Letter to the Editor:
Media bias has been a long-standing issue in Australian politics, particularly with reference to the ABC. In conjunction with the Fraser Institute of Canada, I have sought to provide independent hard data by application of content analysis to comments on party policies in prime-time TV news.
The media generally has treated this as straight news. Some ABC staff, however, have done everything they can to kill the story, including ringing journalists and casting doubt on the methodology and the institute's funding sources.
The other exception has been Errol Simper, whose writings have long given the impression that in any criticism of the ABC, the story is the critics not the criticism.
In his "Angry Aunty" article he claimed that there had been an "orchestrated campaign of vilification" against the ABC and implied the institute was part of it. The institute is not party of any campaign, it was not commissioned to undertake this study, nor did nay of the study's funding come from any political party. I will be launching a campaign seeking public sponsorship to continue with media monitoring.
Use of content analysis to monitor media coverage is an important contribution to media accountability. People who try to kill debate, and try to frustrate accountability, rather than fostering it, damage the health of our democracy.
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