Journalism

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-01/controversial-sky-rail-plan-going-ahead-despite-opposition/7211446

https://www.theage.com.au/victoria/16-billion-elevated-rail-project-to-replace-level-crossings-on-dandenong-line-20160206-gmnj0p.html

https://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-sky-rail-many-questions-remain-about-andrews-government-plan-20160208-gmo67k.html

https://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?sid=f17d0dca-344c-4b5f-92fd-24fb90ef9afe%40sessionmgr104&vid=0&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=P6S195664719616&db=n5h
ALR383 Lobbying, Advocacy and Public Opinion 1
ALR383 Lobbying, advocacy and public opinion
Assignment 2: Specified participation in unit ‘wiki’ 20%
Weighting: 20% (1500 words for the briefing document but you are also being assessed on your
contribution to the assignment.)
Due date: Sunday 8 May, 2016 (11.59)
Referencing: Harvard system
Use of the wiki: You will use the unit’s cloud wiki allocated to your group to plan and coordinate the
construction of a briefing document which conforms to the requirements specified below in the
assignment instructions. The briefing document will be submitted as a Word file submitted to the
Assignment 2 drop box on the unit’s cloud site.
Note the comment above regarding word count. However, via wiki activity, assessors will also be
able to make an assessment about individual group member contributions to the development of
the briefing document in the case of disagreement.
Assignment instructions
Assume you are a group of interns charged with presenting senior management with preliminary
research to address a specific issue. You may select an issue from broad categories listed below.
Note, these are not specific issues for the purpose of the assignment – you must draw on research to
identify a specific issue about which there is current policy debate or proposed regulatory change.
Current in this context means it is being considered at federal, state or local government levels in
2016 or has the potential to reignite public interest (and therefore stimulate public opinion) to raise
the issue to the point where it could receive public policy attention.
Your research will be used as the preliminary intelligence for a lobbying plan. Therefore it is to be a
high level summary which presents the essential information only.
Your briefing document must address:
1. The matter to be lobbied. The assumption is that government policy is yet to be decided or
your organisation is seeking to have legislation appealed or amended. You may choose
whether the level of government is federal, state or local (or a mix), but you must state
which level/s of government and this must be realistic given the issue selected.
2. Success/failure statement: What will be deemed a successful outcome and what is a failed
outcome? To be able to address this your group will need to decide what side of the issue
selected you are lobbying for. Your statement will make explicit your position.
3. Who are the key stakeholders (individuals and their titles, organisations) and briefly, what is
their position on the issue? You might choose to present this in table format (E.g. for;
against; undecided). Be as comprehensive as you can. Rank stakeholders for their power and
or influence (actual and potential).
4. Do you need to lobby privately and/or publicly and why? In responding to this consider also
those stakeholders who are as yet undecided. Revisit your understanding of active, aware,
latent, and non-publics. You will note this task is related to task 3 above.
ALR383 Lobbying, Advocacy and Public Opinion 2
5. Public Opinion statement: Your group is to evaluate a range of sources to arrive at an
assessment of the dominant public opinion. If opinion is divided (not uncommon) and there
is weak evidence to support a dominant opinion your statement should make this clear (you
may find it useful to designate different publics as active, aware, latent, and non-publics).
6. Nominate priority publics/stakeholders which should be targeted.
Issues
 Non-conventional energy (e.g. fracking: gas extraction from rock)
 Recycling of glass and plastics: return/deposit scheme
 Public transport spending and infrastructure in major metropolitan or regional Australia
 Higher education reforms
 Climate change
 Gambling
 Food security
 Australia’s aging population
 Mental health
 Other issues. If your group identifies an issue which you’d like to adopt for Assignment 2 and
which doesn’t fall within the broad categories above please seek permission from your tutor.
Assignment submission
1. Each group member must contribute to the assignment’s planning and preparation via their
group wiki.
2. Each group submits a professionally formatted briefing document (design and layout of your
choosing) to the group assignment drop box.
3. Groups are to use the Harvard referencing system
4. Each group will complete a group self-assessment worksheet WHICH MUST INCLUDE ALL
group member signatures. Where groups do not agree on participation allocations the Unit
Assessment Panel will review wiki contributions for: quality of contributions and regularity
of contribution. The group self-assessment sheet is located in the assignment folder.
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