Prof. David Flint: Who controls the Mainstream Media?

SUMMARY:
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I was genuinely riveted by Professor David Flint’s talk on who really controls the mainstream media in Australia. Flint — with a long career in law, broadcasting regulation and as national convener of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy — lays out a clear, sharp case about the duty of the press, the various models of media ownership and what happens when that duty is abandoned. He revisits historic moments (even invoking Stanley Baldwin and the press in the abdication era), quotes the famous line “Comment is free, but facts are sacred,” and contrasts how courts seek truth with the limits faced by journalists. Flint calls out the blurring of comment and fact, gives practical examples like talk radio (2GB) and commercial networks, and warns about the social consequences of surrendering rigorous reporting. This is an essential watch for anyone worried about media bias, press ethics and who really holds influence over public opinion in Australia — informative, provocative and delivered with the authority you’d expect from a seasoned academic and regulator.

RUMBLE DESCRIPTION:
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Watch Professor David Flint unpack a crucial question for our times: who controls the mainstream media in Australia? With decades of experience as an academic, media regulator and public voice, Flint takes the audience through three clear strands — the duty of a responsible press, the different models of media ownership and control that have emerged, and the consequences when that duty is abandoned.

Flint starts with the classic injunction that the press must seek “the most correct intelligence of the events of the time” and reminds us of the old journalistic maxim, “Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” He contrasts the powers of courts to investigate and subpoena with the constraints on journalists, and warns how too many outlets now blur reporting and opinion. Using historical references (Stanley Baldwin, Lord Beaverbrook) and modern examples (commercial talk radio such as 2GB), he maps how media influence operates in practice and how different ownership and regulatory models shape public discourse.

This is a clear, no-nonsense presentation — part history lesson, part media ethics lecture and part call to action. If you care about press freedom, accuracy in reporting and who shapes the national conversation, Flint’s analysis is essential viewing. Leave your thoughts below, share with mates who follow news and media, and let’s discuss how Australia can rebalance responsibility and independence in our media landscape. Subscribe for more talks and panel recordings from our series.

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