Rethinking news media and local government: journalism, politics and symbolic power
Hess, Kristy and Waller, Lisa 2016, Rethinking news media and local government: journalism, politics and symbolic power, Australian journalism review, vol. 38, Article number : 1, pp. 5-17.
Attached Files
Name
Description
MIMEType
Size
Downloads
Title
Rethinking news media and local government: journalism, politics and symbolic power
Journalism Education & Research Association of Australia
Place of publication
Bathurst, N.S.W.
Publication date
2016-12-10
ISSN
0810-2686
Summary
This essay explores why the relationship between news media and local government has been of little interest in journalism studies, especially in the Australian context. We argue that the reasons are complex but can be traced to issues of symbolic recognition and legitimacy. An overview of local government and news media in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand grounds the discussion in journalism and democratic theory. We draw on Bourdieu’s tradition of field-based research and theories of media power to highlight the important role 19th-century newspapers played in the establishment of municipalities. We then argue that local government’s omission from the Australian Constitution relates to issues of legitimacy and recognition that are reflected in the wider field of power and perpetuated within journalism practice and scholarship. Finally, practitioner perspectives and contemporary research underline the need for critical engagement and inquiry that recognise the fundamental importance of news and politics closest to the people.
Language
eng
Indigenous content
off
Field of Research
190301 Journalism Studies 1903 Journalism And Professional Writing 2001 Communication And Media Studies
Socio Economic Objective
970119 Expanding Knowledge through Studies of the Creative Arts and Writing
Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that permission has been obtained for items included in DRO. If you believe that your rights have been infringed by this repository, please contact drosupport@deakin.edu.au.