Nauru’s ban on ABC splits commercial media
As Nauru’s ban on ABC journalists continues, Michelle Grattan explains the split is has revealed in Australian media.
The extraordinary ban imposed by Nauru on the ABC covering the Pacific Islands Forum – or visiting that country at all – has laid bare the raw and fractious fault lines in the Australian media.
Journalists and commercial organisations are split over how to respond, between those who believe there should be solidarity with the ABC, and those maintaining that what happens to the ABC is its problem alone.
It would be so much easier to just put another camera operator on the plane rather than engage in this childish foot-stamping. In the end, the action by the Canberra press gallery is one of self-interest – not in the interest of the public at large. You have to wonder who is running our media outlets these days, the appointed management or the hissy inmates?
one day soon, the wheel will fall off news ltd and it won’t be subbies being pink slipped. Oh wait.. they already sacked the photographers didn’t they. no solidarity like no solidarity eh, ex ABC. Is there anyone left in the house who remembers what the press pool was? Refusing to join the boycott and selling the footage to your own paper only, yea… Tough call dude. So brave.
The image of the Liberal Party leader travelling with only News Ltd reporters is a fitting image for the decline of both organisations.
The government (whose BILLIONS of $ for torturing refugees) have kept the Nauru economy afloat are in full support of the ban and News Ltd will once again suck up the grubby stories from the floor and produce a grotty filthy biased few pages.
There once was a time when journalists and people with ethics worked for News… I honestly dont think there are any left now.
I know a heap of people who have left in the last few years. The ignorant, desperate and the ‘I don’t give a fck about others’ appear to remain…