"Media inquiry calls for single watchdog"

This happened.
I decided to share it and wrote this on Facebook:

"Before everyone starts hurling Orwellian accusations around the place, consider the damaging deceptive slander that shitslingers Today Tonight and ACA and the like have infected our democracy with. Unregulated Obfuscation, thriving despite previous efforts (ACMA/APC). 
If this is something that can bring some integrity and honesty back into Journalism; the Fourth Estate and the life blood of a healthy democracy, I'd struggle to stand against it."

Hoping to spur some further discussion. It's a complicated issue that needs some scrutiny to be understood, meaning most people will just be ignorantly completely for it or against it.
Should be fun.

I have the feeling that media regulation is one of those polarized issues, where peoples' opinions tend to be more absolute.
Somewhat understandably as well. History is full of examples where such instances of government intervention into media has quickly turned sour, and the commonplace studies of the likes of George Orwell's works (think Animal Farm/1984) keeps such concern fresh across generations.

But the other extreme, which I guess would entail the overcrowding of media and information, isn't something the world really has experience with. People no longer struggle with finding news. Instead we struggle with knowing which news to listen to. The media circus has become a very noisy marketplace, with an abundance of vendors who will trade any sensationalist crap for our attention. Truth is a rare commodity in this information age, it's obscurity all the more assisted by a lack of demand.

I do not doubt that this cacophony of news is hindering our nation. When issues that are so important, that should be straightforward, like Climate Change, Taxing Billionaire Miners, and being compassionate to War victims, become convoluted, politicized and obscured in myths and sensationalism, how can one expect the layman to make an educated and informed vote.
When I am surrounded by thousands of megaphones, dying to indulge my preconceptions of the world, how difficult is it going to be for me to ever actually let the truth to change my mind?

In the tumult, I no longer believe that the truth will rise to the top of it's own accord. The truth is precious, heavy, full of weight. It needs to be sought after. It needs to be dug up from the ground like Gold, and people will only bother putting in that effort if there is a demand for it.


Everyone understands the risks of over-regulation in our media, but perhaps we should be a bit more cautious of the other extreme.