The Australian 3 March 2012
Moaning about the media is the new black, though as the old black was shooting the messenger, things have improved a bit.
The point being, any enhancement of a government’s ability to shoot the messenger, even if it seems like a terrific idea at the time, is a really really really awful idea.
Of course I work in the media so I would say this, but it’s still true, though I would say that too.
Too true. Regulatory controls on lawyers, doctors, teachers, pharmacists et al should be removed as well. After all, as Shultz, Muller, Roy Morgan Research and those sandal wearing freedom haters at the ANU have discovered, these professions consistently rate far higher in trust stakes than the media. Now if we could just eradicate regulation of real estate agents, advertising people and car sales folks, the free market will be so perfect that Smith and Friedman can stop rolling in their graves.
Thanks Black Bob for putting the simpleton’s argument for government media regulation so succinctly through the medium of sarcasm. Your subtle lampooning of the straw men and false equivalences involved are particularly appreciated.
Perhaps if the media wasn’t so fascinated with the cult of personality and focused on the issues rather than vox pops, celebrity gossip and politicians’ personalities the public would have a better perception of it.
…and thank you Shannon for a textbook demonstration of the new black.
Perhaps if the media was actually a messenger rather than propagandists for their proprietors’ interests these sort of issues wouldn’t arise.
Somewhat redundant after Shannon’s contribution, but thanks Josh, another fine example.