Thanks! You Are Keeping the Media Free ... or You Could Be

I received this e-mail today and I thought it was important enough to pass on to readers like you who may wish to support the independent media underdogs against the media barons such as Rupert Murdoch and his monopolizing media takeovers.

It doesn't even matter what country you live in on the planet you can still lend a hand whether you buy a subscription, or just sign up to receive a free newsletter.
Every bit helps in the bid to keep an independent voice alive in the media.
Here is the email I received today, with links that you can click on -

Thanks! 

You are keeping the media free 

Right now, Echonetdaily subscribers like you are helping us to fight Rupert Murdoch’s growing control of the media in Australia. 

Murdoch’s News Corp recently became the major shareholder in APN, the company that publishes the Northern Star, Byron Shire News, Ballina Advocate, Tweed Daily News and Lismore’s Northern Rivers Echo. But few people realise just how much News Corp’s political-influence footprint has grown throughout Australia in recent months. 

Crikey.com.au  

(Australia’s leading non-government independent online news source), said this last week about News Corp:

  ‘The company – through its director, shareholder, management or “associate” proxies, now owns or has the key influence over:

• The vast majority of metro newspapers;
• The vast majority of suburban newspapers;
• The majority of regional daily newspapers;
• Two key radio networks;
• One of three free-to-air TV networks; and
• Australia’s only pay-TV network.’ 

At the same time, funding for government bodies such as the ABC and SBS is being cut, and they are under commercial pressures.

Why are we fighting? Three very good reasons:

1. How could any politician or government resist this kind of influence? Without independent media like the ABC, The Echo, and Crikey, everyone will start to believe that mainstream media tells the truth.
2. Even more money is siphoned offshore to multinationals who pay little or no tax. Apart from News Corp, other major shareholders of APN are multinational corporations. And if you think online media will fix the problem, just consider how much tax Google pays in Australia (virtually none). Communities thrive on small businesses circulating money locally, not large companies sending it out of the area.
3. Huge online companies are getting too much power. Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc monitor your every online move, because if you can be told what to think you can be told what to buy.

The good news is that The Echo can remain a small, yet strong, independent print and online media outlet with your help:

Keep your subscription to Echonetdaily, and email your friends to encourage them to subscribe (it’s free, as you know). This shows potential advertisers that independent media is valued.

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/echonetdaily

Support our advertisers. Even if you don’t buy anything from them, let them know that you value their support of independent media – they may not realise how important they are to the survival of a free press.

Support us by advertising in print or online – email adcopy@echo.net.au
After all, twice as many people read The Echo as the Byron News [3].

Email council@byron.nsw.gov.au to tell the General Manager of the Byron Shire Council that you would have preferred council advertising to stay with the company that’s 95% locally owned (Council recently switched from The Echo to support the Murdoch-owned APN papers such as the Byron News and Northern Star).

Go to crikey.com.au and buy a subscription.

Support community radio (in the Byron area the station is called BayFM) – they have independent programming and opinions.

The Murdoch influence in Australia is unprecedented in the history of democracy. Even the news agenda of the ABC and Fairfax is partly a response to coverage in the Murdoch-owned press. The Echo has to source much of its international and national news from AAP[4] Community radio often sources its coverage from Murdoch-owned media. We need to value what independence we have left.

If you’re sick and tired of the mainstream press multinational spin, and media manipulation of weak politicians, please keep your strong stance, vote with your wallet if possible and tell others how much you value an independent press in your area.

[1] Source: investorcentre.apn.com.au June 17, 2015.

[2] Source: www.crikey.com.au.

[3] Source: Roy Morgan Research June 11, 2015.

[4] AAP is 45% owned by Fairfax and 45% owned by News Corp. See politics.aapnewswire.com.au/Home/AboutUs.

A sincere thank you to those who signed up, even if it was only for a free newsletter.
Every little bit helps.
Cheers.