Hello readers and welcome to the column that collects and curates the cream of your views on the news. The ABC got a dose of integrity with ScoMo’s captain’s call to appoint Ita Buttrose as chairman. A clean sweep said Jason:
“Hopefully Ita will put a broom through the joint and Aunty can breath clear air again.”
Esther opined:
“It’s good luck, Ita, because the independence of the ABC is affected in two ways:
(1) by simple omission of facts of political interest from their national news — such as the ‘green’ leanings of Queensland advisers to the Palaszczuk government and (2) by patent ongoing bias of certain employees on radio and TV: watch a sneer or a rolling of the eyes greet those of conservative bent, while Labor politicians are given warm smiles and fawned over.
“Review the ABC ‘coverage’ of the university protests against poor Bettina Arndt and you’ll understand.”
Betty agreed:
“I’m amazed ABC journos make no effort to inhibit that body language of disrespect to the Coalition. … it’s extreme. (Laura) Tingle et al among the worst, and most subtly skilled at this denigration.
“Viewers believe body language over words. Australia, we have a big problem for poor old Ita.”
Tony noted:
“She has not picked a fight before she’s even started. She is playing this the smart way.”
Deirdre had doubts:
“She’s going to ‘fight for its independence’? Has she got the right organisation?
“She also said that ‘80pc of the public believe that the ABC is unbiased’. I hope she understands that only about 5pc of the public watch the $1.1bn a year ABC (and I’m sure most of those believe that its ‘unbiased’).”
John said:
“What an excellent opportunity to get the ABC to address its culture issues. The unprofessional, unbalanced and biased reporting and analysis of the news is shameful and embarrassing.
“A public funded media organisation should not be a propaganda machine for the extreme left. It should provide a balanced view for all Australians.”
Clive’s contribution:
“If Ita and ScoMo can get this right then it will be … a credit to them. If they don’t get it right, then it will be time to make the ABC a subscription-based service.
“Fact is, currently the ABC is the political platform for too many people with self interests, and not the internationally renowned news organisation reporting on meaningful national and global matters that it should be.”
Leslie lamented:
“If Buttrose gets a conservative commentator or producer on one of the mainstream programs it will be nothing short of a miracle.”
Mr Natural’s view:
“She’d have to work miracles to get me back to FTA TV after more than 5 years away.”
Ross approved:
“She is of course also a diplomat. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”
Jeffrey was jaded:
“I used to really enjoy watching ABC shows, now I hardly watch it. I believe the rot set in when Foxtel brought the rights to the majority of UK TV shows. Since then the ABC appear to forgotten its older audience and panders to the idiot youth market.
“Most of the ABC comedy shows are puerile. There really isn’t much worth watching. The news is a joke, the other night while India and Pakistan are virtually at war, and a lot else is happening we are shown a story about koalas.
“I also used to enjoy Q&A, haven’t watched it in years, tuned in and after 5 mins, just couldn’t stand it. Ita has a big job to do.”
Arlys was afraid:
“Ita was a legend. Taking on this job, regardless of the financial gain, is going to cost too much personally. By her statement yesterday, which was totally incorrect, it’s obvious she has no intention of rocking the boat.
“Bad call by Morrison (should have paid Peta Credlin a motza to do it, the entertainment alone would have been worth it) and I can only hope Ita bails out, before to much damage is done.”
KeithW commented:
“I believe Ms Buttrose will make a good Chairman. However, I am bit disappointed that she has gone on the record that she believes there is no Green/Left bias in the ABC’s news and current affairs reporting.
“I would have hoped she would have come in with an open mind and looked critically at the ‘progressive’ activist approach of most ABC journalists and set about creating some balance.”
Brown’s black and white view earns comment of the week:
“I love some areas of the ABC — the investigative side of it, the human stories, but it really is overwhelmed with opinionated and frankly damned awful activists given a free pass to ventilate their opposition to what the average thinking person thinks, all aimed with great strategy at ultimately silencing the majority.
“I for one, am sick of it. I no longer tune in to the more opinionated shows that brook no challenge but rather use the belittling process to silence.
“The ABC can squeal about the ‘process not being followed’ in this appointment but then, they never follow the ‘process’ within their own charter of being a voice for all Australians.
