grodscorp@grods.comDoublethink in action
 | Posted by The Editor on Wednesday 9 May 2007, 9:46 pm Categories: Blogosphere, Media, Politics Tags: DoubleThink, GeorgeOrwell, HeraldSun, journalism, TheAge |
Trawling around the blogosphere (Hi, Slipheed!) unearths some weird and wonderful things. How’s the form of this guy who runs a blog called Double-Think ranting about left-wing media bias in a post called “The Age show their stripes”?
The state of modern journalism in general is appalling. Students of journalism and media, across the country and in many tertiary institutes, are not taught one of the most basic principles of news reporting - separating opinion from fact.
There is room for editorials and opinion pieces. In fact, there is a huge demand by readers to read different opinion pieces. But news is news, and the front pages of newspapers are supposed to be free from editorializing, colorful language, spin, cartoons and imagery.
The Age and SMH are 2 of the worst newspapers in Australia, because they proudly violate this concept on a near daily basis. The left wing hatred and cynicism towards Howard, climate change hysteria, animosity towards liberty and capitalism pervade almost every paragraph.
Hang on, I thought. Surely this dude can’t seriously contend that News Ltd. tabloids don’t regularly and proudly violate these very golden rules he speaks of?
The Herald Sun also editorialize their headlines, but with a different bias - a more patriotic and nationalistic one. Its usually focussed on demonising criminals and social misfits, as “monsters”, and celebrating soldiers, patriots and the winners of awards as valiant heroes.
Patriotism, nationalism and valour. Oh, well, that’s all right then.
The tagline of the Double-Think blog is:
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them”. - George Orwell.
Obviously our blogging mate is demonstrating this principal in his writing for our ease of understanding.
GrodsThink Ep.31 (16/9/08)
Wednesday 9 May 2007, 10:43 pm #Mikey
I think fairfax is quite objective. This dick knuckle clearly has not compared them too closely to the News Ltd papers whose “opinionists” dress up news with a deliberate overt slant like Dennis “See! Rudd’s peaked!” Shannahan et al wanking on about the danger of the ALP oooooo unions.
The job of the fourth estate is to pick up the rocks and look underneath. The job of news limited is to point out how fucking awesome the rocks are and if you pick them up you’re nothing but a Lesbian loving Aboriginal on welfare.
Friday 11 May 2007, 12:55 pm #Jono
Thanks for the criticism guys. Just where have you even attempted to show that I hold two contradictory beliefs in my mind ?
I stand by my original assertion. The Age is by far the worst at editorializing their major news stories, headlines, and front pages. The way they allocate certain stories to front pages and others to small paragraphs is also evident. They do it on a daily basis.
The Herald Sun is also worthy of criticism from time to time. And so I mentioned it. Its not a matter of which bias I prefer. Both of them are guilty of bias. But The Age and SMH are more biased and unprofessional in their news reporting than the Herald Sun. And MUCH MUCH worse than The Australian.
Friday 11 May 2007, 12:57 pm #The Editor
The Herald Sun is also worthy of criticism from time to time.
Chortle, chortle. That’s hilarious.
Friday 11 May 2007, 12:59 pm #Jono
By the way Mikey, I never wrote about editorials. Its no mystery either that editorials in all papers have some biased. They are opinion pieces after all.
Every newspaper is free to publish the most extreme opinions and loaded language in their editorials. Thats what they are there for.
The problem with The Age is they publish editorials on Page 1, with large cartoons that show the treasurer as a pig rolling in money. If you don’t see a problem here, than you don’t understand media ethics.
And you think the job of the media is to look under rocks ? This only applies to The Age when Liberals are in power. What about State governments ? The Age has never looked under a single rock to criticise or expose the Bracks government, but the Herald Sun this week published a front page report about Bracks meeting with Tattersalls !
Friday 11 May 2007, 1:05 pm #The Editor
The Age has never looked under a single rock to criticise or expose the Bracks government
Absolute hogwash.
Friday 11 May 2007, 2:09 pm #John Surname
“The way they allocate certain stories to front pages and others to small paragraphs is also evident. They do it on a daily basis.”
The Herald Sun is notorious for doing just that! Of course, your problem isn’t that The Age is biased, it’s that it’s a bias you disagree with. That’s why you’ve been accused of Double-Think.
Friday 11 May 2007, 11:43 pm #Mikey
The problem with The Age is they publish editorials on Page 1, with large cartoons that show the treasurer as a pig rolling in money. If you don’t see a problem here, than you don’t understand media ethics.
I’ll explain your views to my Communication Bachelor’s degree then call in my Grad Dip in Professional communication just in case it didn’t hear it the first time. Then I will muchly laugh at your comments when I compare the feeble occasional failings of Fairfax compared to the monstrous partisan overt editorial policy which in turn drives the so called “factual” reporting of news limited papers which is more akin to Fleet Street in it’s obvious favourings than any other paper in the country’s history.
Most amusing.