I attempt to keep informed of what is going on in Australia and the world, and I assume I am doing this by watching the news, reading news articles and watching panel discussion programs. This makes me feel as though I can make informed decisions. I frequently watch The Drum, ABC News, Q&A, and The World on ABC iView an online platform from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), a free to air public broadcaster.
The Drum is a discussion program that updates viewers on specific topical issues every weekday. When I watch The Drum I feel as though I am being involved in the discussion itself, the show has a very similar format to traditional news programs and begins with titles and clips from the stories will be discussed on the show. There is a host who moderates the discussion and several panellists, usually from both sides of politics debating topical issues. The illusion of balance is achieved by hearing two sides of the political spectrum.
The Drum contributes to the public sphere, not because it directly involves public discussion but because it debates issues of public interest. According to Habermas (1964, p. 49) the public sphere is a space where “public opinion can be formed” and the media plays an important role in influencing public opinion. Aufderheide (1991, p. 168-169) suggests that the “public” is a social concept that combines the social and private actions of individuals with the actions from governments. Therefore, The Drum addresses the public by presenting issues of public interest in a supposedly balanced way and assumes that people will make up their mind themselves.
The ABC program Q&A provides a platform for the public to voice their specific concerns to government officials and prominent thinkers. These debates directly contribute to the public sphere because the public are invited to pose questions to the panel themselves. There is also a twitter feed that appears at the bottom of the screen which represents further discussion from the public. Q&A also contributes to the idea of inclusivity, that any member of the public will be able to voice their concerns, therefore representing common opinions held by the public in general. Whether or not any significant consensus is arrived at, the discussion itself assists people in making informed decisions.
Panel shows such as The Drum and Q&A contribute to the public sphere because of their content, issues of public interest. Q&A contributes by offering a discussion space for members of the public, by providing an opportunity for them to ask questions. The Drum and Q&A are both hosted on the ABC, and are both highly controlled, especially Q&A because the questions are reviewed by ABC staff before being allowed on the program. This suggests that the media still plays in important role in influencing the public sphere.
References
Habermas J, Lennox, S & Lennox, F 1964, ‘The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article’, New German Critique, no.3, pp. 49-55
Aufderheide, P 1991, ‘Public television and the public sphere’, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, vol. 8, no.2, pp. 168-183
