Creating a progressive media network to rival Murdoch
Mocked up new news channel, just for lols. The anti FOX news.
We need an unapologetic progressive media network that covers TV, radio, print newspapers, podcasts, and digital news. A progressive media infrastructure to rival the Murdoch media.
I agree with Kevin Rudd that Murdoch media is a cancer on our democracy. Over 500,000 people signed the Rudd petition calling for a Murdoch Royal Commission.
Murdoch created a global media empire and became one of the most influential people in the world. And probably one of the most dangerous. By 2000, Murdoch’s News Corporation owned over 800 companies in more than 50 countries. Murdoch’s papers and television channels have been accused of biased and misleading coverage to support his business interests and political allies.
Former Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull are right to try to cure Australia of this cancer.
The Murdoch media in Australia has helped win and keep conservatives in power and poisoned the public debate on climate damage and so much more. It is remarkable that centre-left governments, such as the ALP governments in Victoria and Queensland, have been able to withstand the Murdoch partisan and poisonous campaigns against them.
A first step is a parliamentary Royal Commission into the Murdoch media.
The progressive community should stop funding Murdoch media.
Progressive people and organisations should stop doing any paid advertising with Murdoch media. We should stop any subscriptions. We should stop visiting Murdoch media websites or sharing their news articles.
But lessening the influence of Murdoch is only one part of what is needed if we are to get progressive change across the board. Progress on worker rights and higher wages; responding to climate damage; on the Uluru Statement from the Heart; housing as a human right; raising the rate of Newstart; on increased funding for public education and public health. And much more.
We need to significantly boost funding to the ABC.
ABC, a national treasure, has has its funding cut by $783 million since 2014 when the Coalition made its first cuts. Yet, according to this Roy Morgan research, it is the ABC the Australian’s have turned to in times of crisis.
Restoring the funding cuts to the ABC and boosting funding beyond that is one step to ensuring an independent and non-partisan democratic public voice.
But impartial media such as the ABC doesn’t shift the dial in a progressive direction in the way that the Murdoch media has shifted the dial in a conservative one. More needs to be done.
We need an unapologetic progressive media network that covers TV, radio, print newspapers, podcasts, and digital news.
And we need to go big. We can’t simply have a Facebook page or newsletter. Rather than start from scratch it would be better to acquire existing media and combine them into one network.
A progressive media network could be a co-op funded by anyone with an interest in advancing progressive policies such as Australia unions and NGOs, alongside individual membership and donations. Perhaps some progressive law firms, creative agencies, former journalists and producers could come on board with some initial pro-bono work?
Imagine this:
Emma Alberici doing a nightly Rachel Madow style show
Barrie Cassidy doing a weekly political show
Sally McManus and Doug Cameron doing a report on economic and unions
Tom Ballard doing a Tonight show
Greg Jericho and Luke McGregor doing an economic show
Jane Caro and Jan Fran hosting a daily show with progressive women
Celeste Liddle and Edie Shepherd hosting shows on racism, youth and feminism
I’m sure you can think of many more people who we ought to see much more of in the media.
Can powerful and influential progressive figures in Australia unite to create such a network?
Think big. Be smart.
Building a progressive media infrastructure is one part of building a progressive ideas and messaging infrastructure. Too often the left of politics fights issues one at a time, without an eye to the bigger picture. Contrast that with conservatives who put in place the foundations to win not just a single fight, but all of them. They’ve done this over the past 40 years by investing in ideas and messaging infrastructure: establishing think tanks, taking over and controlling the media, dominating ideas through message testing and research.
Progressives should be seeking to replicate the ideas and messaging infrastructure of the right.
We win not when Labor/Labour is putting forward left-win policies and using progressive messages but when conservatives parties are putting forward left-wing policies and using progressive messages. That is how you move the centre, left. When UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was asked what she regarded as her greatest achievement, she is said to have replied: “New Labour”. Thatcher defeated Labour at three general elections and forced the party to support market forces; privatisation; reform of employment laws to reduce the power of the trade unions; lower taxation for individuals and business; an independent nuclear deterrent; a “special relationship” with America etc.
Go Australasian, then go global.
In our globalized world there is no reason such a progressive media network shouldn’t go global. First Australia and New Zealand, then the UK, USA and beyond.
Australia and the world will be a better place if such a progressive media network was created.
