Activists have taken the fight to the front gates of the News Corp printing press in Murarrie, Queensland last night demanding that ‘News Corp tell the truth about the climate and ecological crisis,’ said a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion (XR).
Three activists locked their arms in barrels and placed themselves in from of the printing press building gates until they were removed by police. This meant that trucks were unable to leave the site disrupting the distribution of the newspapers across Queensland.
‘News Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch, controls nearly 60 per cent of daily newspaper distribution in Australia. In Queensland that includes The Australian and The Courier Mail,’ said the spokesperson for the activists.
Calls for a boycott of News Corp media has been growing around the country as they have come under fire for ‘misrepresenting facts about the climate crisis and distributing political propaganda.
‘On January 15, The Australian published a story that attributed Australia’s most devastating bushfire season to an increased number of arsonists. This claim has no legitimacy, yet was presented as fact,’ said the XR spokesperson.
Calls from the scientific community have been mounting to take strong and decisive action on climate change. The impact of these calls combined with investor pressure and world wide actions is now impacting some fossil fuel businesses that are beginning to heed the call with BP announcing the withdrawal from three US-based trade associations, ‘including the country’s main refining lobby, because of disagreements over their climate-related policies and activities,’ as reported in The Guardian.
‘The decision comes after the UK oil corporation’s new chief executive, Bernard Looney, set an ambitious target to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2050. To achieve this it will have to cut more greenhouse gas emissions every year than the amount produced by the whole of the UK.’
Calls for civil disobedience grow
Christiana Figueres, who led the negotiations for the Paris Agreement, is also now calling for people ‘to participate in non-violent political movements wherever possible’ in her recently released book The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis as reported by Jeff McMahon in Forbes.
In the book Figueres and her co-author, her strategic advisor, Tom Rivett-Carnac, highlight the need for voters to make action on climate change their number one issue and endorse Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg.
‘[T]hey note that electoral politics have failed to meet the challenge, largely because of systemic roadblocks including corporate lobbying and partisan opposition,’ reports McMahon.
Media monopolies
‘Media monopolies are anti-democratic. Corporations like News Corp have unjustified influence over elections and media narratives; supporting the elite,’ said Jarrah, 22 year-old psychology student who locked on to a barrel to blockade the printing press last night.
Clancy, 18 year-old law and science student locked her arm into a barrel to block delivery trucks.
‘Mass media has a duty of care to give the public the unbiased truth, not one murky with fossil fuel donations,’ said Clancy.
‘There is truly no time for the public to be complacent on the climate crisis,’ said Justice, a 25 year-old communications manager who also locked on last night.
‘Murdoch isn’t going to stop using his media-monopoly to back up violent governments and polluting industries of his own accord,’ said Justice.
Despite controversial lock-on devices being used, News Corp requested police release the protesters without charge.
Unbiased truth that wealth distribution worldwide
Is certainly a objective of ER ..as Admitted
By the CEO of ER in the UK, climate change
Who , what ? Where ?
Hey…. a new newspaper. Funded by the collective of planet lovers. That’s the way do it.. create something new. A go fund me creation.. a collective not for profit body present in the mainstream media.
Be great to see & ‘Woohoo’ .. these people are so devoted to owning responsibility for their presence on this beautiful planet. So passionate! Looks like a late night line up for tix to an international event…
Focus on what you want. Take part in your own creation.
I absolutely never give money to any of Rupert Murdoch’s news or media broadcasting outlets. I do not support them financially.
Thanks so much
Love & blessings
Ginga – a grand idea! Newspaper not-for-profit
funded by those who are tired of Rupert’s lies.
GetUp’s well stirred too having copped News
Corp non-stop rants against them. It’s time
the news’s God Daddy got put in his place.
Thanks to all who give a damn as it is most
definitely a duty of care.
This is a really clever action!
REALLY CLEVER
Stopping “news” rather than making it!
Now, I would NEVER suggest there be more of this,
that is, blocking Murdoch lies at the distribution source
( because that might be considered illegal to encourage such things )
but if this happened A LOT, I reckon we might solve some problems.
Too many people are swallowing this crap
because this is their chosen news source (has been since day dot)
and they know no better…
– if this happened A LOT,
then,
maybe,
they might look elsewhere for their news.
Who knows what could happen then.
So, if other people decided to do the same,
I’d really love to read about it in independent news sources
( that I may or may not contribute to )
Jus’ Sayin’
We already have the newspapers you’re talking about. Read the Saturday Paper and The Guardian.
Dawn, the more the better. No one’s got him
in a head-lock yet.
What a great and peaceful initiative. No one hurt, no one charged and a substantial protest made. Great if a follow up can be organised to explain the cause to all the newsagents and paper delivery people. They need the truth, too! Don’t leave that to the Murdoch machine.
It’s an incredible things to witness these young people choosing to peacefully and powerfully protest for our right to freedom of information, FACTUALLY CORRECT, unbiased information (previously known as journalism), despite the new lock-on laws and push for anti-association/bikie laws making the repurcussions for speaking up, much harsher.
They have my full support, and as a right for us all to be free to express our communities voice, they should have yours too! Here’s hoping there is more support!
I hope someone at the Echo writes something about the secondary subject matter so I can comment on that page. I have a little bit to say about a conversation I had with Christian Porter’s Office re a certain bill & the above mentioned articles.
We love you journo sleuths..
Blessings
I am one of those who finds our world is truly insane and not to be trusted when the most alarming reality of our time (a living and actual one! 🙂 ) is essentially being ignored…!
But I also want these “newspapers” ‘ every lie to be Made Public in a place where lot see it, ana for some good souls to painstakingly call every damn one out! They rule, however subtly, the electorate in the UK: they nourished the ground for a Brexit vote with its (Murdoch’s) lies about it and then people voted for it.
They (and their Billionaire backers) ar so anti-any left-wing possibility they make sure they pollute the public’s minds before these candidates get a fair and democratic chance…. It is just OUTRAGEOUS!
And about this Crucial reality of the climate, they have been awful: a scientist tells you something alarming -backed up with now 40 years of evidence; it is up to the media to respond and relay that information truthfully, with appropriate emotion!
They do not!!!
We understand unfortunately, the cowardice inevitable re this topic amongst most of our leaders – they want to get voted in! But it is the media’s job!!!
Shame on them -and not just (but mainly) Newscorp
You are absolutely evil! This is not an exaggeration!z
Thanks so much Stephanie.. very kind of you. You know, it’s relevant here too. The Echo is a soft talk… It’s relevant here too… no hardcore truth tellers speaking. I do love the Echo & proud the community has a local voice.
Here is an independent on-line group I came across while researching :
The Australian Independent Media Network.
theaimn.com
This link explains a lot & for those who like to step beyond the Murdoch propaganda machine. There are many interesting tid-bits.
https://theaimn.com/australias-pentecostal-extreme-world-makeover-exposed/
Welcome to the new ‘theicracy’ … Smoko’s dream for Australia. Not my dream! Is it yours?
Thanks & blessings loves
it’s a bit like living in China & not being allowed to say ‘youtube’.. it’s all vetted. Truth is as close & as relevant as water to the plughole in the bathtub, as useful as unicorn poo.. non existent unless there are people willing to hear it & a vehicle for it to be presented.
Control! It’s insidious!
It’s a bit like the meaningless metaphor of the hollow empty pyramid sitting on the roof of Parliament House. It reminds me every time I see a photo of it just how far from understanding, truth & consciousness government really is. Just how far they are willing to go to perpetuate a lie.