Critically evaluate the communication activities of media advisers and assess the value of the profession for democracies like Australia..
Option 1: Despite their prevalence in Western democracies, media advisers are at times dismissed as merely ‘spin doctors’ who seek to manipulate public opinion for short-term political gain (see McKnight, 2016; Hobbs, 2017, Tiffen, 2017). Critically evaluate the communication activities of media advisers and assess the value of the profession for democracies like Australia. Option 2: Grunig and Hunt (1984, pp. 215-216) argued that ‘at its purest, lobbying means providing sufficient data to a legislature so that all the facts can be known before a vote is cast’. Such dialogue is often welcomed by government officials, as it provides valuable industry information to legislators and it can potentially lead to better policy decisions. However, some lobby groups have shown a willingness to use their resources to win arguments against policy-makers which might not be in the public interest. Discuss the role of lobbying in a democracy, assessing specific practices and their efficacy. Option 3: Cambridge Analytica Ltd (CA) was a British political consulting firm which used “big data” and social media for political campaigning and have been credited with helping Donald Trump win the US federal election in 2016. However, using micro-targeting for political communication is not new, with both of Australia’s major political parties using their own electoral data bases for campaigning activities. Analyse the effectiveness of micro-targeting and the use of big data for contemporary political public relations. Option 4: As a one-party state, China does not hold national elections to determine its leadership. However, it still uses political communication strategies and tactics to maintain support and foster social unity. Critically assess the different communication strategies and tactics used in China, assessing their consequences and ethical foundations. Option 5: In their book, New Power, Heimans and Timms (2018) argue that social networking technologies are altering the dominant power structures in society, giving rise to new forms of collective action. They contend that “new power” is peer-driven and participatory and that it flows like “a current” that surges as a result of the purposeful actions of networked and affiliated individuals. What exactly is new and influential in the concept of “new power” and is it a force that can be used by political public relations practitioners? Discuss. Option 6: Moffitt (2016) argues that “populism today has changed and developed from its earlier iterations, embedded as it is within a rapidly shifting political and media communications landscape,” (p.3). Drawing on contemporary examples, critically evaluate the role of communication and performance strategies in the success of populist politicians.