By Senator Alex Antic
The media often touts its supposed ability to provide fact-based reporting, the kind that can “effectively hold government to account.”
Public trust in media sources has however been falling for years, as Australians have watched the media morph over time from a functionally important “fourth estate” into a relatively uncritical repeater of government messaging.
During recent periods of significant public discourse leading up to major policy changes like the under-16 social media ban and the introduction of new ‘hate and extremism’ laws, the media practically cheered from the sidelines.
They reported on what the government had laid out in their policy announcements, but left it at that, only superficially engaged with the many other perspectives passionately held across the Australian public.
If you were not on social media, you may have never heard about the massive public opposition to these changes. Perhaps that’s the way they want it? Afterall, governments have played an increasing role in funding mainstream media in Australia.
Historically, government funding for news outlets was limited to support for the publicly owned ABC and SBS. However, a new precedent was set in 2018 when the Federal Liberal Government began a ‘Regional and Small Publishers Jobs and Innovation Package’ aimed at helping small and regional media adapt to disruption by the internet and social media. This package provided $60 million over three years, with a focus on aiding staff retention.
A significant boost in funding came in 2020, when due to apparent concerns over job losses caused by the pandemic, the Federal Liberal government launched a year-long grant of $50 million in support of ‘public interest journalism’ in regional Australia.
The re-elected Federal Labor government has now committed to spending $153.5 million in support of the media sector over four years through their ‘News Media Assistance Program.’
Why should Government be propping up this industry to the exclusion of other industries which are also struggling?
The Government’s website says as follows:-
“The News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) sets out a framework and measures to support public interest journalism and media diversity in Australia—recognising these are critical to a healthy democracy, social cohesion and informed citizens.”
All the words we expect are in there “diversity”, “democracy” and “social cohesion” but lets get this straight, the Federal Labor Government is now using our money to support news outlets all around the country, many of which are reporting on politics in this nation.
How could that possibly be?