Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Cross benches key to real change in NSW

By Richard Stanton - posted Wednesday, 23 March 2011


Next Saturday in New South Wales enrolled citizens will turn out to vote to elect a government.

They will vote for two houses of parliament – the Lower House or Legislative Assembly and the Upper House or Legislative Council.

The conservative metropolitan Sydney-based media – the Murdoch owned newspapers, commercial radio and television stations - forecast the Australian Labor Party - the present government with a majority in the Lower House - will be destroyed.

Advertisement

The progressive metropolitan media – the Fairfax-owned Sydney Morning Herald and the government-owned ABC – forecast the Greens will hold the balance of power.

Both sides of the media have dogs in the fight so it is difficult for the average voter to grasp the importance of the ballot and the consequences of their actions for NSW for the next four years.

There is a lot of bitterness about the way the government has acted during the past four years (generated mostly by 2GB's Alan Jones and the Daily Telegraph) but it is difficult to sense whether the bitterness is real or a by-product of fabricated media hatred.

Similarly, there is a level of concern among electors (generated by the SMH and ABC) that the Coalition has demonstrated little in the way of alternative leadership, innovation and management for them to be considered serious contenders to assume the burden of power.

Voters rely heavily on the media for information so that they can form opinions and make decisions.

They do not, however, always grasp the meanings being framed nor the alignments that cause the frames.

Advertisement

Part of the answer to the problem of the distribution of accurate and timely information on issues, candidates and processes, lies in an increased use by voters of social online media.

The Pew Research Center in the United States last week published a survey that indicated social media sites such as Twitter received a large increase in use in the 2010 mid term election campaign; 54% of adults went to the internet for political purposes.

While the same levels may not be reached in NSW there is a marked increase in the use of blogs and social media as voters work hard to find public spaces from which they can extract real and useful information.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

4 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Richard Stanton is a political communication writer and media critic. His most recent book is Do What They Like: The Media In The Australian Election Campaign 2010.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Richard Stanton

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Article Tools
Comment 4 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy