Media Mining

Gina Hancock-Rhinehart

You do not have the right,

To use your mining money

To control our media outright.

Information is one pillar, 

Of a democratic state.

Clearly, one equal vote for all,

To you, simply does not rate.

The populous is kept hostage,

By the 24-hour news-cycle.

But now you want, to control,

The entire 'news bi-cycle'!

It is hard enough to make sense,

From news in ten-second grabs.

Repeated over and over.

My voter's brain they stabs.

Politicians' double-speak,

and nasty back-stabbing ways

Keep me reeling daily,

Wondering what it is they says.

A variety of commentators' voices;

Editorial independence,

Help us voters sort the truth

From the rubbish and non-sense. 

Gina Hancock-Rhinehart,

Your billions may be fine

But we didn't vote for you!

So go back to your W.A. mine!

For overseas readers:  Gina Hancock-Rhinehart is a mining magnate 

and the richest woman in the world.  

She inherited a fortune from her working class, 

prospecting father and has built on this foundation.  

There is no argument that she is a clever woman and astute in business.

Ms Hancock-Rhinehart recently purchased 19% of Fairfax Media, 

publishers of daily newspapers in Sydney and Melbourne (our biggest cities).  

She has requested 3 seats on the Fairfax board 

but is unwilling to sign an agreement 

that states she will not interfere with editorial independence.  

Now she has begun to buy up shares in one of the national television stations.

We are blessed in Australia to have ABC radio, television and web. The good old ABC is tax-payer funded, has remained independent of the government interference, and committed to editorial balance.

I, personally, would be willing 

to pay much more than the 8-cents-per-day-per-australian,  

that the ABC costs.