Sideshow: The Dumbing Down of Democracy

There is much more to this book. It has been a great eye- opener and stimulus for thought.

Having said that, the book raises many questions.

What has Tanner done to improve things? He was part of the Rudd-Gillard Governments. How much did these governments make the media more intelligent? Lately, stupid, screaming, loud advertisements seem to infest almost any program. Advertisements for gambling infest sporting programs, and the action taken against them has been minimal. Little if anything has been done to cut down on fast food advertisements in the afternoons and early evenings, when kids are watching in large numbers. The number of advertisements needs to be monitored. It seems to me that guidelines are being exceeded. Media moguls tell us all what to do, too much of the time.

ABC radio and TV provide some small respite from all this. Yet they are not safe from infection. ABC showed repeated advertisements for a series on The Kennedys, which was trashy and offered few new insights. ABC FM Classic is being slowly pushed down market. It was once the preserve of classical music. Now jazz, rock, folk, and any old stuff is being served up, doubtless to increase ratings.

SBS has been dumbed down for some time, as I wrote in an earlier article in Online Opinion. Cooking shows are cheap, and they have multiplied without cease. SBS can’t resist the allure of sensationalism. At its best it provides great shows and some intellectual content. But the advertising that crept in during the Howard era is being allowed to increase. The long-term trend is downwards.

In sum, Tanner’s book is excellent reading. It’s just a pity he couldn’t do more to lessen the evils he describes.