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Rupert Murdoch And Tony Abbott Speak At 50th Anniversary Celebration Of The Australian

Jul 15, 2014

Rupert Murdoch, the head of News Corporation, and the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, have addressed a dinner in Sydney to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of The Australian newspaper.

Murdoch

Abbott said that “no paper more closely corresponds with the true spirit of Australia”.

He said three themes recur in The Australian’s writing: “Australia as a big country, not just physically but spiritually, wanting always to be bigger, bolder, smarter and more successful than we currently are; Australia as a globally engaged and regionally oriented power, seeking closer ties with our neighbours and with our allies; and Australia as a successful economy where everyone is equipped and encouraged to have a go.”

  • Listen to Murdoch’s speech (16m)

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  • Watch Murdoch (16m)
  • Listen to Abbott’s speech (12m)

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Transcript of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s speech at the Gala Dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Australian newspaper.

Abbott

The essential thing about The Australian is that it’s a paper for a nation.

Every other newspaper serves a city. The Australian alone is dedicated to our country. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Media, Video Tagged With: , , ,

Noel Pearson Praises The Australian’s Coverage Of Indigenous Issues In 50th Anniversary Speech

Jul 15, 2014

Noel Pearson, the Cape York Partnership chairman, has praised The Australian’s coverage of indigenous affairs over the past 50 years.

PearsonPearson spoke at a Gala Dinner to celebrate the anniversary of the paper’s founding on July 15, 1964.

Pearson said: “The Australian brought indigenous affairs into the mainstream of national reporting and policy debate. Ever since The Australian declared Eddie Mabo its Australian of the Year in 1992, following his historic and controversial victory in the High Court, the paper’s coverage of native title, reconciliation and the fundamental reassessments of indigenous policy of the past dozen years was newspaper campaigning at its relentless best.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Indigenous, Media, Video Tagged With: , , ,

Gloria’s Adult Sex Line, Tony Abbott’s Wink, And Politics At Its Most Trivial

May 21, 2014

Political “news” was dominated today by extensive discussion of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s wink during a talkback call on ABC Radio 774 in Melbourne.

Abbott was interviewed by Jon Faine and then took calls from listeners who mainly complained about last week’s Budget. The interview was also shown on television.

When “Gloria from Warburton”, a 67-year-old pensioner, told Abbott she worked for an adult sex line to make ends meet, the prime minister winked at Faine. “Gloria” attacked Abbott and was told by Faine to “be nice”.

Online media and social media extensively canvassed the meaning of Abbott’s wink and whether it was further evidence of his “problem with women”, his “arrogance” and general contempt for average voters.

Later, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Abbott was a “creep”. She tweeted: “Gloria tells her story of poverty and illness and the PM responds with a wink and a smirk. What a grub.”

The incident will probably come to epitomise the government’s clumsy handling of its Budget sales job. It comes days after the Nielsen poll showed the ALP leading the Coalition by 56% to 44% of the two-party-preferred vote. A Newspoll showed public opinion at 55-45. Both polls indicate the Budget is the most poorly received since 1993.

  • Listen to Abbott’s full interview with Faine (29m)

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  • Listen to Abbott’s exchange with “Gloria” (2m)

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  • Listen to Hanson-Young’s remarks during a media conference with Adam Bandt (11m)

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  • Watch the wink (2m)
Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Budget, Media, Video Tagged With: , , , , , ,

ALP To Launch Online Labor Herald News Service; Mainstream Media Filtering Criticised

Apr 30, 2014

The ALP is to launch a daily email news service in response to what it says is filtering by the mainstream media.

In an email to ALP members and supporters, the party’s National Secretary, George Wright, said the service would be called “Labor Herald”: “You’ve told us that you can see the Labor message isn’t making it through the mainstream media and we have to produce our own news service.”

Wright said the ALP will spend around $95,000 a year to find someone – “hopefully a news journalist with experience online” – to produce a free daily bulletin for anyone who signs up. He describes the venture as “a bit like Labor’s own Crikey”.

The bulletin will contain “handy facts, interesting articles and video”, said Wright. “It will be no nonsense and it won’t be filtered through the mainstream media.”

The ALP is asking for 350 “foundation subscribers” to donate $22.60 a month to fund the venture. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Media Tagged With: ,

ABC Says Its Reports Of Asylum Seekers’ Claims Should Have Been “More Precise”

Feb 04, 2014

The ABC has conceded that its reports of claims by asylum seekers of mistreatment by Navy personnel should have been “more precise”.

After several weeks of media coverage of its reporting of the claims and an adverse finding by its own Media Watch program, the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, and the Director of News, Kate Torney, issued a statement in which they say that there was no attempt to “pre-judge” the claims.

They said: “The ABC has not attempted to play judge and jury on this matter. We have reported the asylum seeker claims, broadcast the video showing burns and consistently sought more detail from witnesses and officials.”

Media statement from the ABC.

ABC Statement

The ABC, along with other national media, has been covering an important story about recent asylum seeker boats being turned around and investigating what occurred on board those boats. There have been allegations from asylum seekers that Navy personnel mistreated and caused injury to some of them – allegations that have been strongly denied. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Media, Refugees Tagged With: , , , ,
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