DISCUSSION PAPER: Australia’s public broadcasters

CONTENTS I. Introduction II. Protecting the public interest by safeguarding independence – Removing board appointments from direct government control – Diminishing direct government control over PBS funding III. Spending public money efficiently and accountably: without reducing quality or stifling innovation – Reducing administrative overheads – Combating managerialism – Audience Consultation – Youth and Generational change – Drama – History – Documentary – Digital TV IV. New ways of looking at public broadcasting – An agent … more

INTRODUCTION: Ideas for an Australian media policy

As citizens in a democracy we rely on the media to scrutinise the actions and decisions of those in power. We therefore need media that is independent and diverse; capable of putting the public interest above the interests of media owners — whether those owners are governments or shareholders. As members of the ‘imagined community’ we call Australia, we also need the media to provide spaces of national conversation: communication channels through which Australians in … more

Reclaiming Our Common Wealth

Reclaiming our Common Wealth: policies for a fair and sustainable future calls for the development of public policy based on Australia’s long term interests and values. Calling on all Australian politicians to re-think the way they develop public policy, Reclaiming our Common Wealth argues that the short-term thinking of the election cycle is damaging Australia’s long-term interests. We need a new approach to policy development based on consistent principles, underpinned by enduring values. In recent … more