Article Flags False Premises

Do you need new -- lateral -- thinking for your own problems? email nick leth at gmail dot com. Need solutions? No worries. Now.

In a post-Australia day article reporter Andrew Tillett writes about the annual "flag debate" (McKeon backs republic, PM stands by flag, The West, 27 Jan 2011). The article contains an obviously false statement:

Fifteen former Australians of the Year launched a campaign yesterday to coincide with Australia Day to demand a new flag.

One or two days earlier there was a report which presented a different version of "the truth": The Change the Flag Committee (or whatever it's called) asked every (past & present) Australian of the Year if they would support the move for a new Australian flag. Most of them said, Yes.

So the truth appears to be that an established group which wants to change the flag has recruited fifteen new supporters. These new supporters are speaking in favour of an existing campaign -- a campaign being run by a long-established group -- to have the flag changed.

These new recruits have not "launched a new campaign". They have supported an existing and long-running campaign.

"Added their support" is true. "Launched a new campaign" is not true.

Is this a case of sloppy reporting by Tillett? Or is it "spin" -- false claims -- by the Change the Flag Committee?

Either way... read the newspaper with a pinch of salt.

Independent thinking & independent analysis of your problems by Agamedes Consulting. Support for your thought: email nick leth at gmail dot com