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Author: Marilyn Mccoy
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Sky News vs the ABC: Two Bubbles, One Australia
Ask a regular viewer of Sky News After Dark what they think of the ABC, and you’ll likely hear about left-wing bias, taxpayer-funded propaganda, and a media organisation that has declared war on traditional Australian values. Ask a devoted ABC listener what they think of Sky News, and you’ll hear about right-wing shock jocks, Murdoch…
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In Defence of the Sensible Centre: Why Most Australians Are Already There
“Centrist” has become something of a term of abuse in Australia’s political discourse. To the far left, it signals timidity, complicity with the status quo, and a refusal to confront structural injustice. To the far right, it signals moral relativism, weak national identity, and the politics of the cosmopolitan elite. Both camps agree: the centre…
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Left vs Right: Understanding the Extremes Without Joining Them
To understand why Australia’s political debate has become so unproductive, it helps to understand what the far left and the far right actually believe — and, just as importantly, what most Australians actually think. The political spectrum is real. There are genuine, deeply held differences in values between those on the left and those on…
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The Outrage Machine: How Australian Media Profits from Dividing Us
There is a business model behind Australia’s culture wars, and it’s worth understanding before we argue about anything else. For most of the 20th century, Australian media organisations made their money through a relatively straightforward exchange: readers, viewers, and listeners paid for content (or put up with advertising) and media companies provided information and analysis.…
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