The medium of television is seen as “one of the strongest cultivation agents in society.” McQuail, D. (2002).

“In the seats of influence…”

The power of media within Australia and across the world is constantly changing due to the developments in technology such as the internet, and blogs such as this. The ability to presented individual beliefs and attitudes. However, there is still much debate to who exactly influences and controls the media.

“With only one other major player in the media overall (Kerry Packer’s Consolidated Press: television and magazines), this concentration of ownership) (oligopoly) has been viewed as a major source of concern a debate in Australia for many years.”

These media barons own majority of the publications we view regularly, not to mention the influential implications they possess but it has been brought upon to investigate these multi-billionaires.
Organisations and controllers of the Media within Australia have included media barons such as Rupert Murdoch, who is now an American citizen and another, Conrad Black, who is Canadian. This then raises the issue of what Australians are subjected to, but this also is an alarming thought that these two media barons aren’t even Australian.

“The whole media in Australia now relies on PR, not necessarily just private consultants but also the handouts from government departments, community organisations and everything else” as stated in Media Realities.

The repercussions of this can be explored by theorist McQuail in the uses and gratification theory, as he explores “what do media do to people?” It is an important component when discussing the influence and media power within Australia to acknowledge the repercussions of the media to its audiences, and as explored, the audiences of many Australians viewing current affair programs.

“…either audiences can accept media output as true to reality… or they see through the tricks the mass media play on them”. McQuail, D. (2002)