TRENDS: with Peter Lewis

An overabundance of free online content means we value it less than ever before, polling shows.

The ructions within newspaper empires Fairfax and News Limited centre on our move to online media. But while the opinion makers have written acres on the subject, it seems the general public is less concerned. Essential Media polling shows that only 25 per cent of us are concerned about the potential death of newspapers.

And our online reading habits show why. Sixty per cent of the population do not take in any daily news. Peter Lewis and the 3Q panel discuss this celebration of ignorance and its future implications.

Read more on the polling here.

TRENDS: Half Yearly Report Card

EMC Director Peter Lewis runs the ruler over the first six months of polling and comes out wondering where all the bad vibes are coming from. When politics is toxic, he argues, the progressive side of politics loses.

TRENDS: Who loves a nanny state?

Peter Lewis talks us through our love for a nanny state — as long as it doesn’t overstep the mark

The metaphorical nannies are out to control us; to mollycoddle and corrupt us; to intervene and suppress the free spirit in those of us who just want to puff on a ciggie or punt on a pokie or jump off a cliff because the other kids are doing it.

But while collectively we denounce a controlling nanny state, EMC polling shows that most of us actually like a designated grown up. Peter Lewis talks us through the details on 3Q.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3982400.html

TRENDS: Do we love the NBN?

Peter Lewis presents polling that shows public opinion is turning in favour of the $40 billion national broadband network.

Until now the NBN has been an abstract debate about national building and future proofing the economy on one hand, and a misguided venture designed purely to waste taxpayers’ money on the other. Now it’s about to shift from rhetoric to reality, with roll out plans for about a third of households and businesses released last week.

TRENDS: Are we crook or crooked?

EMC director Peter Lewis looks at the great Australian sickie.

TRENDS: What is “rich”?

Australians agree with Wayne Swan – we do have a class-based society with families on $160,000 a year considered “rich”

Creating a Climate for Change on Carbon

It’s only months until a price on carbon takes affect so here are some clues from the polling to help Labor though the difficult times ahead.