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Rethinking news media and local government: journalism, politics and symbolic power
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.
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Journal
Australian journalism reviewVolume
38Article number
1Pagination
5 - 17Publisher
Journalism Education & Research Association of AustraliaLocation
Bathurst, N.S.W.ISSN
0810-2686Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal articleCopyright notice
2016, Journalism Education & Research Association of AustraliaUsage metrics
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