March 26, 2004

BAD BECOMES GOOD

"Australia tops honest companies list," reports the ABC:

Australian companies are seen as the least likely in the world to offer bribes when operating offshore.

Advocacy group Transparency International has surveyed 800 business experts in 15 developing nations to give Australian firms the cleanest bill of health, ahead of companies from Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Canada.

Nice story, huh? Now take a look at the way it was originally presented just a few hours ago.

(As spotted by super-wily Zem, of vigilant.tv)

Posted by Tim Blair at March 26, 2004 11:40 AM
Comments

Here's the full text of the original, as cached by my news aggregator:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1074159.htm

Australian companies amongst top bribers: report

Last Update: Friday, March 26, 2004. 8:12am (AEDT)

Bribery accusation (File photo) (ABC TV)

Australian companies amongst top bribers: report

Australian companies have been accused of bribery and corruption in the developing world.

The companies have been listed high up on an index compiled by an international corruption watchdog and released in London overnight.

The index says companies from Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Canada top the list of bribe-payers - companies allegedly bribing governments and public officials in the developing world in breach of their Government's anti-corruption laws.

Bribery of foreign officials is banned under an OECD convention and the index, based on a survey of 800 business experts in 15 developing countries, found the bribes fuel corruption.

In the annual review of the state of corruption in the world compiled by advocacy group Transparency International, one survey showed two-thirds of those polled thought political parties were the institutions most in need of eliminating corruption within.

The review also highlighted to the lack of transparency in the awarding of contracts in post-war Iraq.

Posted by: zem at March 26, 2004 at 11:58 AM

Deliberately reporting the opposite of the truth, just to further their sick agenda. What contemptible scum fill the ABC newsroom. No effort's too low for them, if it helps to run Australia down. If only Alston was still Communications Minister he would have much of this, in the Senate.

Posted by: Byron_the_Aussie at March 26, 2004 at 11:58 AM

What a laugh - caught out red handed. I love the way that they have spun the story after mis-reading the original report. Tops is bottom and bottom is tops.

Posted by: Rob at March 26, 2004 at 12:20 PM

What? No apology from the ABC? Just a stealth edit. The subbie who let this thru needs to be sacked.

Like most Leftists, first comes the hatred and then the world is molded to fit the bigotry. Who needs facts when you're possessed of a higher truth! Or should that be 'by'?

Posted by: Paul Johnson at March 26, 2004 at 12:32 PM

The ABC were obviously perplexed by the absence of the French from the list, following their principled stance on the invasion of Iraq.
Bush lied, contracts denied.
No merde for oil.

Posted by: fidens at March 26, 2004 at 01:07 PM

What will MediaWatch say about it?

My guess - bugger all.

Posted by: Dylan at March 26, 2004 at 01:40 PM

Funny that now the link to the article has disappeared. Can't read the article any more. Wonder why!!

Posted by: dick at March 27, 2004 at 06:44 AM

Here is a link to the article in a different forum, don't know how long it will last but I took a screen shot:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/040325/21/oacb.html

Tim, email if you want the screen shot (currently pasted into a word doc).

Posted by: Ken Summers at March 27, 2004 at 02:41 PM