Does the Australian Press Enhance or Undermine Australian Democracy - Essay Example

Does the Australian Press Enhance or Undermine Australian Democracy By student’s name Course code +name Professor’s name University name City, state Date of submission Does the Australian Press Enhance or Undermine Australian Democracy Media is one of the key elements that can help in the preservation of a country’s democracy, but only, if there are fair reports within the society. The Australian media plays a key role in undermine democracy especially during the federal elections. The undermining aspects evident include giving special support to a particular political position (Balson, 2004 p 22). One important thing to note is that any media has an obligation or it is expected to make its colors shine to the mast, as far as, editorializing is concerned. This should happen for one political beliefs or a party over another party. Some print media supporting sides indicates a form of democratic dissertation. However, in case of such a blatant political stand, and a combination of extreme concentration of pitiful facts in the ownership of Australian media, a big concern for the health of Australian democracy creeps. This argument can be supported by the following evidence; Supporting evidence One clear evidence is in certain cases where the media releases biased information to the society, which, undermines the democracy of the people of Australia. It is clear that democracy is all about a clean representation of the Australian people. It is important to note that the king makers of democracy especially in the western countries are the media moguls. This is backed up by the fact that political leaders have very strong hopes on gaining or acquiring power through a strong back up by the media baron (Balson, 2004 p 22). However, the contender politicians are intimidated by the power they have in the swaying process of the electorate. This is what brings in the issue of the spin masters in any democracy, thus, undermining or failing to go in line with the will of the people of Australia. The Australians have very high hopes and have an obligation on the media outlets that they get fair reports from the media where two sides are clearly and equally represented (James, 2003 p 69). It is their responsibility to make sure that the reports, policies or pronouncements made are done with balance and expected content. The other evidence is on the concentration that the media owners in Australia have been given especially by people with special political interest resulting into undermine of democracy (McNair, 2003 p 28). Politicians in Australia needs the media in order to have their messages get across to citizens. This is because the media has journalists who are key communicators and translators of the politician’s deeds and words to the citizen’s audience. They are able to hold and attract the attention of the important people in the society, thus, helping the Politian’s whereabouts. This is clear evidence that the media can do the politicians a big favor by convincing the politicians that they are doing excellent job especially during political honeymoons (McNair, 2003 p 28). This is an easy task because what they have to do is to bribe the media barons, and easily manipulate the reports and announcements given to the citizens who can easily sleepwalk away politically through their daily life. The media functions as well can be used as early detectors or as political scandal triggers through the unseen power of individual representatives. It is also important to note that the diligence of the media and the high level politics, in line with, the Australian democracy are always contingent (James 2003, p 95). The behavior of media barons being manipulated or influenced by the politicians in the process of undermining the Australian democracy results from some other factors, such as, Australia being among the worst countries with a media ownership concentration of 98% of the print media is controlled by only 3 corporations compared to 10 national newspapers (James 2003, p 95). This strong ownership of Australia print media builds up an enormous distortion when it comes to the formation of Australians dependency on making their democratic choices as nation. There is also clear evidence from the fact that the government of Australia has formed a committee to investigate on the problems facing the media and how they can be solved to help the media enhance the people’s democracy instead of undermining it (media reforms, 2013). This shows that even the government has come to realize that the countries democracy is being undermined by the media. This is evident from the fact that in the year 2012 a committee was formed by the government based on the fact that some media elements which were being applied were outdated and required necessary amendments (media reforms, 2013). In respect to the above analysis, it is clear that the number of bodies governing the actions or what is being printed by the media is not enough and has no strong powers. The government through the formed council sought to ensure that all media houses that were ready to provide media voices had to register with the ACMA (media reforms, 2013). Some of these resistible services include: all the televisions and radios that are ready in providing the broadcasting services on the country current affairs. Stations giving out current affair programs to a target group in the country. The other area the committee focused was on ensuring that the print publications containing print media on current affairs contents publications were conducted by a corporation that had strong engagement in the media related activates. Online activates, such as, advertisements can also be used to pass messages that are in favor of one group in the country’s political arena, hence, affecting or undermining the democracy. Therefore, such services were expected or had a clear engagement to the printed media services. It should also be noted that the kind of news provided on current affairs has no signs of aggression service in them. The media barons are manipulated by certain political parties or individuals to a point of taking their sides in the political field. This forms the first basis in the undermine process of democracy by the media (media reforms, 2013). The reforms proposed by the committee selected by the government seek to ensure that there are no person who is in a position to control activates of nay print