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In recent times cultural policy issues seem to have developed something of a profile in Federal politics, with the Department of the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories (DASET) releasing a major discussion paper, The Role of the Commonwealth in Australia's Cultural Development (April 1992), and Prime Minister Keating arguing that there are strong links between cultural development and Australia's economic recovery (Weekend Australian, 11- 12 July 1992, p. 3). Add to this the work of Donald Home's "Ideas for Australia" seminars, and the regular high profile lobbying efforts of bodies such as Arts Action Australia, and it becomes clear that cultural issues are gradual ly finding a more significant place on the national agenda. However, what is often not at all clear in this discussion of a cultural revival, is whether all the talk is about culture in general (Raymond Williams' notion of culture as "a whole way of life"), or is in fact limited to those practices which commonly fall under the heading of "the arts". The DASET discussion paper is primarily focussed upon those areas of activity that fall within the responsibility of the Commonwealth Arts portfolio- the arts, film and cultural heritage. There are also clear links to aspects of broadcasting policy- an area that falls under the control of the economic and technological high-flyers in the Department of Transport and Communications (DOTAC). But, as Stuart Cunningham has noted, DOTAC, while higher in the bureaucratic pecking order, is not known for its sensitive handling of cultural matters ("A Tale of Two Cultures", Communications Update, September 1992, pp 10-11).
A split between "the arts" and "mass media" is also apparent in the emerging academic field of... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline