Being told they pay too much attention to concerns of ‘inner-city left wing elites’ by their own boss was bound to shock ABC journalists
If there’s one phrase likely to raise the hackles of ABC journalists, it is “inner-city left-wing elites”. They hear it all the time from their most dogged denigrators. According to the Chris Kennys and Andrew Bolts in the Murdoch press, to the Eric Abetzes and Barnaby Joyces in the coalition ranks, ABC journos are themselves members of the inner-city elite, and share its pre-occupations and biases on a host of topics – in favour of action on climate change, in favour of gay marriage, against tough policies to deter boat people, and so on.
The very word “elite”, used as a pejorative, has become a cliché of the culture wars, in Australia, as in the US.