WTF are you on about? All the largest media organisations in Australia are conservative - radio, newspaper and TV lol
I asked AI: Is the Melbourne THE AGE newspaper in 2024 Right or Left? The AGE was definitely RIGHT many decades ago - when did the Leftward drift occur and how did it occur?
Based on the search results, The Age newspaper in Melbourne has undergone a significant shift from its conservative roots to a more left-leaning position over the decades. Here's a summary of its political evolution:
## Historical Right-Wing Stance
The Age was indeed a conservative newspaper in its early years. It supported liberal politicians and policies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including protectionism and the White Australia policy[2].
## Leftward Shift
The major leftward drift of The Age occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. Several key events and changes contributed to this shift:
1. **New Leadership**: In 1964, Ranald Macdonald became the managing director at age 26[2].
2. **Editorial Change**: In 1966, Graham Perkin was appointed as editor at age 36[2].
3. **Editorial Independence**: In 1966, the Syme family shareholders partnered with Fairfax, creating a 50/50 voting partnership that guaranteed editorial independence[2].
4. **Shift in Editorial Line**: Under Macdonald and Perkin's leadership, the paper's editorial line shifted from conservative liberalism to a new "left liberalism"[2].
5. **Focus on Progressive Issues**: The Age began paying more attention to issues such as race, gender, disability rights, and the environment[2].
6. **Political Alignment**: The paper became more supportive of the Australian Labor Party after years of usually supporting the Coalition[2].
## Current Political Stance
As of 2024, The Age is considered to have a left-center bias:
1. **Left-Center Bias**: Media Bias/Fact Check rates The Age as having a "Left-Center" bias based on story selection and editorial positions that usually favor the left[1].
2. **High Factual Reporting**: Despite its left-leaning bias, The Age is rated high for factual reporting due to proper sourcing and a clean fact-check record[1].
3. **Editorial Views**: The Age holds left-leaning editorial views while reporting news factually[1].
In conclusion, while The Age was indeed right-leaning many decades ago, its significant leftward shift occurred primarily in the 1960s and 1970s due to changes in leadership and editorial direction. This shift has persisted, with the paper maintaining a left-center bias in its current reporting and editorial stance.
Citations:
[1]
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-age-australia/
[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age
I asked AI: Is that the same for the Sydney Morning Herald
Based on the search results provided, it appears that the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) has undergone a similar leftward shift as The Age, though perhaps not to the same extent. Here's a summary of the SMH's current political stance and evolution:
## Current Political Stance
The Sydney Morning Herald is generally considered to have a left-center bias:
1. Media Bias/Fact Check rates SMH as "Left-Center Biased" based on editorial positions that slightly favor the left[2].
2. Biasly.com gives SMH a bias score of -12% (Somewhat Liberal)[3].
3. The SMH is described as having high factual reporting despite its left-leaning bias[2].
## Historical Evolution
The SMH's political leanings have shifted over time:
1. Historically, the SMH was considered more centrist or even conservative[4][5].
2. Over the past few decades, particularly in the last 30 years, the paper has become more liberal in its stance[5].
3. The shift seems to have accelerated in the 1990s when the editorial line started to be determined more by editors and senior journalists rather than ownership[5].
## Factors Influencing the Shift
Several factors have contributed to the SMH's leftward drift:
1. Changes in ownership, including the recent acquisition by Nine Entertainment[4].
2. Evolving editorial leadership and journalistic staff[5].
3. Adapting to changing societal views and the political climate of Sydney and Australia[5].
## Current Perception
The SMH's current political stance is subject to debate:
1. Some readers perceive it as center-right with some left-leaning articles[4].
2. Others describe it as a mix of "inner city leftie" issues with right-wing editorials[4].
3. The paper is seen as representing "left-leaning conservatives" by some observers[4].
It's worth noting that while the SMH has moved leftward, it may not have shifted as far left as The Age. The SMH is still described by some as "center-right" or a mix of left and right perspectives, whereas The Age is more consistently characterized as left-leaning. Both papers, however, are generally regarded as factual in their reporting despite their editorial biases.
Citations:
[1]
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=98f0f684-d8a1-4022-9d62-df6e4feba233&subId=713904
[2]
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-sydney-morning-herald/
[3]
https://www.biasly.com/sources/the-sydney-morning-herald-bias-rating/
[4]
[5]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-20/the-sydney-morning-herald-turns-190/100080944
[6]
https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-age-australia/
[7]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age
[8]
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Sydney-Morning-Herald
