Task 2 - The Australian Media Industry
Conduct an investigation into either the Australian television, newspaper or radio industry. Undertake a comparative study of one commercial organisation (eg. Ch. 7, The Age, or MMM) and one public-service organization (eg. SBS, Big Issue, ABC Radio National)
Task 1
A. Compare Ownership
1. Who owns each station? (2 marks)
2. How do you think their charter/lack of charter effects their programming? (3 marks)
3. What repercussions for viewers does this have? (3 marks)
B. Compare Programming Policy:
1. Survey one week of programming on each organisation. Use attachment 1 to show record the differences. (4 marks)
2. Why do you think each station has adopted the programming approach it has? (4 marks)
C. Compare News Approach:
1. Watch two news bulletins for each of your chosen organisations.
2. Log each of the news stories and how much air time they are given. (1 mark)
3. Which news stories did each organisation see as most / least important? (2 marks)
4. Which stories did one station include that the other did not? (2 marks)
5. Why do you think there are differences? (Comparison on same day). (3 marks)
D. Compare Ratings:
- What are they and why are they important? (2 marks)
- How does each station react / respond to ratings and why? (2 marks)
- What are the top rating shows on each station during your survey period? (2 marks)
E. Compare Funding:
- What does each station need money for? (2 marks)
- Where does it come from? (2 marks)
- Considering these sources, what obligation if any, does each station have to their financiers? (2 marks)
F. Comparative Conclusion:
- Summarise the differences and comment on the intrinsic values of each of the networks (4 marks)
Task 2
Conduct an investigation media ownership and power in Australia, and the federal government’s changes to the laws governing media ownership.
1. Have the main effects in changing Australia’s Cross-Media and Foreign Ownership Laws been on the whole positive or negative? (4 marks)
2. Do you think we need more media owners or less in Australia? Why? (3 marks)
3. Do you think me need more channels on TV or less? Why? (3 marks)
Total for UNIT 2 – Outcome 3:
/ 50 Marks