WEEK 6

Today was the first part in a two part series on different types of media. For the lecture today the focus was ‘commercial’ media, while the following week will look at ‘public’ media. Commercial media is primarily funded by advertising and sponsors as opposed to government funding; typical examples are commercial channels such as channel 7 and 9, Fairfax/News ltd newspapers and commercial radio stations like Nova and B105.  Dr Redman gave a frank account of the reasons why commercial media exists, outlining that advertisers are the real customers of these ventures, not the public. 

An interesting question raised by Dr Redman in the lecture was the role of commercial media in a democratic society: can companies that exist on the basis of making money also act to serve the public interest?  Redman gave no definite answers to this question, but I could sense some doubt in his demeanour.  My own personal belief is no: It seems that the reporting on Fox News and Sky TV consistently convey a right wing agenda that serve Rupert Murdoch’s own political interests.

Dr Redman succeeded in creating an enjoyable lecture out of a topic that easily could have been bland and yawn-inducing.  I found particularly entertaining John McManus’s blunt assessment of commercial media as corrupt, lacking quality, and where profits over-ride responsibility, as well as Professor Bromley’s follow up quote which conveyed a similar opinion.  Next week’s lecture on Public media should be very interesting.