What our readers are saying about New Matilda
“You people wonder why you’re seen as glued to the golden triangle of Sydney-Melbourne-Canberra? Look at your Peaches promotion. Amazing. Why not just wipe the rest of the country from your radar?”
Dennis Atkins, The Courier-Mail
We agree with Dennis – it’s not good form and Hopscotch Films are endeavouring to arrange screenings in other capital cities.
We will let you know when these become available.
In the meantime, there are some tickets left (for screenings in Sydney & Melbourne) see here for more details
New Matilda
A letter from the Friends of the ABC (WA) to The Australian
The attached open letter is in reply to the Five Part attack by The Australian (largely in the online edition) on David Marr, Media Watch, and the ABC. Text of the attachment is reproduced below.
Having launched an extraordinary attack against David Marr, Media Watch,and the ABC regarding bias, The Australian should now own up to its own biases.
Firstly, Janet Albrechtsen has never provided evidence to refute Media Watch’s accusation against her of journalistic fraud, nor did The Australian do so in Part 1.
Secondly, had The Australian followed its own advice as regards checking facts, The Australian would have found that David Marr has certainly criticised Fairfax. Its accusation that he was acting to advance his employers interests appears to be baseless.
Thirdly, it does not seem wise of The Australian and/or Janet Albrechtsen to accuse others of bias. Murdoch press generally and The Australian itself have been accused of a systematic pro-war bias in their coverage of the occupation of Iraq.
Fourthly, The Australian’s consistently anti-ABC bias. We should recall, for instance, The Australian’s editorial of 2 July 2002, in which it claimed ‘the argument in support of taxpayer-funded broadcasting services for well-off, usually Left-leaning urbanites starts smelling of middle-class welfare.’ In accordance with that bias, it chose not to publish the ABC Managing Director’s reply.
Fifthly, we should recall David Marr’s mention (Media Watch, 2003) of the utterly baseless 1996 eight-page spread by Chris Mitchell when at the /Courier Mail/ claiming that Manning Clark had received the Order of Lenin. Mr Mitchell – The Australian’s current editor – may not have welcomed the reminder.
Sixthly, The Australian’s active defence of Janet directly conflicts with her claim that she is simply one of The Australian’s many opinion columnists. That, plus her continuing failure to dissociate herself from The Australian’s attacks, plus history inevitably suggests an alliance between the two in consistently anti-ABC positions. Recall her “Their ABC sells staff message, not ours (/The Australian/, 26 May 04)”. Such a position is completely improper for any ABC Board member.
WA FABC would suggest that The Australian practice its principle that “When a media outlet corrects an error, it should simply and cleanly correct the error, not mix it in with assertions that it was right on another claim that proves its overall point.”
Senator Coonan appointed Janet, so must also accept her share of responsibility for the results.
Yours sincerely,
President – Friends of the ABC
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