Representing the masses

 There are two threads to this story. First I was taken by Joel Jenkins post about how the corporate news media (and this includes the ABC) has become less diverse in terms of the background and social class of its workers (ie journalists and editors) leading to the creation of less authentic and less diverse public narratives, ones which tend to subscribe to the narrow range of life experience and class that represents not the masses but rather the few professionals who now drive the corporate news world.

 This is not unlike what Chomsky described in his book, Manufacturing Consent. He was talking largely about print media at the time but the process and outcomes are to my mind similar. In both cases what we end up with is less diversity in points of view, and those remaining tends to coalesce around a normative centre. It also serves the purposes of excluding from reasonable debate and discussion, a range of so-called fringe issues or points of view either by starving such discussions of oxygen (like exposure in the news) or painting outlying issues as too radical to warrant "serious" discussion.

Joel's post highlights the extent of how narrow the range of viewpoints that exists in our shallow media pool. The symbiotic relationship between the media and the current government offers no chance of critically evaluating its collective response to covid-19, instead it is quickly politicised and the base assumptions for what then becomes a ideological debate are grounded in the shared values of those creating the news and the politicians they are supposed to be holding to account. 

As an observer it is easy to see why the professional corporate media are so disdainful of the twitterazi. It's not just the threat posed to their monopoly on providing information and opinions, it also extends to actually giving those points of view which are outside their comfortable middle class bubble a platform. In short it is impossible to control the broader narrative. 

To what extent Twitter and other social platforms have contributed to the shrinking variety of perspectives in the corporate media world is unknowable. It is possible that the technological change will eventually give way to a new normal in terms of news and public debate, especially as the traditional media can easily be seen as stale and institutionalised, one that represents only a minority of actual experiences and points of view.

The second thread I want to draw on is to draw readers attention to our elected representatives. While there might appear to be some variety in personnel, the very mechanisms that create "professional" politicians, ie class, education, social networks, opportunities, etc produce a largely homogeneous blend of mostly white middle class representatives who have little in common with the majority of people living on the median wage or lower.

They may claim some sympathy with the less well off by way of historical experience (as is often the case with ppl like Albo) but the daily reality is our politicians are by and large earning way above average wages and enjoy considerable advantages ordinary people do not. Their offices may be open to the public but their votes and public uttterances are closely held by party allegiances. Like the corporate media that reports on them, they too are creatures of a small pool of interests, class and culture.

Covid-19 is a direct challenge to this orthodox arrangement. It poses serious problems for the neoliberal mindset that has taken hold in much of the normal political world. Arguably, better responses are those currently portrayed as too radical. Things like more extensive public health facilities and practices, hugely better working conditions and wages, greater social safety nets, more decentralised urban communities. It also calls into serious question longer term issues such as how to address climate change and environmental degradation. Above all, it calls on us collectively to examine the role gender plays in resisting social change. 

Instead of making things worse, as has happened socially and economically during covid, we should instead look forward to how we can make things better.

https://joeljenkins.substack.com/p/covid-19-shows-how-journalistic-class