Debates are a great way to see how politicians perform under pressure. The discussion paper pdf file expresses its proposals as preferred options. Attachment a international case studies of media ownership regulation. This year, we are using social media less for news, a behaviour being driven by the millennials who were also first to embrace it and xers. Concentration of media ownership and control what is the origin of this pattern of australian media ownership and control. New media ownership laws and a free australian press christopher warren i introduction fewer voices. The influence of media ownership and control on media. The cross media ownership laws brought in by the federal labor government in 1987 was the start of modern media change.
In framing the federation of australia in 1901, our founding fathers bestowed great responsibilities on the australian parliament for national communications policy. And that means a media agency has to think and operate in an entirely new way. Media ownership preface the issues of media ownership concentration and the formulation and implementation of an effective media legislation received considerable attention in recent years. Within the media watch program, we drew attention to the threat these issues pose to media pluralism in. Individual ownership pattern in this kind of partnership, the individual has control, which allows him to take decisions for the company. Changes to australias media ownership laws have tended to increase this concentration. Media ownership elizabeth hart introduction the new economy makes media dynasties among the most powerful organisations on earth. Media control and ownership australian press council. Today the australian communications and media authority launched a series of infographics to help make sense of what is currently happening with media ownership in australia. Media ownership patterns the ownership of the mass media namely. Pdf media ownership and concentration in australia. Research media concentration and public concern in australia.
Between december 1986 and march 1987 australias media underwent a major shakeup. Australia has one of the highest concentrations of commercial media ownership in the world and it has been argued that this has led to a dearth of sources of opinion from which people can glean information and make informed decisions about politics and social issues. By transmitting and analysing these debates, the media can play a big role in deciding which. In 1983, 50 companies controlled 90% of the us media market. Media ownership has been an agenda topic for the howard government since it was first elected in. Media ownership has been an evolving hot topic in australia as the government grapples with the problem of keeping its cross media ownership laws relevant, in an age where new technologies are blurring traditional media boundaries. The history of media regulation in australia rear vision. Intrusions into media freedom flying beneath the international free expression radar.
Following an overview of the australian media landscape, the remainder of the chapter focuses on print media newspapers, book publishing, magazine publishing, audiovisual media radio, broadcast television, multichannel tv platforms, film, telecommunications. Click on a company to bring up a map of where it operates and the details of its media operations. Foreign ownership of the print media has generally been regulated by way of a standard governm ent policy summ ary of australia s foreign investment policy, the treasury, january 2005, see general policy sum mary. The enduring realpolitik of australian media policy the high courts finding of an implied freedom of political communication in the australian constitution in the 1990s led to a fairly rapid rewriting of australian media law textbooks.
The media entertainment and arts alliance meaa, which represents australian journalists, and other professional media groups, says the consolidated power of the large media owners is. Corporate governance in australia 199 individual share owners comprised the largest shareholder type in 1952 75. Communications portfolio, the australian government will consider potential reforms to the media. Influences of media ownership patterns on media freedom and professionalism in nigeria independence led the people to organize nationalist movements. Licensing of broadcasters is one way in which governments manage media ownership and promote media pluralism. The herfindahlhirschman index hhi is a commonly accepted measure used to measure market concentration. This topic attracts many scholars due to importance of mass media in social life of society and its ability to affect publics. Ibisworld industry research 2016 finds australian media and broadcasting industries are highly. The first change limited media ownership to just one type of media in a given marketprint, radio or television. The role the media plays in australian politics dummies. The current debate over media ownership limits this book presents a critical view of the current state of commercial mass media in america. Dr john gardinergarden, analysis and policy, social policy section jonathan chowns, analysis and policy, economics, commerce and industrial relations section introduction. Although australias media ownership laws have remained unchanged for over a.
Shadow minister for communications, michelle rowland, press release, november 8, 2016. In many countries, government ownership equates to government control of the media, but not in australia. Seven west media is believed to be nearing a deal to sell the headquarters of the west australian to a local developer. At mediacom australia we believe everything is connected. The book covers thirteen media industries, including television, newspapers, book publishing, film, search engines, isps, wireless telecommunication, and others across a 10. Denemark said australians were increasingly uneasy about media. Media ownership regulation in australia parliament of australia 1 of. Media ownership reforms could open floodgates for mergers.
