Digital media and local democracy: news media, local governments and civic action

The study of digital media and political action must consider variations in media ecologies to account for the ways in which contextually specific circumstances influence the character of local democratic participation. This article argues for this need by synthesising the disconnected literatures on Australian communications infrastructures, municipal governments and local news media. It reveals uneven levels of connectivity, restricted digital government practices and a decreasing capacity of local newsrooms and journalists to cover local politics. These problems coalesce to create risks of ill-informed citizenries, illegitimate local decision making, and minimally accountable local governments. This situation contributes to the democratic marginalisation of communities, with political power remaining embedded within the hierarchal decision making system of Australian local government.