Power Elites and the Politics of Spin

Politicians and observers alike watch with growing dismay the cynicism that pervades the Australian electorate today in response seemingly to any political initiative, regardless of its merit and from whatever side of the political spectrum it may originate. All too frequently, government announcements are dismissed as just more ‘spin’. Meantime, the party faithful despair that their hard-won platforms have taken a back seat to their elected leaders’ media strategies; that courting the media has become more important than (or synonymous with?) serving the public interest. Through a series of interviews with the behind-the-scenes players in the telling of one media event – the introduction of the Northbridge curfew in Perth, Western Australia - Karin Mac Arthur provides an excellent analysis of the interplay between politics and the media, adding immeasurably to the debate about the role these power elites can play in manipulating public opinion and perpetuating racial prejudice.