Annotate this.

Greer, C. (2007). News media, victims and crime. In P. Davies et al (Eds.), Victims, crime and society (pp. 20-49). London: Sage Publications.

The chapter ‘News Media, Victims and Crime’ by Chris Greer from the book ‘Victims, Crime and Society’ outlines how news outlets select victims of crime to cover from certain criteria and news values, selecting which will be ‘newsworthy’. This chapter and the entire text itself are highly credible, referencing such outlets as the Oxford University Press and Journal of Criminal Justice to validate its claims. As Chris Greer has been specifically selected to construct this chapter, the content can be heavily relied on as he specialises in this area. This text describes the ‘ideal victim’ as one who is given the legitimate status of being an innocent victim, as influenced by class, race and ethnicity. This is true as the concept of ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’ is present in the Courier Mail article, and the Westside News article stresses that she was a common mother. Greer notes that crime reporting is “highly selective” and that “violence is constructed [in the media] as ‘random’” or “the intentional acts of evil folk”. This is the case in the Courier Mail article, which puts forward the issue solely as a violent tragedy. While the ABC has also ‘selected’ the issue, the reporting is less constructed and more educational. News values of drama and violence are described by Greer and being newsworthy, which again is true for the Courier Mail article. He also notes that crime stories are “selected and ‘produced’… on the basis of visual and lexical-verbal potential.” The Westside News exploits such potential, including many images of Baden-Clay and using affecting language. ‘News Media, Victims and Crime’ highlights commercial media and effectively describes the behavior of news media, especially that of the Courier Mail and Westside News articles.

Crane, K. (2012, May 18). Hearts brake for Allison. The Courier Mail. Retrieved from http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/hearts-break-for-allison/story-fn6ck45n-1226359318441

This newspaper article outlines how the public has responded to the death of Brookfield mother Allison Baden-Clay. In this way, it is credible, as the author Kris Cane of the Courier Mail has acknowledged that a desired response for this type of journalism has been achieved. The author notes that the issue has “struck a chord with the public”, and includes dialogue from Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson describing that it is a case of “…significant public interest.” This response is attributed to the fact that Baden-Clay is “… a true victim.” Although the article has been sourced to an in-house reporter, the context means that the content is at risk of tabloidisation, due to the existing tragedy news value held by this newspaper. This does occur, as highly expressive language such as “tragic story”, “heartbreaking” and “…a tearful service” is utilized. This sways the audience to feel emotional as well, and in turn increase the public interest. The contradiction between recognizing the society’s response and manipulating it to generate further interest is common to tabloid newspapers such as the Courier Mail. Mediums such as television similarly exploit the public’s reaction. Conversely, it is evident that the ABC’s article ‘Police confirm body is missing Brisbane woman’ presents purely the facts with limited emotion, so as to inform but not position the audience.

Police confirm body is missing Brisbane woman. (2012, May 2). ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-01/police-confirm-body-is-missing-brisbane-woman/3983398

This story illustrates the events of the Baden-Clay’s disappearance leading up to the discovery of her body. No specific author is recognised, but the ABC is a trusted news organisation for credible content, and the online medium means that any new updates can quickly be applied so that the information is correct. The article approaches the story from a strictly informative angle by using as few emotive terms as possible, with “…sparking a major search” being the most expressive phrase throughout. Initially, Baden-Clay is referred to as a “woman”, and not a “mother” as some tabloid publications have used, to minimise any emotional attachment the audience may form. The professionalism of the ABC paired with the online medium means that the information is presented in short, succinct sentences. Again, this means that only the facts are offered and eliminates unnecessary emotive language. Most of the content is credible, although the article notes that “… it was reported that a sim card had been found” but does not attribute any source. Despite this, the story is covered more professionally than most tabloid newspapers and commercial news television stations. When compared to the article ‘Unrelenting stream of tributes’ from Westside News, it is obvious that the level of reporting from the ABC’s story is much more information-focused, without an agenda to emotionally engage the audience.

Unrelenting stream of tributes. (2012, May 16). Westside News, p. 5.

This local story summarises the outcomes of Allison Baden-Clay’s death, mainly spotlighting the memorials that have been erected in her honour. No author is specified, and the source, Westside News, is not particularly credible due to its very local focus and the existing agenda to appeal to local audiences and maintain a readership. This article, rather than present new and significant developments on the issue, lingers on the memory of Baden-Clay. While mentioning the “tragic events” of the past weeks, it describes the location of her body’s discovery, where a small shrine of flowers now exists, as a “much more sombre location”. The article uses highly emotive terms to position the readership to view the publication as a family-focused, ‘loving’ local newspaper. It says that Baden-Clay’s “memory is destined to live on… long after the flowers have wilted” and, as opposed to the ABC’s strictly informative description of her, refers to her as a “much-loved mother”. While the content of the article is credible, the manner of its presentation is unnecessary to provide the information required and adheres to the medium’s tendency to glorify local events. In contrast, the Courier Mail article ‘Hearts brake for Allison’ uses similar language, but emphasises the tragedy rather than the legacy, and concedes that it is doing this.

Suspicion is on my agenda.

In our JOUR1111 lecture this week the idea that we were being told exactly what we like and what's good to like in the media was simply reinforced. In a bleak turn of events, I found out about agenda settings in journalism.

Reality bites. But these bites are socially constructed and mediated through shared language. That is, we simply perceive these bites! Very deep.

There are a few agendas in journalism. There's public agenda - what we, the public, perceive as important (keeping in mind this is also dictated for us). Then there's policy agenda, which the decision makers reckon are important, and corporate agenda, and finally media agenda. In a tangle of perception versus reality, these four agendas are interrelated.

Media isn't just (badly) reporting reality, they're also shaping and filtering it. Cheeky bastards.

In 1922 Walter Lippman proposed a theory - that public opinion is formulated from the creation of images of events in our mind. Propaganda and the power of images substitute on social pattern for another and we end up relying on images as opposed to critical thinking. Remember that birthday party you thought was awesome, with memories of fun slides and cake? But no one reminds you of how the bee stung you! That's how the media injects direct influence to set the agenda.

Agendas can manifest themselves in various forms. Media gate-cutting describes how individuals themselves control the flow of messages through a communication channel to expose it, and even these issues are often (surprise surprise) chosen by the media.

Agenda cutting is quite crafty, and not the awesome kind involving pipe cleaners and Clag. Not even close. While the media can't just blatantly lie (we assume), most of the truth isn't represented. Less coverage means that an issue is less cared about, which is the Beibs' claim to fame.

Then there's agenda surfing - the bandwagon effect. Personally I don't like wagons, but apparently existing public opinions do influence others towards that opinion. I still don't like wagons.

While media dependence can often mean an individual is more easily influenced, I'm stubborn enough that even my hours on Facebook and Twitter mean I'm always scoffing at what the news has to say.

So while my agenda involves cleaning my room, shopping for party supplies and redecorating my wall, media's agenda involves sneakily nudging you toward a certain opinion, quietly enough that you think it's your own.

So if you think my humour's tacky, you're being fooled. The world just WANTS you to think it's poor when really I'm a literary genius. Good day.

Loch Leporine.

While unicorns are nice, they're overdone.

Narwhals, they're different. Not many people know what their deal is, let alone what they are. Hell, I've even known a few delinquents who refused to believe they weren't a mythical beast and claimed that National Geographic's footage of their migration was a 'hoax' (it's okay, they go to Griffith now). 

And while they may sometimes be referred to as the 'unicorns of the sea', that impressive tusk isn't even on their head. They should be the rabbits of the sea, as it's one giant tooth, that protrudes through their upper lip and extends for up to few metres... a tad off-putting, but hey, they're kinda cute.

Sometimes it seems like whatever's roaming around on the land, there's a seaworthy equivalent. The landlubber cow has its dugong counterpart, lizards get large and lakey as crocodiles, and some scientists claim that even humans descended from an 'aquatic ape', hence our love and relative ease for swimming. I think I never received the swimming gene though.

So what's triggered all my evolutionary thinking all of a sudden? My notebook has a unicorn sticker on it. And while unicorns might not exist, the sticker also says I'm a "groovy chick", and that's certainly no lie.

