Political Media management, Control, and Trust in a Hybrid Media Environment

This chapter examines the nature and consequences of using political media management tools to extend control in a hybrid media system and the impact it can have on perceptions of trust from the public, political journalists, and the party room. It assesses the case of the leadership and media management style of former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature into professionalization and centralization of political media management, trust, journalist source relations and political PR, and analyzing a range of primary sources, it generates important lessons for practitioners and academics about the potential negative impact of over-extending control and centralization on organizational reputation and public trust.