media or voices. The government is able to control what is being published by the media in a manner that does not interfere with the media freedom (media reforms, 2013). On the other hand, these steps seek to ensure that the public or the citizens are not manipulated by the media house on their democratic solutions and decisions. As a result of these reforms, it is a clear evidence that the government has admitted that the current activates of the media in Australia are in the frontline position in undermine the countries democracy. As a result, they have taken the above discussed measures to make sure that important or such media loopholes are controlled. Recommendations on how to enhance Democracy The most important role that the mass media has is to ensure that the information that they release to the general public is unbiased, accurate and comprehensive enough (media reform, 2013). This is mostly on the government current events and politics. This will enable the general public to make well screened political decisions. There is fear that exists among the media barons that if they fail to take side with individuals who have very strong political power their media houses might be prone to censorship. Sincere media houses are the key sources of the information to the general public political suggestions. Therefore, such fear of censorship or manipulation of media services by a small group of political heads should be dealt with in accordance to the law (Lucy, & Mickler, 2006 p 24). Such actions bars the media from educating the public on how to get complex information aimed at giving a clear picture to the society on what is meant by informed political decisions. The close interaction that exists between the media and political candidates has resulted into co-dependence that is not healthy, which at the end, bears in indirect interactions in political reporting. Such actions can be changed through government proposed changes especially on the media ownership, as well as, the media outcry. For example, in 2006 the Australian government made such proposals as a result of the public outcry over minimal or no coverage of major political issues by the media. Such deregulations from a capitalistic point of view puts into consideration that the market forces will give the society the kind of news that they demand. In addition, the open market completion will result into increased diversity and superiority of news media (Lucy, & Mickler, 2006 p 26). It is important to note that the consolidation of the modern media in Australia has compromised the public interest on the role of the media (McNair, 2003 p 28). There is an increased interest and focus on the bottom line by the media houses where they follow chief narrative, as well as, an investigative integrity that is languid. In Australia, some media owners have become major non ruling elites who have unwarranted political power. The media role on educating the citizens on major political issues is a key issue to the democratic process and most importantly the role contained in this process should not be underestimated at all cost. Therefore, the liberty, quality, and depth of Australia’s news media should not follow the guidelines of profit motives, as well as, slender politics, but the citizenry independent nature aimed at serving the general public effectively (Theophanous, 1980 p 76). It is therefore, recommended that instead of the passive consideration of the present media landscape as appropriate, the general public should be in the front line supporting an independent media, critically interrogating the master plot and at the same time challenging all media owners to serve the public interest in a better way. The political authority loop of the Australian media is in opposition to the very brass tacks of democracy. The media owners have political power that is used in intimidating political candidates resulting into an increased media power. The influence on the media that exist in the political arena is one undeniable factor, the reason being, that a small number of citizens receive primary political information (media reforms, 2013). However, this primary information that they get primarily depends on the mass media coverage in the country. Another thing to note is that media propagandas levels are high in liberal democracies because the public believes that they only get objective information. This ultimately makes it very clear that many political candidates in Australia depend on the media and it’s the media that gives them essential political success. Therefore, this reliance has led to some disconcerting power imbalance that is in favor of the media owners together with their corporations (Theophanous, 1980 p 102). The Australian media through other platforms can also be able to enhance democracy other that undermining it. Such platforms include the internet on world wide websites. In such websites, the views of individual citizens in regard to democracy are highlighted. In such cases, the Australian citizens will stand a chance of giving out their views on the kind of democracy they want and suggest complex recommendations on what can be done to the current democracy levels in order to make them more perfect. Therefore, once the citizens are given a chance to have influence on what the media is reporting will also be a step forward towards helping the media enhance democracy in the country. In that case if all the above recommendations are clearly followed by the key stakeholders the current media democracy undermines that are evident in Australia would be well handled. Reference List Balson S, 2004 Murder by Media: Death of Democracy in Australia 3040230994/33(4) http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_ Departments/ Parliamentary_ Library/pubs/rp/rp1314/Media Reform James C, 2003. Economic rationalism and public sector ethics: Conflicts and catalysts, Australian journal of public administration, Vol,62, no. 1, pp,95-100 Lucy, N., & Mickler, S. 2006. The war on democracy: conservative opinion in the Australian press. Crawley, W.A., University of Western Australia Press. McNair B 2003. Politics, democracy and the media.Chapter2 in his an introduction to political communication, 3rd edn pg 16-28:22-8 Media reforms in shallows and miseries, 2013 October, Retrieved December 10, 2013.From http://www.aph.gov.au Theophanous, A. C. 1980. Australian democracy in crisis: a radical approach to Australian politics. Melbourne, Oxford University Press. Read More