The West Australian prints ‘blank’ front page for climate change protesters
Seven West Media’s newspaper The West Australian is baiting climate change protesters with a blank front page.
The Extinction Rebellion movement plans to protest outside SWM’s Perth operation today.
In response, the front page of The West is largely blank, creating what the paper says is a useable placard for would-be protesters.
“The climate change ‘rebellion’ plans to bring its protests to the doors of The West Australian today. This is a democracy. And we support free speech and peaceful demonstration. In that spirit, here’s a blank front page for your placards. Use it wisely,” the page reads.
In September, the Western Australian arm of the Extinction Rebellion movement wrote to Seven West Media’s chairman Kerry Stokes and The West Australian’s editor Anthony De Ceglie, saying they felt a “deep disappointment and sense of betrayal” towards the media organisation.
“The Amazon has burned like never before and so have Australian rainforests, while The West Australian has devoted front pages to a diet of sharks, Taylor Swift and football,” the letter said. “The house is on fire, and the response has been to turn up the volume of the soap opera.
“Seven West Media, as the major source of information in Western Australia, must give the climate crisis the primacy it deserves and bring home to people what is at stake, however inconvenient that is for the bottom line.”
The Rebellion also questioned The West’s claims that is stands for, and supports, free speech.
“Three times Extinction Rebellion WA has attempted to speak out through these pages, to correct errors, identify alternatives, and draw attention to the climate emergency and what is to be done. Three times our voices have been silenced,” the letter claimed.
“Democracy is damaged by a monopoly on opinion and the facts.”
It also hit out at the paper for failing to regularly disclose Seven West Media’s mining and resources interests.
“It’s time to tell the truth about why Western Australia is failing to act on the climate and ecological crisis.”
The Extinction Rebellion listed three demands:
1. Tell the truth about climate change and biodiversity loss by running stories every day in the West Australian and on Channel 7, including devoting the October 7th 2019 episode of Flashpoint to climate change.
2. Prioritise free speech by platforming responses to the climate emergency from a range of voices, including running opinion pieces by activists and non-profit campaigns.
3. Disclose the full extent of SevenWest Media and parent company Seven Group Holdings’ financial interests in the energy and resources sector in every article that discusses these issues.
Giving the organisation 14 days to respond from the letter’s date (24 September), the movement said it would meet the business’ leaders at the doors of Seven West Media today and “demand the truth”.
Seven West Media has been contacted for comment.
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Genius Work – Very well done!
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Ben cousins plays in the park with his children.
Ben cousins released from jail.
Ben cousins fails drug test.
Ben cousins gets a haircut.
Ben cousins walks down street.
Ben cousins, Ben cousins, Ben cousins, Ben cousins. The West Australian has a perverted fetish with Ben and somehow they think it’s news. If you read the west it will rapidly sap your intelligence.
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Sounds about on par with the Herald Sun.
Truly the official dimwits talk rag.
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That is the case for all of the main stream media in Australia. They are tabloid rags nothing more. Gossip and opinion masquerading as independent factual journalism
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No doubt that climate change exists. i just think that this manufacturing consent movement is design to herd the youth and general public behind an agenda that ultimately undermines the very social and environmental goals they aspire to.
As the power elites financed, shaped and largely managed the climate movement, it is only natural that they will be the ones that benefit from it.
Until the climate movement starts addressing the endless military & economic actions being taken covertly and overtly all over this planet, including Gaza, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya Venezuela & Iran, i really cant see how this is anything other than managed opposition.
The children in the above countries, really have had their childhood stolen from them and everyday i ask myself….’how dare we’
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Get a job and start paying taxes you bunch of professional protesters / your heads are so far up your posteriors,
if you didn’t have ears you’d be looking out through your rib cage
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Eitel,
Thank you for your perfect expression of the wilfully ignorant, blinkered and frankly offensive view that has led us to be in this position in the first place.
I have a job, I pay my taxes and I attempt to make a positive contribution to my community, which is more than can be said for you.
I have a legitimate voice in this democracy and I would prefer for my children to have a future where they did not have to fight each other over a teaspoon of fresh water.
So crawl back under your rock, you are not adding anything to this debate.
Good luck.
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Get your hands of it Mark..Your kind are great at wankwords . You wouldn’t work in an iron lung..the hardest you ever did is writing inane signs and getting paid by Centrelink. Meanwhile us taxpayers will support you. As for kids, since when does wanking produce kids? Dream on you sorry excuse for a man.
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Eitel should be a copywriter with metaphors like that!
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