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The media's ethical failures are well known. While the news should be accurate, impartial and objective, too often it is not. This is principally because it is riddled with comment. C.P. Scott famously observed: comment is free, but facts are sacred.
Description
The media should only be accountable to their readers, listeners and viewers. This is about ethical and professional issues, and not legal obligations. Overwhelmingly, the people expect the media to exercise their vast powers responsibly, and are constantly disappointed that this is not being attained. The Australian media, particularly parties, who would see themselves to be occupying the quality end, are failing in two significant ethical areas, and they are failing in two significant ethical areas, and they are failing professionally too. The media's ethical failures are well known. While the news should be accurate, impartial and objective, too often it is not. This is principally because it is riddled with comment. As C.P. Scott famously observed: comment is free, but facts are sacred. This intermingling leads inevitably to the selection of some news to fit the agenda of the commentator. And for our public broadcasters, the ABC and the SBS, opinion, clearly identified as such, must always be balanced. Not one news or current affairs program on a public broadcaster - not even one - should ever be, or ever be seen to be captured by one part of the political spectrum. It is sometimes said that with the advent of TV news, the newspapers are no longer able to provide the latest news so they now provide analysis. Rather, instant news, without analysis, it is said, comes from TV and radio. This is in part true, and in greater part an excuse for the inexcusable. ling professionally too.
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