Right-wing, West-wing

Being a Melbourne boy has advantages. There's decent coffee, small bars, countless festivals, a flourishing arts community and relatively decent journalism. That said, I'm more than happy to try life somewhere else. Sydney makes me gag even at a mere mention, Adelaide could be *zzzzzzzz*snore*, sorry drifted off there... Brisbane could be fun. Newcastle has it's moments. Perth is bright, clean, warm and rather friendly. Overall, I'm liking it. Surprisingly. However, since our brave move out west to Perth, I've come across something more shocking than the Herald Sun.

Media Studies lecturers around Australia - for your next class on media ethics and bias, I urge you to send each and every one of your students over to the great state of Western Australia, to delve into that majestic publication The West Australian.

Positives first - it's an independent. Separated from the machinations of Packer or Murdoch, the West is able to speak openly and independently about any issue without fear of reprisal. At least, that would be the case, in an ideal scenario.

The paper is a joke. It's a right-wing tabloid, with all the journalistic credibility of a Liberal party newsletter (badly printed in National Blue theme of course). The editor's right-wing views come through on each and every page, without any form of subtlety. The scary thing is - most of Perth doesn't seem to mind...

Take, for example, the 'election coverage' they've featured over the past few weeks. Page after page of headlines such as;
"Can you trust Rudd with your Super?" - not much to comment on that one really.
"Rush to AWAs as Rudd win looms" - 'looms' is such a positive word. Especially placing it in a headline about AWAs in a state where a mining boom means collective bargaining is a bad word.
"Boat people could be early winners from Rudd policy" - Aaagggh! Quick! Run and hide! Boat people! And you say Rudd will help them!? Death to Rudd! (etc)
Even their pictorial editorial skills are used for a Liberal agenda - a banner headline reading "Your 16-page election special - What they've promised, seats to watch and where to vote" seems innocuous enough, but take a closer look and you'll see a proud, up-standing, forward looking picture of John Howard, with an open-mouthed, pointing, aggravated K-Rudd next to him.

Then there is the overall election coverage itself. Take this example (provided by Crikey), of the main headlines read on Friday 16th November, only one week out from a federal election:
1. Ben Cousins avoids drug charges in US
2. My life is 'beyond a nightmare'
3. Star WA batsmen suspended indefinitely
4. AFL bans Cousins for 12 months
5. Paris back in new 'clean' s-x tape

Do the people of Perth really not care about the election, or has the editor decided that they really don't need to know (because it was looking like a landslide to the ALP, and we can't have the Liberal faithful in WA voting differently...)

Even after the election is done and dusted, the West still insist on their insistent ALP bashing. Page 9 of Tuesday November 27th - tiny ad "Election 07 - See the 'Comrade Kevin' YouTube video at thewest.com.au" - I mean, c'mon... how blatant can you get!? The country have decided that he is to be the next Prime Minister of Australia, and you're still trying to make some link between the ALP and Communism?

The truly scary psychological aspect of the West is the spin towards Perth-centric topics. Nearly every story must be pulled back to a slim, tenuous link to Perth.
Journalist commits suicide in Sydney? "She was from Perth".
Jockey wins Melbourne Cup? "He was from Perth.
I can just see it in the future - "London attacked by atomic bomb - Perth air quality to decrease."

The West Australian is nothing more than a self-felating, right-wing, ultra-conservative, self-indulgent, local newsletter. A bowling club in the suburbs of Adelaide could make a better publication. If Perth chooses to read it, they deserve to be held in exile as the last stronghold of the failed Liberal party.

As for f*cking Ben Cousins, I'll leave that one for another rant...