Whenever I hear the phrase “cause of freedom of speech� I inwardly shudder as I know that an earful of cant is a likely prospect.

Oh Jack that’s just beautiful. Coming from you, I mean.

Whatever happened to the bracing effect of robust debate? And why have Leftie bloggers suddenly become so precious about a little argy-bargy? Is on-line media meant to be a one-way shooting gallery?

Well might we ask. The GG doesn’t seem to like it very much.

You seem to have forgotten that it was the GG that kicked this off this little tiff after the punters rightly pointed out that a particular news story by their Ace Stenographer was actually load of old pig’s trotters dressed up as fine imported caviar.

What a difference a week makes, eh? Last week it was all ‘Howard Checks Rudd’s March’ and we were well on the road to victory, and this week Howard’s asking his cabinet why it is that they’re basically fucked.

First, we’ve got the bastion of the established punditariat, used to the cosy circle between journos, editors, pollies and pollsters, seeing the barbarians storm the gate. That’s never happened before in an election year.

I think that Larva Prodders are OTT on this kerfuffle, which is no more than a harmless media spat. ‘Twas ever thus, on-line or off.

I can remember some pretty fearsome stoushes being waged between journos way back in the off-line days. Every generation of swine must rise and fall, as the Good Doctor once said.

I dont know if a couple of aging journos from the Oz’s political desk are “the bastion of the established punditariat”. THe Oz po-jos have done what countless aging journos have done since time immemorial: run out of interesting things to say.

This is not a problem peculiar to off-line journos. [!]

Its a bit late to shut the gate. The barbarians have been inside the MSM tent for yonks. Heaps of MSM journalists run media-sited blogs.

Admittedly, its a lot easier for blogging boys to point out the state of media emperor’s clothes these days.

These blogging frenzies are usually just storm in a teacup whipped up in the desperate struggle to attract attention. A sign of the relentless status-anxiety of the opinon-mongering class.

“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”

O. Wilde

Secondly, the reaction hasn’t been pretty. Fortunately for the cause of the freedom of speech so cherished by Mr Shanahan, Peter Brent didn’t get a very effective monstering from the Australian’s leader writer.

Whenever I hear the phrase “cause of freedom of speech” I inwardly shudder as I know that an earful of cant is a likely prospect. Mark seldom disappoints, in this respect.

Why would free speech be harmed if Peter Brent did get an effective “monstering” from the Oz? Brent is not made out of Dresden China. He has certainly never held back from dishing out the biff to News Ltd “Three Stooges” Kelly, Shanahan and Milne.

I am sure his heavy weight ego is strong enough to endure a couple of glancing blows from those lightweight sparring partners. I dont see any reason to worry if the they respond in kind.

Whatever happened to the bracing effect of robust debate? And why have Leftie bloggers suddenly become so precious about a little argy-bargy? Is on-line media meant to be a one-way shooting gallery?

Cripes, if I had a penny for everytime I copped a low blow from one of the foul players on this site then…I’d have alot of pennies. But you dont catch me whining.

What a bunch of snivelling sooks.

the appalling redesign of the site.

Standard counter-insurgency procedures, Ma’am.

Now please move away from the private polling area.

I have instructions to clear this debate of unauthorised commentators.

The dirty digger usually has a pretty keen nose for winners - in the US, he is already courting Hilary - how much longer before he decides to endorse little Kevvy?

Both main polls have been fairly consistent, and extrapolation even suggests the coalition could lose up to 46 seats.

Matt Price often makes (to him, ironic) comments about waiting for the word from head office; perhaps that word won’t be too long coming.

Corporate or Colonial
The Movement is unstoppable
Like the body of a centerfold it spreads
To the counter-culture copyright
Get your revolution at a lower price
Or make believe and throw the fight, play dead
It’s exploding bags, aerosol cans
Southbound buses, Peter Pan
They left it up to us again
I thought you knew the drill
It’s kill or be killed

Future Markets, Holy Wars
Been tried ten thousand times before
If you think that God is keeping score, Hooray!
For the freedom-fighting simulcast (Victory! A defeat! Victory!)
The imminent and the aftermath
Draw another bloody bath to drain
Like the polar icecaps centrifuge (Oh Allah! Oh Jesus please!)
First snowman built at the end of June
He slicks his hair for the interview, his fifteen-minute fame
Would you agree times have changed?

