There is now no doubt that extreme fringes in Australia have become more emboldened. This is being driven by a few things, growing inequality being top of the list.
But a very close second is the profit-driven model of commercial media – including digital media platforms owned by ‘big tech’. In a chase for more clicks which leads to more dollars, media outlets have handed extremists the microphone. They don’t care that they’ve normalised hate and extreme views, all they care about is the bottom line. Well they’ve certainly hit rock bottom.
Violent or degrading hate speech is now even common among politicians. For the past two years at least politicians have been ratcheting up their language trying to outdo each other; trying to grab that news headline and see how far they can go, how much they can get away with.
Last month in federal parliament we saw one MP – very emphatically – call for two other politicians to be “stoned in the square”.
Another political party approved an obscene video mocking a colleague’s medical condition. That same political party in 2024 produced another cartoon depicting our prime minister and a former Victorian premier being mowed down by an SUV.
While politicians need to check their speech all media outlets and platforms also need to examine their role in this escalation. Many of them, most of them, fuel the problem by amplifying the voices of rage, hatred and violence. Do we need to regulate social media in order to curb the harm being caused? Absolutely. And while we’re at it let’s change Australia’s media ownership laws so that we’re not being brainwashed by three or four billionaires. Billionaires do NOT have your best interests at heart.
In fact, all of us have a role to play. We all need to check our behaviour, draw a line in the sand, and refuse to amplify the voices and forces of hate.
Don’t reward those who profit from hate and violence. Don’t click on stories about political figures who fuel hate and violence. Don’t ‘share’ them. Don’t comment on stories about divisive politicians. Don’t encourage media to give them a microphone.
Yes, a democracy must have ‘freedom of speech’ but freedom of speech doesn’t mean taking away someone else’s freedom to live without violence.
In a functioning democracy everyone should have a right to a safe and secure home, clean drinking water and fresh air, affordable food, and the ability to walk the streets in safety regardless of their political views, gender, nationality, ability, or religion.
Regardless of any politician’s political leaning, if they try to erode any of these rights by using language that emboldens others to abuse and threaten people then middle Australia needs to step up and call it out. Punish media and platforms where it hurts most. The hip pocket.
Morally bankrupt politicians rise to power when too many good people decide to say or do nothing.
