Dr Sally YoungAssociate Professor and Reader,

School of Social and Political Sciences,The University of Melbourne

s.young@unimelb.edu.au

Media Pluralism in Australia – Lessons from ‘Down Under’

Australia• Population of 22.5 million • 18th largest economy in the world• 6th largest country in the world• Ranks 2nd (behind Norway) on the

United Nations’ Human Development Index

• Culturally diverse• Economically strong

Australia

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Australian politics• One of the few countries to have

continuously been a democracy since the early 1900s.

• Compulsory voting (attendance)• High registered voter turn-out (94%)• Federal, state and local governments• House of Representatives and a Senate

Australian politics II• Voting method = the alternative vote for the

HoR and PR for the Senate• 1) Australian Labor Party v 2) Liberal and National parties (Coalition)

Australian politics III

• First female Prime Minister (Julia Gillard, ALP) in 2010(-2013)

• Current conservative government and Prime Minister is Tony Abbott

Australian media• 2 major newspaper owners – News Corporation Australia & Fairfax Media

• Public broadcaster – ABC• 3 free-to-air commercial TV broadcasters (7, 9 & 10)• Monopoly pay TV provider (Foxtel)• Commercial, community and local radio • Online – existing companies plus new

Year Media policy event1927 Royal Commission on Wireless.1932 Establishment of the ABC.1953-54 Royal Commission on Television.1955 Granting of first television licences by the Menzies government. 1976 Establishment of the Australian Press Council.1986-87 Cross media ownership laws (the Hawke-Keating government). 1992 Broadcasting Services Act 1992 liberalises regulation.1993-95 First pay TV (subscription) licenses granted. 1999-2000 Existing free-to-air TV channels provided with free digital spectrum. 2005-06 Howard government repeal of cross-media and foreign ownership

restrictions2009 Rudd government revised policy for a National Broadband Network.

2012 Independent Inquiry into the Media and Media Regulation (Finkelstein inquiry).

1975 reporting of press council proposal

Factors• ‘Media mates’ thesis• Lack of public interest/knowledge about

media policies • Lack of journalistic scrutiny • Impaired public debate• Vicious cycle of media concentration

Examples of political impact

• 1972 election• 1975 election• Iraq and 2004 election• Climate change, immigration and industrial

relations• Labor government 2007-2013• 2013 election

2012 reporting of media accountability (Finkelstein) inquiry

The 2013 federal election

Day 1 of the election

campaign – 4 August 2013.

The day after Abbott’s

election victory - The Sunday

Mail, 8 September

2013