Citizens or Consumers?

The growth of the internet has changed how print media does business. The traditional view of the newspaper tycoon using his wealth and media influence to pressure governments is changing, and while there is no doubt that Rupert Murdoch is still a very powerful figure, some would argue that these days making money is a more important consideration than political influence. Despite superficial media arguments over whether broadsheets are better than tabloids, or tabloid newspapers care more for their readers than the so-called quality papers, commercial media's chief concern is for it's profit margin.

Falling revenue from decreased advertising income has led to major cost cutting measures by newspapers, including
huge reductions in staff numbers. The remaining journalists are now expected to cover the work of their missing colleagues; increased work load means there is less time to leave the office to talk to people and generate stories. Telephone interviews and recycled press releases appear to be a part of modern journalism. This approach seems at odds with part 6 of the Media Alliance's Code of Ethics "Do not allow advertising or other commercial interests to undermine accuracy, fairness or independence". It's bad enough if a small local newspaper uses a company's press release as news without checking basic facts; it becomes a tragedy when looking at the lack of credible media investigation into reports of weapons of mass destruction prior to the invasion of Iraq.

In the commercial television industry, cheap-to-produce reality and "infotainment" shows are pushed upon us. Quality programs are expensive to make, and producer's have discovered that it's much easier and cheaper to string a few home videos together, or put a few talking-heads behind a desk, and call it a show. A general trend away from the so called "hard news" has led to a "dumbing down" of commercial television current affairs and news shows, a trend that is reflected across print media and radio. Commercial television news is presented in 90 second grabs in a formula that is so regimented that it's possible to flick between different channels and watch the same news events portrayed from exactly the same angle. Channels 7 and 9  follow each other so closely it's often possible to start watching a story on one channel, then turn over to watch the end of the story on the other.

James Spigelman, chairman of the ABC, said in a speech at the RIPE@2012 (1) conference that the quality of commercial TV news and current affairs had dropped in recent years to a "tabloid core" and argued that the commercial sector's ability to provide the news coverage that Australians expected was in doubt.

Political commentator Tim Dunlop, in an article entitled "Why Commercial Media Should Learn Their ABC's" on the ABC's The Drum Opinion webpage, says:

"Increasingly, people are being asked to pay for news directly (rather than indirectly via advertising), and it's become obvious that they will only pay for news from people they trust.

Unfortunately for the mainstream private media, poll after poll shows that they are among the least trusted organisations on the planet.

So here is the abiding paradox: the news service Australians are most willing to pay for is the ABC.

The organisation is trusted because of the way it treats it's audience. And what it does is treat them as citizens, not consumers.

It treats them as individuals entitled to respect and a voice, not merely as a product to be aggregated into demographic categories and sold to advertisers."

Many who have tried to follow a television series on a commercial channel will agree on this last point. TV executives reschedule shows to other timeslots if viewing figures aren't good enough, and sometimes cancel a program half way through a series regardless of viewer's interests and opinions. Newspapers seem more interested in celebrities, gossip and sensationalism than providing readers with news and opinion that allows informed decision making in factors that actually do affect them.

I'd rather know about Labor's policies for the next election than the colour of Kim Kardashian's latest handbag, but maybe that's just me...



(1) RIPE is an acronym for Re-visionary Interpretations of the Public Enterprise.