There has been a lot questions raised lately, in regards to the regular appearances by representatives from the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) in news and current affairs programming on the the ABC – (in particular on “The Drum”) – and what their motivations are, given their apparent links to other media organisations.
My curiosity was piqued when I stumbed onto this tweet yesterday – (from @SpaceKidette who I follow and who follows me) – pointing to an investigation by Stuart Littlemore from 2001, into the IPA and its apparent vitriolic hatred of the ABC.
Does the IPA still hate the ABC? Why are they always on? Working on an inside job? Or have things changed?
It’s all very curious since their own list of policies the IPA wishes an incoming Liberal/National Party government to implement, spells out the breakup and sell-off of the ABC – (take note of Policy 50) – due to its belief in ensconced left-wing bias at the national broadcaster, and the threat that might pose to democracy – yet they still happily go onto the various ABC outlets to spout their message.
On the ‘biased’ ABC:
“Conservative governments have a very narrow idea of what the ‘culture wars’ consists of. The culture of government that threatens our liberty is not just ensconced in the ABC studios, or among a group of well-connected and publicly funded academics. ABC bias is not the only problem. It is the spiraling expansion of bureaucracies and regulators that is the real problem.”
Heady words.
It is all the more curiouser to observe the current wider opinion of the ABC – which many see as biased towards the political right, and many see as biased towards the political left.
Obviously it can’t be both, so it is probably neither.
Whatever the truth about the IPA’s goals, given the current political discourse in Australia, Littlemore’s report is an interesting 15 minutes of viewing.
Grab a cuppa and watch.