MP accuses Fairfax and News Limited over NBN advertorials
The SMH NBN wraparound
A Liberal MP has complained to the Australian Press Council, claiming that the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age indulged in distorted coverage of the National Broadband Network in what appears to have been a commercially led wraparound supplement.
The four page “Update on the NBN” wraparound, which was labelled as a “special report” rather than “advertising supplement” featured ads for Optus and a carried a number of reports bylined to Fairfax journalists.
Paul Fletcher, the Liberal MP for Bradfield, claimed that the NBN was indulging “in a blitz of misleading print media marketing which blurs the boundaries between news content and advertising.”
No complaints on the completely biased anti-NBN coverage (which certainly read like adverts against the project) from a particularly large section of the media then Mr. Fletcher.
Politics – for one-eyed hypocrites. Trying to manufacture “widespread public debate” – perhaps he needs to check the approval ratings of the project.
He was never a fan of fibre-optic cable when he was at Optus (probably because Foxtel did it much better) and it appears the leopard hasn’t changed its spots. Given Optus’ market position you would think he would have given away “the it could be done cheaper” argument because that’s where smill-minded thinking gets you.
Roll on the NBN !!!
Fletcher – abject hypocrite. Completely wrong.