What is going on with our media? Maybe it’s time to come to terms with our general public

Cuts to the ABC and SBS have highlighted a gaping hole in journalistic appreciation in our government, but perhaps worse, in our general public.

In light of the recent cuts, one can only see it as a political move rather than a genuine budget saving measure. Figures may be manipulated to justify the 1% decrease in funding, however no one is blinded to the notion that most conservatives lack a soft spot for these channels (even to the point of breaking an election promise). ABC Mark Scott has commentated on the service that the ABC provides for Australians for me to detail this any further.

We can continue to point the figure at our government for the death of journalism with substance and an ambition to provide the public with information they deserve (and more to the point, should know), but we are still left with evidence of an even greater concern; we as a public could be the problem.

The mainstream media is largely a collective of private organisations (a reality that yes, is alarming but yes, we have to face), so we must recognise its interests are not concerned with creating a thriving democracy.

It is far more reasonable to assume the Australian media’s number one priority is to attract high sales and advertising revenue, thereby achieving optimal profits. To do so, media content must engage the largest market: if content is not popular, entertaining or relevant, consumers will choose another option. We see this priority each time we tune into any major channel, or open almost any newspaper – headlines are a black hole of substance, glimmering instead with the Solange’s, Jay Z’s and devastating tragedies of this world.

Many commentators justifiably lament the resulting displacement of thorough analysis in the media by sensationalised content, and claim the growth in tabloidization effectively undermines intrinsic news values and informed discourse. I can’t agree with this more, but can’t ignore the issue that the resulting output is actually the result of democratic process; the reason the Australian media is so dominated with said “news” is because it appeals to the greatest demand.

Leading up to the 2013 election, public interest channels ABC and SBS, which devote more broadcast hours to policy concerns than private networks, held just over 15 per cent of the total viewer share across all of Australia compared to 60-70 per cent held by the major channels. What more is there to say.

Of course,the Australian media has a duty to reflect public opinion and respond to public concerns. Yet it must equally be recognised that sadly our private media is based on demand which is formed through the interaction of the multitude of differing views within a society. The reality is the Australian media always has a case to answer, but we have to question how much we are responsible. We vote on which media survives every time we buy a newspaper and turn on the TV.