Media coverage of unemployment and deficts during current election campaign

Here are two readily available segments from the flagship Australian Broadcasting Commission TV and Radio current affairs programs that I helped with on unemployment and underemployment. They also open the debate about the nonsensical positions both major parties have taken on budget deficits and public debt. Some traction at least.

Jobseekers face hard times as unemployment rises

The ABC 730 program is the leading national current affairs program on TV. This segment was meant to be aired on Wednesday but it was pushed off because they arranged last minute access to the Prime Minister. But a day later is fine especially as it coincided with the release of yesterday’s – Labor Force data.

The full transcript of the segment is available from the ABC homepage – Jobseekers face hard times as unemployment rises.

Government urged to drop surplus plans to save jobs

The second segment is from the ABC evening national radio current affairs program, PM. This segment aired last night.

The Audio in mp3 format is available – HERE.

The full transcript of the segment is available from the ABC home page – Government urged to drop surplus plans to save jobs.

I have done a lot of other media interviews in the last few weeks on the topic but usually you can only get transcripts and audio/video from these large national programs.

The point is that unemployment and the surplus obsession is starting to become an election issue. It should be THE issue given that all the rest of the policy issues flow from the way we think about the opportunities that the monetary system offers the federal government.

If we don’t understand that then the whole debate becomes perverted and nonsense pervades.

Anyway, I am back to working on our textbook now (its Friday) – see separate blog later today for update on that project.