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Four ways to help promote citizen engagement and participation

By Russ Grayson - posted Monday, 11 August 2003


The idea gained credence in Australia but its home was the UK where it was popularised by a section of the Left that promoted the notion of "workplace democracy". Why, when society claims to be democratic, should the workplace remain feudal and authoritarian in structure?

Lucas Aerospace appears to be the place where this notion had greatest influence but by the end of the decade the idea appears to have lost its momentum. Little has been heard of this attempt to widen participation in everyday life since.

The media should encourage participation, not passivity

The media has a critical role to play in boosting civic participation. Through the media flows the information that integrates society and provides a sense of community and commonality. But to achieve this, journalists, editors and media proprietors will have to bypass some existing media attitudes and try new approaches.

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One of these attitudes is the role of the news media as provider of a "record of events" in society. This view has less credibility today, however it retains some influence and suggests that the media is a passive mirror reflecting society back to itself. It ignores the reality that the process of news selection and concepts such as "newsworthiness" constitute agenda-setting.

A media supportive of civic participation would acknowledge this fact. It would admit that the news media, in giving prominence to the priorities of government and other dominant influences on public thinking, largely sets the public discourse. Having admitted this, the media could then set up its own processes to garner public opinion and to help the public take a more active and influential civic role.

For journalists and editors, it would be a challenge to report the point of view of the ordinary citizen and not fall prey to the unrepresentative, the crackpots and spokespeople for lobby groups.

This would be difficult because the voice of the professional, politician and "expert" is dominant in public discourse on account of their training or position within organisations. Likewise, the opinions of lobby groups and think-tanks get probably more media exposure than warranted because lobbies represent a sizeable body of community opinion or because they have gained public influence as the purveyors of some presently-popular theory. Editors see them as credible and it is on this that their prominence rides. The Institute for Public Affairs and Centre for Independent Studies, for example, have achieved a sometimes disproportionate influence in public affairs and dominate the media debate. Ordinary people do not get a look in.

A better journalism

There is a solution that would be worth trying by those media organisations wanting a fresh approach to newsworthiness and news gathering. It is called "civic journalism" and, like other elements of democracy, is messy to implement.

Put simply, civic journalism brings citizens together around a particular issue by setting up structures within which they can deliberate without domination by lobby groups, vociferous individuals, bureaucrats or institutions. It is a learning experience for all but it relies on media organizations being willing to meet the costs of establishing the process and making available space of time to fully report the deliberations.

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For media organisations, there is nothing to lose but their preconceived notions of newsworthiness. At best, the outcome would be increased circulation or audience. At least, the press and electronic media would be seen as more credible by its critics.

Regional and local media are particularly well placed to conduct civic journalism because of their closeness to their readership or audience.

Four proposals for a participatory sociaety

  1. Create niches for participation: business, government and community-based organizations can identify high-yield niches in which stakeholders could find a valid role and participate in the life of the institution. In local government, participation in civic decision-making that supplements the role of elected representatives would have to provide input for those put off by the loud voices found in local government precinct committees and the like.
  2. Professionals and bureaucrats might assume the role of "advisors" in participatory processes: if they really want citizens to have a say in the governance or their neighbourhoods, then time and resources must be set aside to facilitate this.
  3. Make an informed choice between consultation and participation and do not mistake one for the other; both have a valid role in civil society and in government; the wisdom comes in deciding which is appropriate.
  4. A proactive and socially-positive role for media: civic journalism is an approach in needing of trailing in Australia; it offers a sense of influence and belonging to participants and an innovative and new role for media organizations; for journalists and editors, civic journalism offers the development of new skills.

Civil democracy is needed more than anywhere in decision-making that affects quality of life and the liveability of the places where citizens reside. Used poorly, it is likely to become dominated by the socially adept and manipulative. Used creatively and supported by civic journalism, civic democracy can be restored.

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About the Author

Russ Grayson has a background in journalism and in aid work in the South Pacific. He has been editor of an environmental industry journal, a freelance writer and photographer for magazines and a writer and editor of training manuals for field staff involved in aid and development work with villagers in the Solomon Islands.

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