Submission to the Independent Inquiry into Media and Media Regulation

Abstract

The authors welcome the opportunity provided by this Independent Media Inquiry to investigate the future shape of the Australian media landscape – and particularly the landscape for the news media, and journalists. In this submission, we address 3 key areas identified in the Issues Paper – access; regulation; and support – and base our comments on substantive studies of the Australian media. We have conducted two national studies of the community media sector in Australia (2001-2003; 2004-2006), the second of which was a national audience study; an international study of alternative and community journalism conducted by Forde in 2009-2010; and career-long investigations of Indigenous media and representation by Meadows. Our submission makes the following key points: 1. Community broadcasting models and processes suggest ways in which the mainstream news media – newspapers, online publications etc – can engage with their audiences and engage their audiences in public life. Its processes and unique cultural role have important implications for diverse media content. 2. The self-regulation model is important to our news media industry as it puts some responsibility on the sector itself to monitor standards. It does not, however, provide enough guidance or recourse and this submission supports more stringent regulation on poor and wilfully inaccurate media content through strengthening of the Australian Press Council. 3. The Australian media sector should discard its long-held concerns about governmental support for small, independent or alternative media outlets. Our government supports such outlets through community broadcasting; the same level of support should be extended to other media forms to encourage diversity and, perhaps ironically, greater ‘freedom of the press’. This can be done successfully, and independently, through the establishment of a statutory body.