There’s no such thing really! I understand the importance of the media in Australia, but at the end of the day the media is mostly in private hands, and basically they can print what they want, and more importantly, leave out the bits they don’t like.
The Australian Jewish News is a very small newspaper that has virtually no readership outside the Jewish community. I’ve tried to get myself into the paper as they have been heavily promoting the election for Liberal and Labor, and in the last edition included a bit on the Greens (although the editorial was very anti-green). They have no problems in accepting advertising from the major parties, no doubt this has been a major boost to their bottom line.
I spoke on the phone to Naomi Levin, Deputy Editor (News) who had no hesistation telling me that the AJN was a religious paper and that they wouldn’t be giving me or the Secular Party any coverage.
Strikes me as a bit strange. I’m aware that there are a number of Jewish people who actually think the separation of church and state is a really good idea. I’m aware of a number of secular Jews who might have liked to find out more about who else is standing in their local electorates.
The Jewish News has shown it’s bias, has clearly demonstrated that they alone are the guardians on who knows what in the Jewish community, they have deliberately chosen to censor anyone who they think may offend some of their readers. Levin told me point blank that those secular Jews should just go read this information somewhere else.
This is not a newspaper that wants to report the news, this is a newspaper that wants to direct people to think their way and only their way.
Elections are important times for our democracy in Australia. This censorship by the AJN is unwarranted, treats their readership like children who are unable to make up their own minds, displays a bias towards those with the money and deliberately sets out to stifle any other information that some of their readership may find useful.
Just for the record, I’ve been reading the Jewish News for two years. They consistently run a range of stories that are not ‘religious’ in content and that is amongst some of the content that really gets up people’s noses at times.
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it’s called plutocracy greg,the jewish immigrants are indicative of other ethnic communities as well.
money talks and it will take a progressive middle class to come through and show them the way. tsiolkas the slap shows this in bucket loads.
we are getting there
wait and see baby steps my friend.
A strong community but their grandkids are rebelling and are jewed out Greg, try j-net!!