Opinion

Is it the media, politicians or consumer who’s to blame for today’s vanilla politics?

patrick o'beirneWhile many bemoan the lack of personalities in state and federal politics, Patrick O’Beirne asks whether it’s the product of the 24-hour news cycle or the media habits of consumers.

At a Melbourne Press Club  function on the eve of the Victorian state election, The Australian’s local bureau chief Chip Le Grand asked Premier Denis Napthine where the charisma has gone in Victorian politics.

The Premier, straying from his well-rehearsed script of policy commitments, shot back. Hard. “Where has the charisma gone?…I would ask you to look in the mirror. I think one of the reasons why there is perhaps a lack of charisma or lack of fun in politics is because of the coverage.”

There’s not one single solution to the often underwhelming quality of political discourse in Australia. Is it the absence of true political leadership or even a sense of statesmanship from media representatives? Or the lack of a vision we can all embrace that fuels the public’s apathy towards our political representatives? Perhaps so. But there are other things we might consider  when thinking about how our pollies and the media can raise the standard of political dialogue, underpinned by a stronger focus on policy rather than personality.

The first consideration is structural. Like many large, long-term problems it’s only the major overhaul of entrenched systems that can enable meaningful change. Three layers of government in Australia means we make many political appointments from what is arguably a shallow talent pool. Could it be time to dust off the drafts for political reform and usher in a two-tier system of government, ensuring only the best and brightest earn the privilege of power?

The second approach focuses on political communications and while it’s more tactical, it would certainly have immediate effect: don’t feed the beast.

Political parties – sitting or otherwise – have an opportunity to drive the agenda by deciding how to run their media relations. The 24-hour news cycle, live news channels and social media have created a habit of putting someone up repeatedly each day, feeding more “he said-she said” coverage that lacks substance and analysis. The Federal Coalition Government tried this in its first year of term but seems to have fallen victim again to the insatiable thirst for the six-second sound bite.

There’s also the option of bypassing the beast. Increasingly corporates and sporting bodies are turning to ‘owned’ channels to communicate to their audiences directly. If used in equal measure with good media and stakeholder engagement, the ‘corporate newsroom’ is an extremely effective way to get one’s story across by provoking ideas, driving debate and influencing outcomes.

Just as critical is the need to get cut-through with your audience by applying more creative methods of engagement. There’s a range of ways to ensure the media reports important matters, even if they’re not considered newsworthy by current news values. Changing the messenger, creating a coalition of concerned allies, using research to add depth to an issue and giving a platform to the voting public to raise issues are just a few.

Unlike Denis Napthine, I don’t point the finger entirely at the media for shallow reporting of key matters or for the lack of gravitas and vision among our political leaders. Indeed, there are plenty of commentators who do swim against the tide when it comes to promoting discussion on the issues that matter.

Instead, perhaps it’s us – the general public – who should take more responsibility for what our media serves up. We buy and subscribe to the media that reports frivolously, and we put up with the dumbing down of issues of strategic importance to our nation.

If the customer is always right, and if vanilla politics is the order of the day, maybe we should look in the mirror to see who’s ultimately responsible.

Patrick O’Beirne is managing director of Haystac ANZ

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.