Politics, Media and Democracy in Australia: Public and Producer Perceptions of the Political Public Sphere

Brian McNair · Terry Flew · Stephen Harrington · Adam Swift

Feb 2017 · Routledge

About this ebook

In Australia, as in many comparable democracies, the role of the media in the political process is high on the public agenda. There is a perception of widespread disillusionment with and disengagement from politics amongst voters, and criticism of the media for failing to fulfil their democratic responsibilities adequately. This book evaluates public perceptions of the performance of the political media in the context of the declared aims and objectives of media producers. From there the authors present findings for improving the capacity of political media to engage and inform their audiences in ways which enhance the quality and popular legitimacy of the democratic process. These conclusions are of import not only to Australians, but to observers of mediated politics in the UK, the US and other countries where similar debates around the ‘crisis of public communication’ are on-going.

About the author

Brian McNair is Professor of Journalism, Media and Communication at Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Terry Flew is Professor of Media and Communications at Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Stephen Harrington is Senior Lecturer of Journalism, Media and Communications at Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Adam Swift is Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Barbara Gligorijevic is Researcher and Project Officer at Queensland University of Technology, Australia