ABSTRACT
In Australia and other countries, the perceived crisis of democratic participation and engagement has directed the attention of media and political analysts towards political media formats which explicitly set out to increase public involvement in political discourse – what the author categorizes as public participation programming (PPP). Conversations between politicians and members of the public on talkback radio can be adversarial and challenging. Historically, politicians in the mature liberal democracies were reluctant to participate in media events involving participating publics. The main public participation program on Australian TV, by audience share and influence as judged by the quantity of media coverage it frequently generates, is undoubtedly Q&A. Even seasoned politicians, blooded in the parliamentary arena of Question Time, cannot be assumed to have what it takes to be an effective contributor to Q&A. Notwithstanding the contemporary expectation of politicians that they appear on public participation formats such as Q&A, some remain hesitant, due to the high risk factor.
