Context Shmontext

 media  1 Response »
Oct 242012
 

chris murphy @chrismurphys  Can’t sell us news ‘cos we’ve got it. Can’t sell us views we don’t want ‘em.The dead end job of journalists in an online world. #auspol Following the video of Prime Minister Julia Gillard ripping a new one in Tony Abbott, there has been much discussion about the relevance of the Fourth Estate (4E hereafter). On last week’s Gruen Planet show, they hit the nail on the head. They said (words to the effect), that since everyone now has access to more information than you can poke a stick at, no-one needs the 4E to tell them what we’ve all just seen or heard. The above tweet from Chris Murphy sums up this idea perfectly. In a world where newspapers, TV and

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RIP John Gillard

 australia  No Responses »
Sep 082012
 

The Prime Minister is heading home from the APEC summit in Vladivostok to be with her family after her father John Gillard passed away this morning. John must have been so proud when his daughter Julia became Prime Minister of the country he chose to call home. The Derp offers it condolences and best wishes to the Gillard family on this sad occasion. Journalist Chris Kenny summed it up the best on Twitter:   Chris Kenny ‏@chriskkenny A bloke who brings his family to Australia for a better life, and sees his daughter become PM, is a winner. RIP Mr Gillard.

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A Septimanae Horribilis For Tony Abbott

 australia  No Responses »
Aug 252012
 

Tony Abbott has just endured what Queen Elizabeth II might describe as a septimanae horribilis, or a horrible week. It began on Monday, the 20th of August when he was ordered to leave Parliament for one hour under Standing Order 94a. He was ordered by the Deputy Speaker, Anna Burke, to withdraw comments he made about the Prime Minister’s honesty – without qualifications. He then withdrew his comments, and added a qualification, leaving the Deputy Speaker with no choice but to turf him out of the chamber. Let’s relive that glorious moment again: That was just a sampler for the real self inflicted damage he was about to achieve though. On Wednesday, the 22nd of August, he appeared on the ABC’s 730 program totally unprepared

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Leadership Challenges And Newspoll

 australia  6 Responses »
Jun 242012
 

You can just about set your watch by it. Every time there is a Newspoll out in the field, the Murdoch owned News Limited fish wrappers will run a story on a supposed leadership challenge by Kevin Rudd against the Prime Minister Julia Gillard. This weekend is no exception. Newspoll is of course run by News Limited, and they are currently working the phones as I write this. Beyond doubt one of the questions they will be asking is about who voters would prefer as Prime Minister, Ms Gillard or Mr Rudd. You can bet  your house on it. To gee things up a bit on this (apparently) burning issue, one of the News Limited rags always publishes an article on an alleged leadership challenge

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Scott Morrison And The Streisand Effect

 australia  No Responses »
Jun 142012
 

With their apology to glass jawed Scott Morrison, the ABC has illustrated perfectly the concept known as the Streisand Effect. What Is The Streisand Effect? The Streisand effect is a primarily online phenomenon in which an attempt to hide or remove a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely. It is named after American entertainer Barbra Streisand, whose attempt in 2003 to suppress photographs of her residence inadvertently generated further publicity. Similar attempts have been made, for example, in cease-and-desist letters, to suppress numbers, files and websites. Instead of being suppressed, the information receives extensive publicity and media extensions such as videos & spoof songs, often being widely mirrored across the Internet or distributed on file-sharing networks. Mike Masnick

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Liar, Liar, Kelly O’Dwyer

 australia  13 Responses »
May 192012
 

The internet has caught Kelly O’Dwyer out being liberal ( ) with the truth. She joins a growing list of LNP MP’s who’ve been caught out deliberately misleading the Australian public. On Friday, O’Dwyer tweeted a picture of herself, fellow LNP mouthpiece Erica Betz and a small business owner who was allegedly shutting his antique shop because of the current government’s policies. Here’s her initial tweet:   Kelly O’Dwyer ‏@KellyODwyer A picture says a thousand words http://twitpic.com/9m6no4   And here is the photo that accompanied the tweet: Liar, Liar Kelly O’Dwyer The picture speaks for itself. A business having a “Thanks To Julia Closing Down Sale”. O’Dwyer then posted a follow up tweet:   Kelly O’Dwyer ‏@KellyODwyer Business downsizes from 2 shops to 1. reduces

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The Murdoch Virus Part 1 – The Virus

 media  No Responses »
Apr 282012
 

In this seven part series of articles we will examine the detrimental effect Rupert Murdoch’s style of journalism (The Murdoch Virus) has had on the once noble profession of journalism, as well as society and democracy not only in Australia, but also in Britain and The United States. The second part (“Hillsborough”) will look at one of the most shameful episodes in the Murdoch Empires catalogue of sins. “Outfoxed” is the title for part 3, and will focus on Fox News and its effects on US politics and journalism. Part 4 “Hackgate” will look at the ongoing scandal enveloping Newscorp in the UK, and part 5 looks at the biggest threat to the Murdoch Empire in “Murdoch And The Internet”. Part 6 (“The Right To

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Give Me A Home Where The BISONs Roam

 business and finance  No Responses »
Apr 252012
 

Oh, give me a home where the BISONs roam Where the economy continues to grow Where seldom is heard a discouraging word Except from LNP losers like Tony and Joe* Following a successful breeding program implemented by the Gillard government, Australia’s great BISONs have now grown too big for their original enclosure at A Frank View. The Finnigans, who manages the BISONs, has acquired a new wide ranging home for the BISONs to roam free and continue to grow and breed. Despite their successful breeding program, they still face danger from the usual suspects (The Noalition, Murdoch’s media, 2GB shock-jocks and all the whingeing Aussies who subscribe to their rabid anti-BISON ideology). The only way for the BISONs to continue to flourish is to make

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