The distortion of the Australian public sphere

Australia stands out as one of the most concentrated media markets in the world and this increasing concentration has been happening for some time. Media and journalism play a vital role in supplying the public sphere with the fuel it needs: information that is in the public interest in order for citizens to be self-governing. And as is being seen in Australia and elsewhere, when the media options narrow, then the sensible political centre is readily abandoned for the partisan fringe. So what can (and should) be done? Well, it's not rocket science…