Politics and the media in Australia
N Economou
8 points * 3 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton
The subject addresses the structure of the Australian media, its relationship to the Australian liberal-democratic experience, and its role in the transition of Australia from industrial capitalism to information-capitalism. The subject is divided into three parts. The first investigates the structure and political economy of the Australian media, covering media ownership, the link between media workers, media managers and the state, foreign ownership, the `reform' of cross-ownership laws and the debate over the future of television. The second investigates the role of the media in Australian liberal democracy: the role of the media as a check on the executive, and its effect on elections. The third part looks at the deeper issues of imagery and the `information society': the construction and deconstruction of images of self, nation and society through the media prism.
Assessment
Written (3000 words): 50% * Examinations (3 hours): 50%
Prescribed texts
Windschuttle K The media Penguin