Comments on: The wisdom of Shanahan http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/ Life, Culture and Politics from BrisVegas Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:56:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: nudiefish http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74022 nudiefish Sat, 27 Oct 2007 05:03:18 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74022 This is the election that blogs have come to the fore. The more the mainstream press decry political blogs the more they demonstrate their fear. And so they should. Why have professional and corrupt political commentators on what should be the right of every citizen? Corrupt, you might ask? The National Press Club is your answer. Even the most stupid blogger is a thousand times more profound than the likes of Dennis Shanahan and co. This is the election that blogs have come to the fore.

The more the mainstream press decry political blogs the more they demonstrate their fear. And so they should.

Why have professional and corrupt political commentators on what should be the right of every citizen? Corrupt, you might ask? The National Press Club is your answer.

Even the most stupid blogger is a thousand times more profound than the likes of Dennis Shanahan and co.

]]> By: haiku http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74021 haiku Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:16:33 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74021 BTW - great post title, Kim! BTW – great post title, Kim!

]]> By: Mercurius http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74020 Mercurius Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:57:34 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74020 At least Shanahan, Sheridan & Akerman will have jobs waiting for them at Quadrant when the revolution comes. BTW, I put this comment on the previous thread about the weird Age editorial on Summer Heights High, but it's also apposite for this column: Methinks we're overdue for a TV satire based on what goes on in an op/ed editor's office. It's been well over 10 years since the demise of Frontline, yeah? At least Shanahan, Sheridan & Akerman will have jobs waiting for them at Quadrant when the revolution comes.

BTW, I put this comment on the previous thread about the weird Age editorial on Summer Heights High, but it’s also apposite for this column:

Methinks we’re overdue for a TV satire based on what goes on in an op/ed editor’s office.

It’s been well over 10 years since the demise of Frontline, yeah?

]]> By: phil@VVB http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74019 phil@VVB Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:52:36 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74019 The old man always referred to the Oz as the Troglodyte Times, even back in its better days. The old man always referred to the Oz as the Troglodyte Times, even back in its better days.

]]> By: Mr Denmore http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74018 Mr Denmore Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:53:58 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74018 I agree with Alan that the ABC has "over-corrected". So paranoid have newsrooms there become after years of witch-hunts by the Alstons of the world that they now routinely spin for the government, even in their "straight" news coverage. You hear it in the credulous way they report even the most outrageous piece of Coalition spin. The journalistic skills of providing context and distance are forsaken for a literal-minded application of the 'impartiality' principle. Apart from Kerry O'Brien, ABC journos invariably go in harder in their questioning of Labor figures than their government counterparts. And they dutifully chase after blatant government red herrings, while letting real stories rot. I agree with Alan that the ABC has “over-corrected”. So paranoid have newsrooms there become after years of witch-hunts by the Alstons of the world that they now routinely spin for the government, even in their “straight” news coverage.

You hear it in the credulous way they report even the most outrageous piece of Coalition spin. The journalistic skills of providing context and distance are forsaken for a literal-minded application of the ‘impartiality’ principle.

Apart from Kerry O’Brien, ABC journos invariably go in harder in their questioning of Labor figures than their government counterparts. And they dutifully chase after blatant government red herrings, while letting real stories rot.

]]> By: Alan http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74017 Alan Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:37:30 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74017 To be honest, the Coalition is in such deep shit, it won't matter how much of a boost they get in the MSM. And I doubt it will take long for Rudd to make his own appointments to the ABC Board. Maybe Joe McDonald can get a gig, now he's out of the ALP? To be honest, the Coalition is in such deep shit, it won’t matter how much of a boost they get in the MSM. And I doubt it will take long for Rudd to make his own appointments to the ABC Board. Maybe Joe McDonald can get a gig, now he’s out of the ALP?

]]> By: MarkWW http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74016 MarkWW Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:23:42 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74016 What bugs the hell out of me is the A..bloody B..bloody..C and it’s lightweight moral equivalence between the two major party’s campaigns. The standard ‘balanced’ line is that both sides are equally guilty of using smears. I must have missed the bit where the ALP told us how Australians will be doomed to eternal suffering if we re-elect the Howard team. Why can’t journalists call a spade a spade and describe the Liberal ads, and the BCA ads for that matter, as the unashamed scaremongering tripe that they are? Similarly, why can’t ABC journalists mention Paul Keating, factually, as ‘the former Prime Minister’ without adding ‘who gave us the recession we had to have’? Do they always mention John Howard as ‘the Prime Minister who let a Govt agency pay $300m in bribes to Saddam Hussain’ or ‘who gave us the GST he promised he would never never introduce’? There is no ‘balance’ in the supposedly independent publically-funded ABC. There is only a perverted version of ‘balance’. That’s why Tip can go on like a goose and get reported seriously. If someone had the balls to call bullshit, he might temper his rhetoric a tad. But no, we have to have ‘balance’ rather than scrutiny. What bugs the hell out of me is the A..bloody B..bloody..C and it’s lightweight moral equivalence between the two major party’s campaigns. The standard ‘balanced’ line is that both sides are equally guilty of using smears. I must have missed the bit where the ALP told us how Australians will be doomed to eternal suffering if we re-elect the Howard team. Why can’t journalists call a spade a spade and describe the Liberal ads, and the BCA ads for that matter, as the unashamed scaremongering tripe that they are?

