Conclusion: Putting the Public First

Abstract

The post-war government communications service lacks public accountability and as a separate service-within-a-service leaves those in leadership positions vulnerable and easily suppressed. After 1997 a new semi-official layer of media intermediaries was introduced without on-going scrutiny, training or effective sanction, and without recognising the news management role of ministers through their special advisers. The government’s public communication function lacks explicit public purposes and over-serves the needs of ministers, especially the Prime Minister, while under-serving the needs of the public. How can institutional arrangements become more aligned with publics and more democratically accountable? What should be done to ensure a consistently credible and trusted public communication function that learns from failure rather than repeats it, and can respond to the global and local challenges ahead?