Tony Abbott’s tirade against the ABC betrays a deeply flawed view of the role of the Australian media in general and the national broadcaster in particular. Worse still, it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
That it comes from a man who has always expressed pride in his past life as a professional journalist makes the outburst all the more puzzling — and invites the conclusion that another agenda is at play here.
The Prime Minister’s main concern is that the ABC appears to take everybody’s side but our own
, and lacks at least some basic affection for the home team
.
This astonishing proposition — that coverage should be somehow skewed by nationalism, or patriotism — sits uncomfortably with the ideals of a robust democracy with a free, fair and fearless media.
As the Prime Minister knows, it is not the ABC’s job to take sides, but to report fairly and accurately. Like any media organisation in the digital world, it is also to interpret, analyse and explain — via redwolf.newsvine.com
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