“I am fed up with the ABC digging up the same opinionated people ‘advocates’ working in various sectors who are so immersed in their own self importance.
“Why not occasionally seek out others who can add some interest or varying views into the public discourse? Perhaps some real challenge occasionally rather than dog whistling again and again and again. This is, of course, yet another way that the ABC insinuates opinion into the public domain and distorts it into becoming the only ‘correct’ opinion aka the truth.”
Last word to Les:
“To return this ALP propaganda unit to the people will be a task of herculean proportions. I wish her well but still believe that the only cure is to clean the out stables of the news division completely.”
—
Jordan Peterson’s much-vaunted, feared and loathed appearance on ABC’s Q&A was a ratings bonanza, drawing the show’s biggest ratings of the year with 624,000 viewers nationwide. Ambushed with friendly fire from Milo and facing off against the likes of broadcaster and author Catherine McGregor and Catholic Marxist polemicist Van Badham, Peterson rejected being labelled the saviour for disenfranchised white men, and discussed whether we are worse off than our grandparents. Nonsense, said Nancy:
“Worse off than our grandparents because of job insecurity? I fell about laughing. My grandfather helped develop the Victorian Mallee. He arrived there with a wooden wheelbarrow and a pick and shovel. Next generation. my mother, lived in a tin shed, no power, rain water if it rained, dirt floor, open fire cooking.
“The next meal was the insecurity they lived with. My mother wrote a little piece for us in her older years: 100 ways to cook a rabbit, and 50 uses for old kero tins.”
Awkward, said Edward:
“Still think the ABC missed a trick last night in not having JP as a solo panellist. People wanted to hear his response to questions not another four panellists, a few of whom just live to speak their opinions over others.
“With 5 panellists, time for meaningful responses was totally diluted with Tony J trying to enforce a 1-minute time limit to responses. As a result responses were truncated.
“Cate McGregor is a waffler of the highest order. Van Badham is Van Badham and she must have been briefed to not be her usual obnoxious self but you could see her champing at the bit. The two pollies were polite and restrained and once again you have to wonder if they were under starters orders. I suspect that the ABC was desperate for the show to not degenerate into a slanging match.
“The question from Milo … I suspect it was gotcha moment attempt. It took JP by surprise and for him was obviously out of left field.”
Jolly good show, said Justin:
“I thought ABC was rightly careful and balanced. Peterson was right not to allow others insult him.”
Rick rapped:
“The only way Milo can get any sympathetic treatment from the left is when he is attacking someone else the left doesn’t like.”
Peter’s position:
“Terri Butler — wow. Rude, antagonistic and condescending. Not really impressed.”
Glenda was glad:
“Watched for once to see Jordan and he did not disappoint. Very easily put Badham and Butler back in their boxes.”
Rob’s review:
“Overall a most watchable program with interesting comments from all panellists particularly McGregor and Peterson. It was a pity the one minute answer rule was inconsistently applied, particularly to Van Balham who had the least to say but took the most time saying it.”
P quoted Van Badham:
“ ‘It’s neoliberalism which has smashed communities, it’s neoliberalism which has made consumption dominant values in society, it’s neoliberalism that has destroyed the workplace and made our experience of economy so unstable.’ Unlike Socialism, right?”
Catherine was confounded:
“I found that statement extraordinary. I re-read it a couple of time. I have worked in agriculture and mining, the private and public sectors, overseas and in Oz and my workplaces have been just fine.
“Consumerism is a problem — but to put it down to rampant neoliberalism ignores social trends like the decline in religion amongst other changes. Our experience of economy is unstable, what does that even mean?
“Is she referring to casualisation of the workforce, if she is levels have been relatively stable since the 1990s. Also worth remembering that Australia, with 27 years of uninterrupted GDP growth, is often described internationally as the wonder down under.”
Betty was ready:
“Essentially meaningless back of truck union spruiking from Badham.”
—
Each Friday the cream of your views on the news rises and we honour the voices that made the debate great. To boost your chances of being featured, please be pertinent, pithy and preferably make a point. Solid arguments, original ideas, sparkling prose, rapier wit and rhetorical flourishes may count in your favour. Civility is essential. Comments may be edited for length.
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Miners change tune on climate change
Peak mining industry body The Minerals Council of Australia has joined the fight on climate.
Easy to point the finger
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