Antinuclear

Australia’s media economic writers bought by Rupert Murdoch

We really must talk about Murdoch’s tame economists http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/we-really-must-talk-about-murdochs-tame-economists/ 28 Aug 13  In Australia, to bludgeon his readers and viewers into believing the opposite of the truth, Murdoch has a battery of  high profile economists fudging the numbers, says Alan Austin. THE WEAPONRY in Rupert Murdoch’s global arsenal includes paying corrupt police, illegal phone-tapping, fabricating malicious stories, lying to official inquiries and a range of other criminal activities.

In Australia, to bludgeon his readers and viewers into believing the opposite of the truth, Murdoch deploys other heavy artillery, including a battery of credentialled economists.

Fairfax does the same. But Murdoch’s economists are more numerous, are arguably better writers and, by virtue of their broader reach, have greater influence.

How do they manipulate their readers? Through six strategies.

First. They repeat impressive-sounding propositions that they do not bolster with evidence. They do not because they cannot. Day in day out, week in week out, year in year out.

Oliver Marc Hartwich in The Australian this month:

‘Australia’s public finances are in a state of such obvious disrepair that no one would dream of awarding any prizes for sound fiscal management to an Australian treasurer today.’………..

A Treasury paper in May showed clearly that Australia’s structural deficit problem began in the Howard years:

‘The estimates suggest that the structural budget balance deteriorated from the mid-2000s, with the point estimate of the structural budget balance falling into deficit just prior to the GFC.’

Sixth. If you can’t say something destructive about Labor, don’t say anything.

Hence we find no economic analysis of lower overall taxes. No measurement of the vast increase in the nation’s infrastructure. No exploration of the recent impressive rise in productivity. No appraisal of how the disadvantaged are faring better than ever.

And absolutely never any research into how Australia’s global ranking lifted during the Whitlam administration, fell under Fraser, rose through the Hawke/Keating period, slipped back badly during the dismal Howard years, but rocketed to the top with Rudd and Gillard.

August 29, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, media