Why do some problems attract national attention and others pass without comment? Why do governments fail to solve some visible problems, while addressing others that are virtually invisible? This chapter attempts to shed further light on the important, and difficult, policy question discussed in Chapter 6: how is the policy agenda set, and by whom? Chapter 6 focused on the role of language and discourse; this chapter focuses on the role of the media, and the interaction between policy makers and the media. This focus on the media does not mean that the media is essential to the development and implementation of policy, but it does reflect the significant, and growing, importance of the media and the increasingly symbiotic relationship that is developing between the media and government.

While those in power are rarely forthright about their relationship with the media, those who have retired are sometimes more forthcoming. For example, Bruce Hawker, the chief of staff to former NSW Premier Bob Carr, provides the following perspective:

He goes on to say: