GetUp ran a short, sharp campaign to remind the Coalition that selling the ABC could be politically stupid. But can it raise its social media boxing gloves to defend public broadcasting against more insidious attacks?
Every so often the spectre of privatisation rears its spooky head in relation to Australia’s public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS. Most recently, the spectre was bashed and banished – at least temporarily – when independent advocacy group GetUp! orchestrated a huge publicity campaign to raise awareness that Victorian Liberal party was planning to propose privatisation at its State Liberal Party Conference. The motion, which was going to be voted upon on 25 May at the Melbourne Convention Centre, stated that public ownership was “not compatible with Coalition policies” and that the ABC and SBS were unable to fulfil their charters or satisfy their constituents.
