concentrating of the media in Australia? New technology such as digital television, pay TV and the Internet and the claims that these laws are from the 1990s and is not relevant to the 21st Century digital landscape (note that the current media laws date back to 2006). And it is worth noting that there is a possibility that both public broadcasters in Australia (ABC and SBS) could be privatised, and as mentioned in last week's editorial, this is the goal of the far-right wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, which is also for getting rid of the reach rule. But expect the same excuse for it as the dismantling of media ownership laws- new technology.
And now the government has declared war on community media, forcing community television online and is planning to do the same for community radio. The excuse- the Internet makes it easier, and new technology. But the government has sabotaged the National Broadband Network, which means that community media has been set up to fail.
In the United States of America, five companies controls 90 percent of the media in the United States, and this concentration of the media has been encouraged by both the Democrats and the Republicans (and no doubt this will continue under President Donald Trump, who wants to privatise the Public Broadcasting Service or PBS in the United States (http://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-in-historical-perspective-from-nixon-to-bannon-breitbart-and-the-alt-right-fringe/5577535)). The five companies that controls 90 percent of the American media landscape are Comcast, News Corp, Disney, Time Warner and National Amusements (which owns both CBS Corporation and Viacom). And no doubt that this will get even worse.
But fortunately, the people of the world are fighting back against the likes of Rupert Murdoch and co, and you are reading an independent media outlet. We are seeing the alternative media explode, with more and more people starting their own blog, and people are flocking to public radio in droves (note that here in Australia, public radio is known as community radio), and the mainstream media outlets are losing.
The media needs to go back to a 'check and balance' in keeping our elected officials to account, and not become a public relations machine that it has become. And if we don't have an accountable media that serves as a 'check and balance', then we are in danger of moving to fascism.
5 March 2017
In recent months, and in particular with the election of real estate mogul and reality television star Donald Trump to the most powerful post in the world (President of the United States of America), there has been much debate over the role of the media. It is worth noting that a free press is mentioned in the Constitution of the United States of America, but in recent decades, it has become less of a 'check and balance' and more public relations.
Mainstream media (and in particular the privately-owned commercial media outlets) are becoming more obsessed with so-called "reality shows" (which are actually staged) and "celebrity gossip" (such as Kim Kardashian) and not paying attention to what the community wants: hard-hitting journalism. And while the mainstream media waits for media released from public relations companies, the alternative media is doing the hard yards by reporting on the hard-hitting issues such as the crimes against humanity that western governments are committing (in the name of the people) in the Middle East, as well as reporting the crimes against humanity that Israel is committing in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank (in last week's editorial, we mentioned the opposition to Connex Melbourne's parent company Veolia Transport operating the light rail in Jerusalem, which includes parts of the occupied West Bank, which was one of the factors that resulted in Connex Melbourne losing the right to operate Melbourne's train network in 2009).
Note that the distrust in the mainstream media is not just the so-called "liberal" media outlets, but also the "conservative" media outlets. But no matter what's your opinion on the mainstream media is, we need a media that is answerable to the people and brings those who misuse their power to account. But unfortunately, Australia has one of the most concentrated media landscapes in the world, in which around 70% of the newspapers is controlled by American media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and the remainder is controlled by Fairfax. And the media in Australia is set to become even more concentrated as the Federal Government is complementing getting rid of the two-out-of-three rule, which was introduced in 2006, as well as getting rid of the reach rule (which is currently 75%) (https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/why-does-mainstream-media-sing-from-the-same-songsheet,10055).
The reason behind the further concentrating of the media in Australia? New technology such as digital television, pay TV and the Internet and the claims that these laws are from the 1990s and is not relevant to the 21st Century digital landscape (note that the current media laws date back to 2006). And it is worth noting that there is a possibility that both public broadcasters in Australia (ABC and SBS) could be privatised, and as mentioned in last week's editorial, this is the goal of the far-right wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, which is also for getting rid of the reach rule. But expect the same excuse for it as the dismantling of media ownership laws- new technology.
And now the government has declared war on community media, forcing community television online and is planning to do the same for community radio. The excuse- the Internet makes it easier, and new technology. But the government has sabotaged the National Broadband Network, which means that community media has been set up to fail.
In the United States of America, five companies controls 90 percent of the media in the United States, and this concentration of the media has been encouraged by both the Democrats and the Republicans (and no doubt this will continue under President Donald Trump, who wants to privatise the Public Broadcasting Service or PBS in the United States (http://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-in-historical-perspective-from-nixon-to-bannon-breitbart-and-the-alt-right-fringe/5577535)). The five companies that controls 90 percent of the American media landscape are Comcast, News Corp, Disney, Time Warner and National Amusements (which owns both CBS Corporation and Viacom). And no doubt that this will get even worse.
But fortunately, the people of the world are fighting back against the likes of Rupert Murdoch and co, and you are reading an independent media outlet. We are seeing the alternative media explode, with more and more people starting their own blog, and people are flocking to public radio in droves (note that here in Australia, public radio is known as community radio), and the mainstream media outlets are losing.
The media needs to go back to a 'check and balance' in keeping our elected officials to account, and not become a public relations machine that it has become. And if we don't have an accountable media that serves as a 'check and balance', then we are in danger of moving to fascism.
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