<amarc-1> Introduction

[Maggie Grey <maggie_grey@bond.edu.au> (by way of Bram Dov Abramson <bram@tao.ca>)]

To amarc recipients:

Hi! My name is Maggie Grey and I teach International Relations (including a
course on Global Media) at Bond University, Queensland, Australia.

Australia's TV programming is unusual in that it combines the best of
public broadcasting (2 national, 24 hr stations) with the worst of American
and Australian mainstream pulp (3 national, 24 hr channels), plus cable TV.
As an earlier Aussie mentioned, one of our public services is SBS (Special
Broadcasting Services), an excellent multicultural, multinational service
which gives a good 'liberal' coverage of global issues, states in conflict,
human rights etc plus foreign films, news etc. The problem however is that
despite Australia's undeniably mixed cultural heritage, SBS averages,
(excluding the broadcasting of World Cup soccer once every 4 years) only 6%
of the viewing audience. In other words, granting public access does not
guarantee public audiences.

The average Australian (though I think it's a global phenomenon) does not
want to watch programming on complex social and political issues.  I think
the reasons lie largely with an education system which has failed to
enthuse or stimulate the majority  of  Australian youth who are from
socially and intellectually disadvantaged groups.  By the time they leave
school, these kids are alienated from schooling and unfortunately, from the
goal of lifelong learning which strikes the 'educated' as simply
commonsense.

I am arguing (somewhat simplistically) that if we could change the
education system (and the role media play within that system), so that it
actually stimulated every student's cognitive life, not just the minds of
the elite, then the society itself (self-confident and intellectually
assured) would demand and receive access to whatever it sought.  I am also
arguing that without a decent educational grounding, all the media access
in the world, will not  change the basic injustices in society which
preordain the majority to be unintelligent, socially alienated and
dependent on consumptiom for self-expression.

Having said this, I am still very interested in the forum and the
strategies which might be devised to  improve media.

Sincerely,
Maggie Grey
Dept of International Relations
Bond University
Queensland, Australia 4229
maggie_grey@bond.edu.au
fax +61 7 5595 2545




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