Ideology, ‘truth’ and spin - Dialectic relations between the neoliberal think-tank movement and academia in Australia

Oct 15, 2026

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Australian universities face limits in shaping public policy because neoliberal think-tanks and allied media networks achieve wider influence. The article argues that neoliberal reasoning has reshaped classical ideas of individual freedom into market supremacy, including denying anthropogenic climate change. It links think-tanks, commercial and government media into an ideological coalition that “balances” public information. Universities are portrayed as lacking philosophical stance, will, and organization, requiring situational analysis, strategy, and practice changes for an effective response.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Ideology, ‘truth’ and spin

The neoliberal view Becoming liberated

Climate change

A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W Ideology,‘truth’and spin Dialectic relations between the neoliberal think-tank movement and academia in Australia Lester Thompson Southern Cross University David Wadley University of Queensland The context of contemporary universities restrains their ability to drive public policy. Yet, currently, they confront the relative success of a global network of neoliberal institutes, referred to as think-tanks, promoting freedoms derived from particular ideologies. Neoliberal reasoning has so moulded classical ideas of individual freedom into a radical hegemony of market supremacy that, in one application, it discounts scientific acknowledgement of anthropogenic climate change and seeks to deny its existence. This article links think-tanks, commercial and government media within a neoliberal alliance, which aims to ‘balance’ public information through ideological promulgations. It further contends that, largely of their own making, universities lack the philosophical positioning, will and the organisation effectively to meet this challenge. Situational analysis, strategy formulation and changes to practice are required before any meaningful response can be contemplated. Keywords: neoliberalism, think-tanks, public policy, academia, hegemony The neoliberal view Becoming liberated Some years ago, Pierre Bourdieu (2003, p. 21) reflected that academia, was a failing ‘edifice of critical thought’ and‘in need of reconstruction’. He saw a global hegemony of neoliberal ideas emerging largely unscathed by critique from these increasingly isolated enclaves. Reflecting Bourdieu’s concerns, academia’s apparent irrelevance in Australian policy-making emerged when the 2013-15 Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, addressed the neoliberal Institute of Public Affairs’ (IPA) 70th Anniversary Dinner. He acknowledged the dominance of partisan information sources and the ascendency of conservative agendas by arguing that: Rupert Murdoch is probably the Australian who has most shaped the world through the 45 million newspapers that News Corp sells each week and [through] the 76 Ideology, ‘truth’and spin Lester Thompson & David Wadley one billion subscribers to News-linked programming.… He’s never changed his fundamental principles …[regarding] greater personal responsibility, smaller government, fewer regulations and support for open societies ... Rupert Murdoch is a corporate citizen of many countries, but above all else, he’s one of us. Most especially ... he’s a long-serving director of the IPA, as was his ... celebrated father, Sir Keith. (Abbott, 2013a) Though liberal post-Enlightenment thought elevates empiricism over doctrine,Murdoch evidences his editorial influence and supports his media’s role both in agendasetting on economic ideas (Karoly et al., 2012; McKnight 2013a; Denniss, 2015; Monbiot, 2016) and in disputing the academic consensus on climate change (McKnight, 2013b; Manne, 2013) . In light of bio-physical and growth issues, and impacts on public beliefs (Garnaut Institute, 2011; Dunlap & McCright, 2008; Hmielowski, et al., 2014), this article examines neoliberal dissemination with reference to Murdoch’s 59 per cent share of the Australian vol. 59, no. 1, 2017 A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W print market (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) FactCheck, 2013) . In contrast to this powerful ideational project, a disparate and self-critical academic world is seen, on one hand, to be bound up in complex and sometimes incomprehensible ideas (Hmielowski et al., 2014, p. 867) . On the other, and despite the efforts of individual academics, it appears organisationally unable to match the impact of the think tanks.The case is examined in the domain of climate change. Climate change The divergence between ideological advocacy and reliably-evidenced approaches comes into sharp relief regarding the health of the global environment, since

FAQs

How do neoliberal think-tanks influence public policy compared with universities?

The article argues that contemporary universities are constrained in driving public policy, while think-tanks succeed through ideological promotion and media alliances that shape information flows.

What does the article claim about neoliberalism and market supremacy?

It contends neoliberal reasoning has transformed ideas of individual freedom into a hegemony of market supremacy, including actions that discount or deny scientific recognition of anthropogenic climate change.

Why is climate change used as the main case domain in the article?

The divergence between ideological advocacy and reliably evidenced approaches is described as sharpest in the global environment, highlighted through studies and survey findings about human-caused climate warming.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben