Q&A reaction a sign of panic
When one analyses the furore over Zaky Mallah’s appearance on Q&A two weeks ago it isn’t hard to see what the government is trying to do.
In an interview with Malcolm Turnbull on Insiders last Sunday, Barry Cassidy attempted to force the issue. It is not often Malcolm is accused of bluster, but he was clearly caught between bluster and righteous indignation as he attempted to answer Cassidy’s question.
In a reference to security at the ABC, Cassidy asked Turnbull to explain the difference between, on the one hand, Mallah appearing on Q&A and on the other, Mallah wandering through a shopping mall. In other words, why, if he is so dangerous, is he allowed to walk the streets? Turnbull’s response was unconvincing.
He said, “Well, if you can’t see that, Barrie, I’m sorry. I mean, seriously, you’ve lost the plot there, with all due respect.” Turnbull then went on to lose the plot himself. “This is a high profile audience. It’s a very high profile target. This is a fellow that has threatened violence in the past, has been impris- threatened to kill people, gone to jail for it, been involved in, you know, buying ammunition…”
Colour me red for asking, but is Malcolm Turnbull suggesting here that the Q&A panel and audience were more important than those who frequent shopping centres?
Following that exchange, Turnbull went on to make an extraordinary statement. He said of the ABC, “It is independent of government, but it has a higher duty, it has a duty of objectivity that the rest of the media does not. They can be as opinionated as they like. And so, the ABC gets over a billion dollars a year from the taxpayer and it’s got a very heavy obligation to deliver that accurate and impartial coverage and do it with the dignity and responsibility that befits our national broadcaster.”
So the non-ABC media doesn’t have to be objective but the ABC does. The question therefore arises: If the ABC is not already the closest thing we have to accurate and impartial reporting, what is?
Could it be that the rest of the media (or a substantial component of it), has become so partial, so absent of any objectivity, that we have lost our sense of what real objectivity is?
Have we been so conditioned to such extreme right wing views, coming from the Murdoch press that when reasonable levels of objectivity, reasonable levels of accuracy and impartiality such as what is practiced at the ABC, are being misinterpreted as left wing bias?
It seems that while it was not okay to have Mallah on Q&A, it was okay for him to be wandering around a shopping mall and also for the rest of the media to publish articles about him wherever and whenever they chose. Because they certainly have been doing that.
Furthermore, the use, by the prime minister, of the word ‘betrayal’ in reference to the ABC and ‘whose side are you on’ can only be interpreted as a thinly veiled attempt to splinter support for the national broadcaster and confuse the minds of voters as to where the ABC’s loyalties lie.
As Mark Scott has affirmed, the ABC is on the side of Australia. Can Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party look the people square in the eye and say that is where their true loyalties lie?
If a significant section of the community prefers the ABC rather than the Murdoch of Fairfax press, isn’t that democracy in action? Doesn’t that uphold the democratic principle of freedom of choice? So what is the problem here?
The problem, as I see it, is that this government practices a form of selective democracy, one that suits their ideology, one that espouses their values to the exclusion of any others.
And so, when a media outlet does not suit their ideology and they, by virtue of controlling its funding, feel short changed, it becomes a ‘lefty lynch mob’.
When the ABC does not toe the government’s line, the government is not happy. It is intolerant of criticism and cries foul when a publicly funded media outlet calls its actions and motives into question. But isn’t it the responsibility of the media to bring that to our attention?
If the government thinks that THEY are paying for the ABC and they therefore should be better treated, they are in need of a reality check. No, they are not paying for it.
The people pay for it, just like they pay for the Murdoch and Fairfax media. The people pay for EVERYTHING. Without the people, there would be no Murdoch or Fairfax media. There would be no ABC. Isn’t that a fairer and more impartial way of treating the national broadcaster?
“It’s coming after us”, is the message the prime minister has about ISIS, and this is this sort of extreme rhetoric that is directed squarely at those who might be sufficiently frightened by such rubbish, to change their vote. At least that’s what Tony Abbott is hoping.
Only it’s not working and because it’s not working the government, who are desperately looking for a window of opportunity to call a snap election, are becoming increasingly frustrated.
Their reaction to the Q&A program is a sign they are beginning to panic.
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Return to home pageThe real reason for the Murdoch LNP IPA attack on the ABC
MIRANDA DEVINE: … I think that what the Government should be doing, is none of this ranting, empty talk from Malcolm Turnbull and even the Prime Minister about heads should roll and all the rest of it. What should happen is that if Mark Scott wants the ABC to be a public broadcaster, let it be funded by the public by donations. It does not, this day and age, taxpayer money should not be paid to a company that ends up being a competitor to commercial companies that are doing it tough
PAUL MURRAY: Well, correct, absolutely. Absolutely right.
— Sky News, 25th June, 2015
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum – even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate…”
-Noam Chomsky (The Common Good)
Absolutely spot on John. They are starting to panic, meaning we are going to get more and more and more of this terror-talk bullshit to the very end of the Abbott government. More flags at every press conference – which by the way are now only press “statements” because Tony strides out of the room without answering questions.
Oh what an extremely brave and heroic PM is Tony Abbott …. “comforted” by his saddle-walking on the deck of an American warship wearing Turnbull’s leather jacket …. but too afraid to front up to an audience on Q&A solo …. unlike his last three predecessors ….
spot on margot! When the future of the ABC is in the hands of the rabbutt and little billy, we can see a future for the broadcaster. To be hopeful it is possible news ltd wont be given it but there is a huge amount of land and assets involved. Remembering howard and costello with their 80 tons of gold and the airports, plus telstra, the ABC could be sold, to him? Of course, cheaply?
It’s the buffoon’s magnificent GW Bush moment. Our own Top Gun. But… at least Bush pulled his foolish stunt as the actual Commander in Chief of the US military … on one of their own boats.
Dear old Miranda Devine, in the manner of Sisyphus she never ceases pushing her neocon ‘ball’ to the top of the Murdoch heap only to have it roll to the bottom, then off she goes pushing to the top again.
Yes Margot, spot on there with Miranda’s “…commercial companies that are doing it tough” – I wonder why they are doing it tough Miranda? Nothing to do with gutter journalism, blatant conservative bias, lies, lies and more lies, demonising of minorities, excruciating hyperbole, dumb conspiracies?
When idiots start to panic….. I tend to get a bit anxious.
Would prefer to be on another planet if Tony Abbott ever really completely lost his mind.
Excellent summary and argument, John! Well done!
If Zaky Mallah is dangerous, why didn’t ASIO or the AFP point it out to the ABC and prevent him going on? Did he slip through their net, do they not think him dangerous,or is he so unimportant, he’s not even on their radar? And if the ABC is as biased as they say, why is it the most respected of the media agencies, while the commercial outlets command such little respect? Maybe if the journalists at the Telegraph, for example, grew some gonads and started to think for themselves, more people might want to read it.
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“Did he slip through their net, do they not think him dangerous, or is he so unimportant, he’s not even on their radar?”
The Sydney siege guy sent the Attorney General a letter saying he wanted to get in touch with the head of ISIS. He had already done plenty of stuff to be “on the radar”. Not only did they ignore the letter, they tried to cover up having not handed it on to the investigation of what happened.
What is the point of all this money to our security forces when the only successful interference has come from community informants raising concern.
If Tony truly wants to keep us safe at home and abroad he should shut the hell up and stop pissing people off.
Good article John and I completely agree that they:
So the’ debt and deficit disaster’ (which never was) has now been ‘magiced’ away with the apparent and deliberate consent of the MSM which replaced that furphy with a discourse of ‘terror’, fear’ and who’s hiding under your bed?
Clearly the last Budget was an election Budget and so, given their economic ideology, they have ‘nothing left in the tank. so to speak.
Nevertheless I suspect the ‘looking for’ opportunity window is likely to be filled with the ‘creation of’ same terror/fear and the like..
BTW, I have a number of ceremonial plastic swords for sale at a bargain price which should excite some interest, given recent movements. LOL.
800 police entering 16 residencies at an average of 50 police per residence and no MSM comment on the overkill. And the ‘waste’ of resources.
Hilarious.
What is missing from the discussion of the role of the ABC is that whilst the ABC should be impartial they should not shy away from offering views right across the spectrum. “Balance” does not imply sanitised and censored opinion that suits the government. it implies that a range of opinion is given equal time and respect. This is why the whole issue about Zachy Mallah is a load of crap. The ABC balances the opinions of a Zachy Mallah every time they report on the sociopathic ramblings of Tony Abbott, or give airtime to someone like Cory Bernardi or Sophie Mirabella. I am close to vomiting every time I see or hear a coalition politician and I am offended by their lies and idiotic views of the world but I understand that in the interest of balance the ABC is required to give them air time.
The next election will be after a very deceiving false flag event, soon
When Malcolm Turnbull was heading the Republic push I used to think now here is a guy with some chutzpah and integrity. Turns out he is just another quiescent player in this discordant rabble we are to believe are the purportedly “adult” government. In my seventy years in this wonderful land I never, even in the limits of my imagination, ever thought such a visionless ideologically driven team of screwballs could be in power. If the maxim is true that oppositions are never voted in incumbent gobvernments are voted out we have to sheet a lot of the blame for our present predicament on the internal machinations and egotistical power lust of the previous Labor government. Not sure tha Shorten is the answer to our woes either.
Graeme Henchel nice piece too. Well said.
John, you are correct when you say that we all pay for the MSM : every time I read some inane comment about the ABC being ‘different’ because it is taxpayer funded, I try to point out that the MSM gets much of its income from a advertising. Every dollar spent on advertising is a tax deductible expense for the advertising company. Without the taxpayer assistance, the MSM income would be greatly reduced.
Peter, the public (those silly enough) also pay money to buy the papers and to pass through the paywall.
Thanks for this great and IMO spot one article Bravo.
I agree with the general thrust of this piece and have no wish to support Turnbull in his latest bit of populist propagandising. However Cassidy left himself wide open with a carelessly phrased question. The difference between a walk through a shopping mall and a live appearance on QA is clearly that the former does not provide free access to an Australia wide audience. As Paul Barry clearly showed QA erred in not presenting Malla’s question pre-recorded as they had previously done with David Hicks. The opening was left for Murdoch’s ABC bashing proxies in parliament not by Malla’s initial carefully phrased question but by his hot-headed follow up responses. Unfortunately this time QA has given this disgraceful government a very big opportunity to malign the ABC. I saw no sign of panic in turnbull’s response to Cassidy. I saw a clever lawyer who sensed an opportunity and pounced with unfortunately telling effect.
Doug. Barry Cassidy or Tony Jones?
Speaking about Barry Cassidy. On Insiders this morning why did he allow Barnaby Joyce to claim that Zachy Mallah was a supporter of violence and extremist groups. Given Mr Mallah’s recent social media posts he is strongly against groups like Daesh (ISIL/ISIS). Sexist – yes, pro extremist Muslim groups – no.
No more…teh crazy…it BURNS!!
Abbott has mentioned terror and security over 300 times over the last 17 months but when was the last time he spoke about the state of the economy?
The attack on the ABC (which costs the average family about $150 per year) by the Mainstream Media (which costs about $2,100 for the same period) isn’t about switching votes, it’s about distraction from the topic being discussed.
Everyone knows what Ciobo said about Mallah but nobody mentions that he didn’t answer the very reasonable question that was being asked.
Devine and her paymasters don’t want the ABC because it gives the public the same things being offered by the MSM for “free” – no paywalls – and is therefore costing them money.
The allegations of bias are a phoney argument and I can’t imaging anybody switching their vote on the basis of Q&A. All it will do is strengthen the resolve on both sides.
Meanwhile presenting the ABC as a pack of lefty traitors working against Australia from the inside is convenient. Two days before Q&A Abbott thanked the ABC for their “Killing Season” series – no perceived bias there apparently.
The longer it goes on, the more isolated he becomes and those appearance bans and investigations will ultimately work against him.
How are commercial tv stations doing it tough? They’re airing shows that the majority of Australians want to watch, like football, cricket and reality tv.
I noticed the Abbort used the term Daesch in his fear mongering, “they are coming after you?”
I notice he regularly mentions Daesch in this frequent attempts to terrorise the electorate. Maybe he’s trying to convince the bed-wetters, bogans, and bigots the there’s a whole bunch of terrorisms out to behead them on their verandahs.
If the defence force was paid for by public donations, would we be so likely to rush off to become involved in overseas disputes?
Q&A that bunch of Bolsheviks with a ISO host, whose demonic wife killed the live cattle export industry causing the suicides of 8 farmers and untold billions of damage to the economy from which we have never recovered. Yeah what a bunch of Stalinists!