My thrifty grandma would be shocked at such bad value.

My JOUR1111 lecture this week was of great value. Great news values, that is!

News values are the degree of prominence given to a story and the resulting attention given by the audience, and are often dictated and elected by media organisations. You don't really think sports and celebrities are interesting! It's all brainwashing! Unless that's what they want us to think....

Anyway, there are more news values and ways of organising them than you can poke an aerial at. Everything comes down to newsworthiness.

These values are even different across different services, countries and cultures. While the phrase, "if it bleeds, it leads" is true for some media outlets, with lead stories tending to be tragedies, TV channels like Ten and 9 take on the "if it's local, it leads" approach.

Harold Evans, editor of the Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981, stated in 2000 that editors are the 'human sieves' of torrent news. They ultimately determine the news values and what is newsworthy.

Drama, visual attractiveness, entertainment, brevity and other values are examples of such factors valued by different media. In 1996, Masterson came up with his own little dandy list:

1. Significance

2. Proximity

3. Conflict

4. Human interest

5. Novelty

6. Prominence

Seems fair enough? Duh-duh. In 2002 Macgregor reckoned he could top that and concocted another:

1. Visualness

2. Conflict

3. Emotion

4. Celebrification of the journalist

So which is right? THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER. How unfair is that? It's really got me worried for the Journalism Quiz.

And yet with all these values in place, newsworthiness is under threat more than ever. Journalism and the commercialization of media and social life, journalism and PR and the difference between ideals and reality of news reporting all jeopardise quality journalism. PR influence causes tabloidisation and lazy incompetent journalism. Then as the media apocalypse reaches its worst, hyper-commercialization sets in and as I've previously prophesised, we all get crap news.

So what actually drives the decisions made in media organisations about what is newsworthy? The audience is not just the audience any more. We're the distributors too and there's a new balance of power.

So let us join hands the cease this decline of journalism! If people from all over the world stand on a giant globe, join hands and sing, maybe things will miraculously get better. That's what we've been told before so it must be true and important.

When bananas aren't good taste.

I live my life by three strict rules:

1. Always wear a watch,

2. If it’s unreasonably stressful, avoid it, and

3. You CAN resist the chocolate slice.

In a totally unrelated matter thanks to a terrible segue, journalism and its behavior can be dictated by three ethical theories.

But first, to distinguish between ethics and taste. In my JOUR1111 lecture this week we were asked and often confuzzled about the difference, so I’ll put it simply.

In an advertising context, bad ethics is about making an ad that criticizes a certain demographic, be it race, gender, culture and so on. Bad taste is more about making an ad for fruit that, while encouraging you to get your daily two and five, closely resembles the male… anatomy. But it’s not an ethical issue to be advertising bananas and plums.

Now, these three theories are as follows:

1. Deontology,

2. Consequentialism (a.k.a. Teleology) and

3. Virtue.

Any ethical theory you can devise, no matter how broad or specific, will fit into one of these categories. Neat!

Deontology, personally, reminds me of dentistry. Firstly, the words look pretty similar and deontology sounds rather professional and toothy. There are other similarities, though, that my absent mind has managed to detect!

Tooth care’s pretty basic. Brush, rinse, floss, avoid sugar, and see your dentist. Follow these rules, you’ll do the right thing and have lovely pearly whites. Deontology is the same. It incorporates the rules, principles and duties of journalism, and as such all ethics codes. Do the right thing, to do the right thing.

Well there, I got to the point. No matter how many puns, analogies and bad images I conjured up along the way, I got the ‘right’ outcome. That’s how consequentialism operates. Never mind how we got there; the end may justify the means. Although nothing justifies my tacky 13-year-old-boy humour.

Maybe my courage is what matters – I’m brave enough to crack these jokes, and that in itself is a good habit of character. A virtue. Virtues are, according to the virtue theory, good habits that form the ‘golden mean’ of behavior and, as a result, ethical journalism.

As Neil from the Inbetweeners philosophised, “I’ve got effics,” and considering he’d find male genetalia made from fruit funny, it can’t be poor ethics.