The ABC's Q&A program is a very good example of enabling audience participation through heritage media.
Last night, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy appeared on Q&A. The Internet filter trials attracted approximately 2000 questions:
It is usually the case with Q&A that particular ministers attract questions relating to their portfolios, but never has there been anything like the deluge of questions provoked by Stephen Conroy's plan for an internet filtering scheme. More than 2000 questions came in via email, SMS and from audience members, and virtually every one of them was opposed to the filtering proposal. A question from Stephen Davies on this topic kicked off a 30-minute discussion in which Stephen Conroy was challenged repeatedly to justify the filter plan.
And he couldn't get through to them enough that they were sites people shouldn't be seeing - not political ones etc - and that making the list public defeated the purpose of the list. I thought the publisher was a bit naive going into how she couldn't believe Conroy was a "Labor Minister" talking about a "blacklist", like he was a Communist or something - I think if we can't trust organisations like ACMA to shield kids, then who are we going to trust (although government's are inherently bad at carrying out such similar tasks). And I actually agreed with Andrew Bolt (for once) when he challenged her belief that those sites should be in the sphere (even if just for debate - what are people going to go check out pro-rape sites just to make sure they might not want to view it another time - I know there's a line, but surely that comes under it) ... Couldn't stop laughing at the video questioner with the Guy Fawkes pin..hilarious. Thank you for drawing people's attention to this.
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