It's not the Government Gazette any more

During the reign of the former federal government, The Australian's constant pro-Howard position was so relentless that it became known to many Australians (anyone to the left of Andrew Bolt, really) as "The Government Gazette". If you wanted the government to be held to any kind of account at all, it was necessary to rely on the Fairfax papers, even as they cut down on actual researchers and journalists and became ever more tabloidy in focus. But half-arsed news coverage with the occasional nod to journalism was still better than outright cheer-leading, so The Age was - by the process of elimination - still the paper I read.

But the tables have, ever so delightfully, turned. Now we have a government The Australian doesn't mind criticising. Not at all. In fact, they can hardly wait to get stuck in.

And, since I strongly believe governments need to be held to account, that's a good thing. Only now I have a tough decision on which paper to buy: there's The Australian, which still insists on putting a frankly irritating right-wing spin on everything it touches but at least isn't cheerleading for the government any more; or The Age, which is becoming more craptacular with every passing week.

Anyone else considering a switch?