A recent opinion piece argues that the United States' grievance-based media model, which thrives on outrage and polarisation, is fundamentally ill-suited to the Australian media landscape. The author contends that Australia's different media consumption habits, political culture, and regulatory environment make such a model ineffective and potentially harmful.
Key Differences in Media Consumption
According to the analysis, Australians consume news differently from Americans. Australian audiences tend to favour public broadcasters like the ABC and SBS, which are mandated to provide balanced and impartial coverage. In contrast, the US market is dominated by partisan cable news networks such as Fox News and MSNBC, which actively cultivate outrage to drive viewership. The author notes that commercial news outlets in Australia, such as News Corp and Nine Entertainment, do not rely as heavily on the grievance model because the market is smaller and more regulated.
Political Culture and Polarisation
The piece highlights that Australia's political system, with compulsory voting and preferential voting, encourages consensus-building rather than polarisation. The author states, "Australia's political culture is less tribal than America's, making the grievance model less effective." Additionally, the Australian public is less receptive to hyper-partisan messaging, as evidenced by the relatively low ratings for Sky News Australia compared to its US counterparts.
Regulatory Environment
Australia's media regulatory framework also plays a role. The country has stricter rules on accuracy and impartiality, enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The author points out that "the threat of regulatory action discourages outlets from adopting the most extreme forms of grievance journalism." This contrasts with the US, where the First Amendment provides broad protections for even the most inflammatory content.
Economic Factors
The economic incentives for grievance media are weaker in Australia. The author notes that the Australian advertising market is less fragmented, and subscription-based news models have struggled to gain traction. As a result, outlets cannot easily monetise a small, highly engaged audience in the same way that US outlets can. The article cites that "only a handful of Australian news outlets have successfully implemented paywalls, and those that have rely on quality journalism rather than outrage."
Impact on Public Discourse
The piece warns that importing the US grievance model could erode trust in Australian media and institutions. It argues that "the model's focus on conflict and emotion undermines informed public debate." The author concludes that Australia should resist the temptation to mimic US media trends and instead focus on fostering a media environment that prioritises accuracy, nuance, and civic engagement.