Mass media are seen as a social medium that contributes to building strong nations. It examines media ownership and concentration in australia. The growth of these movements led directly to the birth of small newspapers. The governments broadcasting legislation amendment media reform bill 2016 proposes cutting a rule that. The role of media ownership in creation and delivery of news content. Media bias is greater and state ownership of the media more likely when the need for. The government has announced the most significant reforms to australian media regulation in a generation, focusing on the control and ownership of australia s media outlets and the provision of local television content in regional australia. This decline in relative importance is in spite of the increase in share ownership for australian households.
This policy relates to the adm inistration of the foreign acquisitions and takeovers act. The second abolished the rule that no one could own more than two tv stations and. Media control we encourage diversity in australian broadcasting services. Government media organisations are those owned by the government. Australian media ownership has been dominated by media families such as the murdochs and the packers. In telecom, too, there have been contentious battles over policy between the government and the major network operator telstra. He is the son of keith murdoch, one time senior executive of australia. The results show that, in 2011, australia s content media industry was among the most concentrated in the world, and had been getting steadily more concentrated over time. View notes media ownership regulation in australia from fins fins 5568 at university of new south wales.
Media ownership and concentration in australia oxford. Controls over media ownership in australia are laid down in the broadcasting services act 1992, administered by the acma. Media ownership concentration and public concern theconversation. Media ownership regulation in australia parliament of australia. Media ownership and news coverage of international con. Pdf on jan 1, 2016, franco papandrea and others published media ownership and concentration in australia. Check out the ideals of the media and what influences the political news they report in practice. The influence of media ownership and control on media agenda setting in nigeria international journal of humanities social sciences and education ijhsse page 38 3. Media ownership regulation in australia media ownership. Many countries have some form of regulation in place. It is best suited for smallscale media houses, be it newspaper or news channel. It examines the media through the lens of the public policy debates about limits on the number and type of media outlets that a single firm can own. This chapter begins the section on countries in asia and the pacific. Pdf the role of media ownership in creation and delivery.
Media ownership regulation in australia parliament of. The hhi is calculated using the sum of the squares of the individual. Even with laws in place australia has a high concentration of media ownership compared to other western countries. Media interests snapshot this is a summary of the main interests in major commercial tv and radio networks and associated newspapers. Australian media ownership is already among the most concentrated in the world, but if the competition regulator approves the ninefairfax deal. So new that we dont even call ourselves a media agency anymore. In an age of busy lifestyles, people turn to the media to get their fix of political news. Media ownership and regulation in australia centre for policy. This book moves beyond the rhetoric of free media and free markets to provide a dispassionate and datadriven analysis of global media ownership trends and their drivers.
Australia s level of media ownership concentration is already one of the highest in the world. Reforms to australian media ownership laws have historically resulted in further. The mixture of concentrated ownership and powerful personalities means that media policy has been a contentious issue. Fact sheet updating australias media laws department. In 2017, media ownership laws prohibiting a company from owning a television station, radio station and newspaper in the same area were scrapped along with rules about tv stations only broadcasting to 75% of the population. Media ownership and its impact on media independence and.
Therefore, he takes responsibility for all the policy making decisions and is also accountable for them. The broadcasting services act 1992 sets limits on the control of commercial tv, radio and newspapers. There have been some major moves in the australian media landscape over the past few weeks, with ownership changes, restructuring and massive job cuts announced. Case study of two english news channels conference paper pdf available september 2015 with 7,778 reads how we measure reads. Effects of mass media ownership on serving public interest. Australian media ownership australian media ownership is broken up into three main areas. Furthermore, under article of this act, a transfer of concession to a third party is an o. Mass media ownership and its effects on different aspects of mass media performance were the subject of many studies. The extent of media freedom depends critically on two variables. In a blog last week claiming credit for upgrading the fccs media rules to reflect todays marketplace, fcc chairman tom wheeler neglected to even mention the mother of all media rules, the broadcast ownership.