Similarly, why can’t ABC journalists mention Paul Keating, factually, as ‘the former Prime Minister’ without adding ‘who gave us the recession we had to have’? Do they always mention John Howard as ‘the Prime Minister who let a Govt agency pay $300m in bribes to Saddam Hussain’ or ‘who gave us the GST he promised he would never never introduce’?

There is no ‘balance’ in the supposedly independent publically-funded ABC. There is only a perverted version of ‘balance’. That’s why Tip can go on like a goose and get reported seriously. If someone had the balls to call bullshit, he might temper his rhetoric a tad. But no, we have to have ‘balance’ rather than scrutiny.

]]> By: Jobby http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74015 Jobby Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:16:32 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74015 <blockquote>The ABC has over-corrected, since being so badly bruised by 11 years of Culture Wars. </blockquote> And having its board stacked with wingnuts such as Keith Windschuttle and <strike>Anne Coulter</strike> Janet Albrechtson. <blockquote>And were I to follow Jobby @ 10.21am, and cease reading newspapers at all, would I then be obliged to shut (TF) up, to maintain my bullshit neutral status?</blockquote> I think that some sort of bullshit emissions trading scheme might be in order here.

The ABC has over-corrected, since being so badly bruised by 11 years of Culture Wars.

And having its board stacked with wingnuts such as Keith Windschuttle and Anne Coulter Janet Albrechtson.

And were I to follow Jobby @ 10.21am, and cease reading newspapers at all, would I then be obliged to shut (TF) up, to maintain my bullshit neutral status?

I think that some sort of bullshit emissions trading scheme might be in order here.

]]> By: Alan http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74014 Alan Fri, 26 Oct 2007 06:06:38 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74014 My major disappointment -apart from the fact I live in WA so my only daily newspaper choice is between the Australian and the West Australian- has been the ABC. The 7pm news has been fairly balanced, but it seems the later it gets in the evening, the further the ABC bends backwards to spin for the Coalition. A prime example was the use of footage of someone presenting Rudd with a bottle of champagne at a shopping centre. The 7pm News included the line: the bottle was refused as premature. This line had disappeared by the time the footage got onto Lateline, and it looked like Rudd had accepted the bottle, and was showing "hubris" by celebrating already. The ABC has over-corrected, since being so badly bruised by 11 years of Culture Wars. My major disappointment -apart from the fact I live in WA so my only daily newspaper choice is between the Australian and the West Australian- has been the ABC. The 7pm news has been fairly balanced, but it seems the later it gets in the evening, the further the ABC bends backwards to spin for the Coalition. A prime example was the use of footage of someone presenting Rudd with a bottle of champagne at a shopping centre. The 7pm News included the line: the bottle was refused as premature. This line had disappeared by the time the footage got onto Lateline, and it looked like Rudd had accepted the bottle, and was showing “hubris” by celebrating already.
The ABC has over-corrected, since being so badly bruised by 11 years of Culture Wars.

]]> By: Mr Denmore http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74013 Mr Denmore Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:53:16 +0000 http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/10/26/the-wisdom-of-shanahan/#comment-74013 <blockquote> always struck me that while there is a cheersquad for the Liberal Party (Albrechtseins, Bolt, Akerman) but there is no equivalent for the Labor Party</blockquote> I think that's because the newspaper columnists tend to argue over the cultural politics divide than the economic one. The Libs have made the deeply socially conservative ground their own. But Labor, fearing the wedge, has been reluctant to adopt the progressive side.

always struck me that while there is a cheersquad for the Liberal Party (Albrechtseins, Bolt, Akerman) but there is no equivalent for the Labor Party

I think that’s because the newspaper columnists tend to argue over the cultural politics divide than the economic one. The Libs have made the deeply socially conservative ground their own. But Labor, fearing the wedge, has been reluctant to adopt the progressive side.

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