The CMT completed a review of literature and research commissioned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) into two key issues in relation to news in Australia: commercial influence and impartiality. The research yielded the findings:
- There is limited recent academic Australian research on consumer attitudes to commercialisation. Where that research exists it tends to focus on sub-sets of consumers such as young people, or on particular topics of news media, such as alcohol pricing or illicit drugs.
- Journalists have been studied in much greater detail than news consumers
Findings revealed significant gaps in the research. Many of these gaps were in key areas involving the attitudes of Australian consumers, revealing the need for further work in an Australian context.
Our research side by side with other qualitative and quantitative research conducted by ACMA into consumer attitudes to news informed a discussion paper that provided a framework for public consultation on these issues.
ACMA published our research into the areas under investigation, diversity and localism, and impartiality and commercial influence on the Australian news industry. Click below to read the reports: