Journalism is a career based on the distribution of news and with it the ability to analyse and explain the news, especially when it is complex.

In theory political reporters ignore party politics and vote for individuals because they know who works and who doesn't.

That's the theory.

I can understand journalists in one-party states like China and the old Soviet Union toeing the party line because otherwise they might vanish.

But with genuine freedom of the media, be blowed if I can understand why any reporter or writer would squander that freedom to mix their journalism with their personal political beliefs.

I once turned up to cover a Liberal Party conference and noticed one of my newspaper's pool cars in the car park, and thought, "oh good they've sent me some help".

It turned out my media colleague was a delegate to the conference.

In the US Fox News backs Donald Trump and the Republicans, while CNN backs Joe Biden and the Democrats.

News anchors and commentators for these media giants earn millions just to ridicule the leaders.

No, it's not satire. It's plain ridicule based on political bias. I couldn't sleep at night if I followed their style of commentary.

You can measure it against the ABC's locally produced Planet America.

A brilliant commentary on American politics and lately the US elections.

Planet A offers objective explanation of things like America's weird voting system and why presidents like to stack the Supreme Court.

The program presents both sides of an argument and lets the viewer decide.

In Australia the major newspaper mastheads are loosely divided into News Ltd papers that tend to back the conservatives and the Fairfax papers that have favoured Labor and the Greens.

In Tasmania News Ltd and Fairfax newspapers have been far more balanced.

Although, back in 1983 when the High Court forced a halt to the Franklin dam, my newspaper's art department drew up a page one with "No Dam" stencilled across the page.

Management had the headline changed because it was the Wilderness Society's campaign slogan.

In television there are only two empires that have provided extensive political commentary over the years, the ABC and Sky News.

The ABC has been categorised as Leftwing and Sky, especially after 6pm, has outdone most news outlets in lavishing scorn on Labor and adoring praise of anything conservative.

Bias can embrace many forms, like outright ridicule, selectively choosing biased talent for interviews or bias by omission of relevant facts.

The great irony in news reporting is that Donald Trump coined the phrase fake news, even though he's the worst offender.

He lies all the time, or just makes it up as he goes along.

He's a misogynist, a compulsive liar, a dangerous narcissist, a bully and a coward, because bullies by definition are cowards.

Trump picks on weaker states but lavishes praise on tough guys like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. That's how bullies behave.

But even Planet America goes by the book and highlights Trump's noteworthy achievements, like recognition of Israel by some Arab states, as well as exposing his porkies and inconsistencies.

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have creamed off the profits from struggling newspapers, but without any responsibility for accurate news content.

That's true to a point.

I also think it's due to a failure of the press, and television to a greater extent, to objectively present balanced news.

I've written before about the irritating nature of politicians, telling us how good they are and why the other side is as bad as hell.

The media is just as culpable.

Apart from corruption or criminal action no politician is so good to be feted, or so bad to be ridiculed.

No political party in Australia is unworthy of respectful analysis.

I'm not suggesting media reporting is all fake news. I am suggesting that some times raw news is massaged and presented through the prism of the presenter.

Reporting doesn't need to be a boring monologue, devoid of commentary and analysis. I've known journalists who harbour very Left wing or Right wing views, but who have consistently presented objective, balanced news.

Objectivity, with interesting news topics isn't that hard.

The Herald Sun has hysterically pursued Victorian Premier Dan Andrews over the hotel quarantine fiasco and the lockdown nightmare, often mixing news with opinion.

The ABC has relentlessly pursued NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian over her relationship with a corrupt politician.

I think both are damn good premiers, who sometimes stuff up.

Unfortunately for them they embody the quintessential public victim, victimised for an easy headline.

No one is seriously suggesting Berejiklian is corrupt or that Andrews deliberately set out to kill 800-odd Victorians.

But, if you swallowed everything the media spat at you, those two must be headed for the gallows.