(Clairaudients(Kill or Be Killed): Bright Eyes)

“Voters drawn to the Rudd barbecue by the sizzle and smell of onions may now be looking for the sausage. What’s more, the old dog John Howard is clawing away, going for scraps and getting noticed by those standing with buttered bread in hand.” What on earth, some of us wondered, did Dennis have in hand when he wrote that?

Still giggling over that one…

I think Shammers probably thought he had a hold of the public’s sausage… not realising, of course, that it was really his own.

Here’s the link. The Government Gazette tag goes MSM.

All hail Ozblogistan!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/polls-apart-at-the-sausage-sizzle/2007/07/13/1183833770404.html?page=4

Alan Ramsey’s devoted a piece to it & the latest polls in today’s SMH, 14.07.07.

Ouch.

I doubt we will ever know.

mebbe 30 years down the road…:)

I’ve always hoped Lachlan had more scruples than the Dad. Always wondered if the collapse of a certain company was to teach the Packer & Murdoch lads a hard lesson, reign them in. One never knows what kind of Machiavellian stuff goes on w/in the dynasties…how Dad’s & Empire builders try to mold the prospective inheritors of their dreams…& test them to see if they have ‘the Right Stuff’.

Ken L. said: “he seems to be a Mark Steyn/Ann Coulter wannabe … pass off an endless series of ‘daringly outrageous’ one-liners as serious commentary.”

couldn’t agree more…;)

Tom, loved “the winged monkey’s” comment…ever read ‘Otherland’?…it brought that brill book to mind…quite an image…lol.

yer welcome Gandhi. It’s good to see their House of Cards collapsing.

However it seems weird that News ltd would hire Tim Dunlop and not think “gee if he’s off the leash will he bite the hand that feeds?�

It seems to me there are virtual civil wars raging within most major newsrooms: the wingnuts versus those who still have some respect for reality. The wingnuts appear to have lost this battle.

Viva el Ozblogistan!!!

I have a theory that Lachlan Murdoch (or somebody at that level) got Tim through the door at News Ltd, in which case he would just go back to his original patron, get his blog back in action, and enjoy watching Shanahan and Mitchell get their asses kicked. What do you think, folks?

Rupert likes the old media glory and fancies himself as a genius in the Big Picture game: he spends lots of time working out what’s coming for his global empire in the next 5, 10 or 20 years. But he doesn’t get too hands-on in the Web 2.0 technical side of things, coz he’s out of his depth. So he buys MySpace, for example, but then let’s young Wendi Deng and her friends run the day-to-day business of it. Maybe Lachlan’s playing Webmaster in Oz?

I wonder if Tim will demand that they re-instate his spiked post? I wonder if a threat of resignation is still on the table (sounds like some kind of mediation is still pending). I wonder if he’ll get a guaranteed “hands off”policy agreement, and if so, I wonder if he will be able to keep sticking it to Da Man right up till election day? I seriously doubt it.

Also, I wonder if Rupert’s big deal with the Bancrofts came into play? I wonder if my emails to Fairfax, E&P and others were helpful in exerting a little pressure on the Oz editorial team? Was it a word from the higher ups, the outrage of the blogosphere, or just the realization of what dorks they were being that made the GG attack dogs back down?

I doubt we will ever know.

(PS: thanks again for the kudos, Nasking)

Formulaic writing’s boring.

Damn! Might as well give up on ever finding that sure-fire formula for varied and interesting writing then.

I don’t think I’ll add him to my list of regular reading. Formulaic writing’s boring.

Blair’s post is a disgrace.

what do you expect from someone who permits posts that glorify & chuckle at animal killing:
http://timblair.net/ee/index.php/weblog/comments/all_creatures_great_and_smooshed/

Gandhi can wear their disdain w/ pride.

In this household Tim Dunlop, Gandhi & the Lav Prod collective kick-arse.

Tim Blair is like a day old taco w/out chili, no bite…a flop that gives you slight indigestion.

However it seems weird that News ltd would hire Tim Dunlop and not think “gee if he’s off the leash will he bite the hand that feeds?”

If you hired him for his political (left) leanings, then don’t have a sook when he puts you under the microscope…!?

Tom

“Yep, the editor here pulled a post yesterday, which I ain’t happy about, though of course, in the greater scheme of things editors pulling copy is hardly unusual. Nonetheless, it is something we are discussing. In the meantime, let’s just go John Howard and his new aircraft wallpaper, shall we?”

Margo at Web Diary has posted about the Dunlop censorship episode, comparing it with here own departure from Fairfax.