My following article appears today in ABC’s The Drum Unleashed: A Western journalist visits the Sudanese capital Khartoum to interview President Omar al-Bashir. The reporter, after calling him “controversial” due to his “bloody” record in fighting terrorism, gives the leader a platform to explain his views and tactics. The only other voice featured in the…
Showing all posts tagged Murdoch
Australian unions recognise the power and necessity of BDS
Now this is news, a growing realisation that the status-quo in Palestine is simply oppressing Palestinians. Civil society is rising: Australian unions are signing up to an international campaign to boycott Israeli goods. But a fight is brewing over a proposal for the Australian Council of Trade Unions to endorse the movement. The broad-based divestment…
Media power does not bring democratic norms
The overwhelming influence of any one media owner, Rupert Murdoch or otherwise, should always be opposed, even if in this case commercial fears probably beat ethical considerations: Fleet Street’s highly factionalised newspaper industry today set aside historic differences to join forces in an unprecedented assault against the power of Rupert Murdoch‘s media empire. The companies…
Moving forward? Australia’s relationship with Israel is dire
My following lead essay appears in the Australian literary journal Kill Your Darlings: I first discovered the importance of the Israel/Palestine conflict in my early teens, in Melbourne. I remember sitting around the Sabbath table with my parents and cousins, discussing the events of the week as we consumed schnitzels, soggy vegetables and chicken soup.…
The Greens are evil says yet another Murdoch man
So this is how a Serious writer commentates in a Serious newspaper. Christopher Pearson in Saturday’s Australian: To consolidate their own position as parties for grown-ups, Labor and the Coalition should always speak of the Greens as the infantile party: resolutely irresponsible, innumerate and a threat to the economy. They should also be pointing out…
Speak in hushed tones around the Great Leader
Yet another example of the lack of bravery in the Murdoch press in Australia, so keen to dish out dirt but afraid to listen to criticism. It’s an empire built on Rupert’s largesse and when he goes…
News Corp embraces its inner Iran
Who says Rupert Murdoch doesn’t love the Islamic Republic? The News Corp-backed network Farsi1 offers Fox favorites and Telenovelas, and has quickly become the most watched in Iran. Reza Aslan on why Ahmadinejad’s government is worried. Farsi1, a Persian language satellite station partly owned by Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp, has become the most popular entertainment network…
Just the kind of person to be working with David Cameron
Rupert Murdoch must be so proud of his former staff. This is what ethical journalism is all about: The prime minister’s media adviser, Andy Coulson, personally listened to the intercepted voicemail messages of public figures when he edited the News of the World, a senior journalist who worked alongside him has said. Coulson has always…
Grass-roots populism backed by hard-right ideologues
Frank Rich in the New York Times on the billionaires running the Tea Party movement: Election Day is now only a month away. The demoralized Democrats are held hostage by the unemployment numbers. And along comes this marvelous gift out of nowhere, Christine O’Donnell, Tea Party everywoman, who just may be the final ingredient needed…
Yes, Rupert, progressives are destroying the world so save us!
Andrew Sullivan dissects in a thankless task the profound dishonesty, simplicity and lying of Fox News: Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com