July 23, 2003

DEAR ALISON

Professor Bunyip has uncovered the Marr-Broinowski connection. Why was this not disclosed on Media Watch? Perhaps the ABC should investigate. Or maybe that would be a waste of time.

Posted by Tim Blair at July 23, 2003 12:53 PM
Comments

For what it's worth, you can start the process of making a formal complaint via this page on the ABC website:

http://www.abc.net.au/corp/audience/complaints.htm

I intend to.

And if you haven't already done so, I recommend going to the MW homepage and clicking on Andrew Bolt's email responses to see the way that MW misrepresented and trivialised what he had said in them.

It was a text book stitch-up . . . exactly the sort of thing that MW was originally designed to expose.

Posted by: Mork at July 23, 2003 at 01:10 PM

MW hasn't published all Bolt's emails.

Look here.

...smells like litigation.

Posted by: Simon Roberts at July 23, 2003 at 01:29 PM

It's time to submit the whole Media Botch enterprise to some process of accountability.

Posted by: Indole Ring at July 23, 2003 at 01:51 PM

Let's hope that Mr Bolt takes Media Watch to the cleaners for defamation. he certainly has the grounds.

Is there anyone left who can take MW seriously?

quies ipsos custodes custodiet

Posted by: Toryhere at July 23, 2003 at 01:55 PM

It's all well and good to watch the watchers, but what I want to know is who the hell would take a second glance at Marr? I mean, come on...

Posted by: Preston Whip at July 23, 2003 at 02:15 PM

I felt it important to send a note to "Our" ABC. Give it a go. Confession is apparently good for the soul.

Cheers,

Todd

"As usual, I have come to expect a certain degree of bias whilst watching Media Watch. The program wears its left-wing credentials firmly on its sleeve, but it is usually entertaining, none-the-less. However, the recent program castigating Andrew Bolt was nothing more than a fabricated beat-up.

From the bully-pulpit of Media Watch, we have seen your host, David Marr, smear repeatedly a journalist, for having the temerity to criticise a 'paragon' of the left.

Personally, I hope that Bolt sues. The facts of the case are not in any doubt and he would win easily. My only concern is that I am paying for this rubbish through my tax.

Please try to be honest in the future. I understand how difficult it is, what with your glaring blindspot for the far larger problem of plagiarism and fallacy from left-wing comentators. But please try. It is after all, your job!"

Posted by: Todd at July 23, 2003 at 03:30 PM

Being an ingnorant Yank, could someone please inform me as to the official role (if any) of Media Watch? Based on what I've read, I would be simultaneously mortified and unsurprised if this were an official government organization. If, on the other hand, it's some private group that pretends to be objective, then who gives a crap?

Posted by: Jerry at July 23, 2003 at 03:46 PM

Jerry - MW is a weekly television show on the government broadcaster. Historically, it has been used to highlight egregious conduct by news media in general - in its early years it was fantastic in exposing people to the mechanics of producing news/current affairs.

In it's current incarnation, it is used by its presenter and producer as a vehicle to attack people in the media whom they dislike or to whom they are ideologically opposed.

It is not official in any sense - the government broadcaster is required by its charter to be independent from both government and commercial interests. But it is taxpayer-funded, which accounts for many people's outrage at it being hijacked in this manner.

Posted by: Mork at July 23, 2003 at 04:03 PM

Jerry,

Media Watch is a program on our Government funded ABC network that is supposed to expose bad practice in the Australian media. It used to do the job quite well but has been taken over by a pretentious arsehole host who uses the time to make petty stabs at light commercial television shows and slandering journalists who don't agree with his politics.

Posted by: pezza at July 23, 2003 at 04:08 PM

Sorry,

Mork got in before me.

Posted by: pezza at July 23, 2003 at 04:09 PM