Blue Mountains Union & Community (BMUC) strongly oppose this blatant move by Nine to consolidate its media monopoly. The merger will give Nine 100% ownership of Stan, 60% of Domain, 54.5% of the Macquarie Radio Network, as well as the ownership of Fairfax mastheads like the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
BMUC is concerned about the future of local and regional newspapers as Nine acquire our own local voices, the Blue Mountains Gazette and the Lithgow Mercury. Will we see more local journalists lose their jobs? Will our region's media lose their local focus and our local stories as more editorial control is centralised?
The Turnbull government's changes to the cross-media laws have allowed media moguls free range to expand their empires which is an alarming development. Will our local and national news outlets "become saleable assets"?
This merger will stifle diversity at a time when there is a need for editorial independence and investigative journalism. Last year Fairfax media and the ABC collaborated on stories like the one which exposed the exploitation of the elderly in the nursing home industry.
Do we believe Nine when they say they will support investigative journalism which risks the loss of advertising revenue when unethical corporate behaviour is exposed?
Do we believe Nine when they say they will support investigative journalism which risks the loss of advertising revenue when unethical corporate behaviour is exposed?
This takeover comes at the same time as the Turnbull governments attack on the ABC with two current reviews of our public broadcaster role as well as devastating funding cuts.
BMUC urges unionists and others to support workers and their families in the media industry at this critical time.
We live in a society, not an economy, and a strong society has a strong news media which can tell its stories without fear. This proposed take over which has been kept from public discussion because of "market sensitivity" should be called out for what it is...a genuine attack on free speech and a bad day for democracy.
D Smith
Secretary
Blue Mountains Unions & Community
(Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc)
We live in a society, not an economy, and a strong society has a strong news media which can tell its stories without fear. This proposed take over which has been kept from public discussion because of "market sensitivity" should be called out for what it is...a genuine attack on free speech and a bad day for democracy.
D Smith
Secretary
Blue Mountains Unions & Community
(Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc)
No comments:
Post a Comment