2 interesting reports in the online Press Gazette. With the print version of this publication going under it's a good indication of where the media is heading in general.

With local and regional newspapers-essential for local communities-possibly soon needing their own sort of government bail-out, it's the ideal time for a government with guts to pressure for more responsible reporting of facts. Or will they be too scared ?

Regional newspaper bosses to discuss issues with MPs
www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?section...de=43774&c=1

www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?section...43778&c=1MP: Journalism should be more representative of society

There is a fierce debate raging in the USA about Rupert Murdoch's Fox News and it's shock jocks persistent ranting about "liberals" and calls for violent action especially after the assassination of a cancer doctor who did abortions, and the death of a security guard at a Jewish Museum, both by right-wing ratbags.

One right-wing radio broadcaster was arrested recently and charged after calling for the murder of 2 DAs.

I detect a real shift in the corporate media with a life and death struggle over the next 5 years. I reckon Murdoch is in serious trouble and has lost concept of how his empire should progress.

He's labeled Barak OBama as "dangerous".Probably because Obama refuses to take questions from Fox News at press conferences and will not appear on the station. Murdoch's power is on the wain-the Dems are in for at least 10 years and he's still barracking for the Republicans.

I think he's treading on seriously rocky territory.In Oz his biggest rival Fairfax Media is reviving a once successful left leaning title, The National Times but only as an on-line pay site with their very top writers. Fairfax makes huge profits but this brings them into the realm of any reasonably successful businessman being able to launch an on-line newspaper.

Fox News now reeks of desperation but in an attempt to keep hold of it's target audience it is straying more and more into a legal quicksand. I can see advertisers begin to drop off.