The decision by the Murdoch press to replace news with propaganda during this election campaign has elicited some odd responses. Perhaps it's wishful thinking but even those startled at the aggression of what's been called the most partisan coverage of an election since 1975 seem determined to believe it doesn't matter much.

Rupert Murdoch declared via Twitter that the public have had enough of Labor, and some of his key newspapers have obliged by campaigning against the government from day one.

Rupert Murdoch.

But much of the commentary seems to patronise, suggesting nobody should care too much because Murdoch's papers are struggling for relevance and voters aren't so dumb as to be influenced by the Daily Telegraph's ''kick this mob out'' fury.

Media commentator Tim Dunlop scoffed at News Corp Australia's ''massive exercise in irrelevance'' and veteran Canberra Times journalist Jack Waterford argued that while some Murdoch papers were now ''megaphones for the Liberal Party'', their ''power to change minds is very limited''. Since the election was called, there has been a slight dip in support for Labor in opinion polls.