“Oligopoly Mass Media in Australia”

 Alpiadi Prawiraningrat

From the article with the title Mass Media in Australia Politics[1] written by Janesch Dean explained the role of mass media in politics Asutralia. Aside from being a source of information, the role of the media is also associated with the ability to lead and create public opinion on certain political issues. There are interesting things from the mass media in Australia is a correlation between the mass media with politics and government more closely because oligopoly that take place there. Some critics argue that the power of the media is closely correlated with whom the media owners. Mass media in Australia is only controlled by a handful of wealthy businessmen, so it can be said that in the context of mass media ownership applies very oligopoly system .

Oligopoly mass media in Australia was growing not only because economic factors, but also political factors. Oligopoly is growing beacuse political factors such as to make television licensing to a particular company. Moreover as the kings in the Australian media establishment has been very difficult to get bullied, both in the context of the economic and political context. Examples are the two biggest and famous owners media in Australia are Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer. Not only in the Australian media magnate, both of them belong to the rulers of the world media. Oligopoly in media ownership in Australia is certainly an impact on Australian society, because that media owners and its managers have the opportunity to intervene in the news revealed by the media .

The more role of mass media in Australia when the times of elections, that majority of the mass media in Australia concentrating on political issues. In these times it can be said they play a crucial role, although not the only factor affecting the public choice in the election. Consequently the campaigners use the media to create their image in the community, so as to attract public sympathy will be even greater, especially in the constituency.

Monopoly is the great enemy of democracy. Although Australian society life has entrenched by democracy, but if the free option are limited, it is not really a democracy because democracy continuity and products directed by the holders of capital and power. While in Indonesia, although democracy not yet entrenched to the ociety life, but the news options are still variety and corporate news monopoly has not been implicated. However it should be researched news content, whether news sources are mostly contained packed news from the government and how much news coverage of the results completely independent of the journalists .

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[1] Dean Janesch.  An Introduction to Australia Politics Second Edition: Mass Media in Australia Politics (Melbourne: Longman Cheshie, 1984. Chapter 6), pp. 160-181.