Re: FW: [globalnews] Der Spiegel: Fundamentalist Bush Regime Wants Crusade Against Islam; Bush Believes God Put Him in Oval Office (Long)

[Gil Robertson]

Allan, James and the list.
Continuing Allan's question on the difference between "News" in 
Australia and other countries.

I am trained in writing for the Media and for the past three years 
worked as a media analyst, after decades of producing a wide range copy 
for print, radio and TV. Thus I can speak with some authority on the way 
news is written and presented and identify the intention of  the writer 
and the sub editor. We get quite a lot of your syndicated news on our 
cable TV and when in the UK, I was also exposed to more of your packaged 
news, along with the local material.

In Australia, we have several tiers of news availability. Our print 
media is in the hands of only a few and does not have the degree of 
independence and amount of variety it had in the past. In some ways it 
is very similar to some papers in the US and the UK, not surprising as 
the same men own many of them. Our Radio is basically:- commercial, 
again owned by few, thus a lot of commonality; the ABC, our national 
broadcaster, which has in depth, investigative journalism and reliable; 
Radio National a specialized public broadcaster catering for more depth 
and including greater overseas coverage. Gives much longer time to 
issues of importance. In TV we have: commercial, again owned by the few, 
but news and current affairs at greater depth than US or UK; Cable which 
is largely piped directly from overseas with a bit of local sport and a 
few programs lifted from commercial TV, a lot of the content is exactly 
the same as the same channels in the US. Then we have the SBS. This is a 
gem, it is part of our public broadcasting system, with special coverage 
to include the interests of our numerous ethnic groups. The news on SBS 
is much longer in each item and at greater depth than on other 
broadcasters. There are also a number of news programs from other 
countries that go to air on SBS. When we want to get a well balanced 
understanding on an issue, we turn to SBS, Radio National or either of 
ABC Radio or TV. In addition we have both Radio and TV produced by and 
for Aboriginal communities, specific to their needs and interests.

That said, I think there is a basic difference between the product that 
goes to air here against that in the US. Our media can question our 
Government, our businesses and our lifestyle without being seen as 
"anti" or "non". This does not seem to be the case in the US. There 
seems to be an official or un-official code of conduct in your media 
that means many questions are not asked and many subject not covered. 
From the perspective of one used to our media, I see your media 
emasculated.

Gil