Lecture 7: Public Media

As a massive fan of sbs and abc programming and news, i was highly anticipating this lecture. At home in Lennox Head on the Far North Coast of NSW, my family listens to ABC statewide local radio almost 24/7. My parents are even in the habit of often falling asleep listening to the radio in their bedroom. Dinner conversations was often interrupted by someone answering a question from Norman the Quiz on the Evenings program. Needless to say my childhood was characterised by growing up listening to James O'loughlin quick wit and interesting/topical banter. At college i constantly have ABC 24 News playing in the background while i am at my desk and it helps me stay up to date and informed. There objective and 'no messing around' straight forward approach is some what liberating and i find i have access to world events that are not being reported on by any other broadcaster. Kerry O'Brien is my idea of a journalism hero. It was with an open mouth and an awed expression on my face that i often watched him make the interviewee squirm or speechless as he asked the hard questions in order to reveal the truth.

The ethos that the public or 'the people' own the abc is an important one and i completely agree with Dr Redman in that it is important that their is always a non commercial source of information available.   The ability and ease in which already powerful figures such as Rupert Murdoch, the Packer Family and the newly emerged Gina Rinehart, can manipulate the news is worrying. Tat is why more so than ever i turn to sbs and abc in order to get the whole picture or the 'truth' that is supposedly the foundation of good journalism. It is not often you find commercial media reports free of selective editing or subjective goal orientated bias'. SBS and ABC are important in also bringing high speciality and low interest sports to people that enjoy them as well as giving access to world sporting events such as the world cup; so as to prevent them from becoming commercial.

Although i knew that the where government funded i was unsure as to the role of the government in regard to sbs due to the introduction of adverts under a 80-20 scheme. Learning about this was what i found to be most intriguing and interesting.

The functions i identified of public media was to define national heritage, national identity and national conversation. Culture specific programming is an example of this. shows like living black and various language based world news programs enable and support a multi cultural outlook.

The future of public media is always uncertain it seems, although the government supports the networks they do not run them or have a say in their programming and news. The constant tension with government is well documented and i feel always threaten to derail public media. John Howards attempt to reduce the abc budget sizeably was as many argue in response to bad publicly by the abc regarding the children over board saga among others.