ABC ideological snootiness - caught in the act!

You have got to laugh. No claim about Australian society could have more evidence than the claim that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is peopled by persons on all points of the Leftist spectrum, from the clever and articulate Marxist or Millian liberal to the dopey unthinking politically correct. Despite the overwhelming evidence, the claim is met by cries of innocence or of superior scoffing coming from that august institution. But every now and then there is a confirming slip, like the one Peter Costello recently related. Today the Herald Sun reported one such slip. It happened yesterday and it is hilarious. I switch in and out of the program each morning but to my great regret missed it.

It happened on ABC2's breakfast program hosted by Virginia Trioli and Joe O'Brien. It is possible that many viewers know nothing of this ABC program that competes with Seven's 'Sunrise' and Nine's 'Today' show. That might change now. I use the word 'competes' loosely because ABC 'News Breakfast' is full of news reports and political comment and, well, the other two do other things.

In terms of bias 'News Breakfast' is not bad, which is something coming from a conservative whose antennae are permanently scanning for PC and Leftist utterance. The subtle leftist/PC bias in 'News Breakfast' comes in the implicit ideological framework of commentary and the absence of conservative thought. Of course, a critical conservative framework of thought is not possible at the ABC because its members cannot imagine such a thing existing.

Virginia Trioli is the star of the program. (Sorry, Joe, don't feel bad, most of you ABC leftie men would not compete with her.) She is quick witted, articulate, knowledgeable and obviously does her homework. She is the sort of woman who can effortlessly verbalise her thoughts. It's a womanly skill we men have to acknowledge. Whether those thoughts are compelling on close scrutiny is another question.

To her credit, and sometimes with a supreme effort, Ms Trioli keeps her ideological inclinations in check. But nobody is perfect. Yesterday she suffered a lapse. Not happy with (conservative) Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce's comments about the Government's Emissions Trading Scheme she pulled a face and did a twirl with her finger around her ear. She thought she was off camera. Gotcha! and the flow of words dried up when questioned about it.

Priceless.

Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com