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Dear Australian News Media: enough with the soap opera

By on • ( 4 )

Really? Our Prime Minister announces the protection of the Malabar headlands in Sydney as a National Park, World Heritage listing of Australian historical sites, and the introduction of MySuper from 2013 – and all you can ask her about is Liberal talking points regarding Downer, Rudd and leaks? Shame on you.

Is painting politics as melodrama really the best way you can think of for journalism to engage with parliamentary matters?

Get over the incessant “narrative” reporting, FFS. Give us some reportage at least on policy announcements. I suppose actual policy analysis is too much to hope for.

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Categories: media, parties and factions

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4 replies

  1. Pen's avatar
    Pen
    2010-08-01 • 2:23 PM

    Yes. Because despite the narratives going on, these are the kinds of things I wish people were really making the voting decision on. I am also sick of mainstream media moaning on in opinion pieces about how there are no policy announcements, and then not reporting any policy announcements.

  3. Valerie's avatar
    Valerie
    2010-08-01 • 3:26 PM

    Looks like the MSM take the low road because they don’t understand policy and are therefore not able to break it down and process it into material that can be understood by the readers – Sky News lightweights Keiran Gilbert and Ashley Gillon are examples, so they focus on the politics.

  4. tigtog's avatar
    tigtog
    2010-08-01 • 5:24 PM

    At least some media coverage of today’s announcements:

    Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett says the World Heritage Committee has included 11 Australian convict sites on the World Heritage list.
    He says the 11 areas will be listed together as the Australian Convict Sites.
    […]
    At a press conference with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Mr Garrett also announced Malabar Headland in Sydney’s eastern suburbs will be transferred to the New South Wales Government for conservation.

    plus Friday’s announcements on the National Broadband Network.
    Google News main page at the moment has absolutely nothing showing for today’s new announcements on the MySuper plans. Of course, if I do a search I can find articles, but it’s not on the landing page.
    But zomg, what’s this? Actual reporting of a campaign event with a summary of all major policies? Of course, it’s about the Greens, and right now MSM editors aren’t being told to dig up dirty narratives on the Greens. If it looks like they will block the Coalition from that extra Senate seat though, just you watch.