Lecture 9 - News Values

News values relates to how important or valuable a news story is.  It is the degree of prominence a media outlet gives to a story and the attention that is paid by an audience as a result.  We select stories based on how popular they will be with the public.  Things like celebrities, local stories and follow ups are considered popular news.  Firstly, you want to make an impact.  You want to make a reader say 'gee whiz'!  Secondly, there is audience identification.  News is anything that's interesting, that relates to what's happening in the world, what's happening in areas of the culture that would be of interest to your audience.  Then there are pragmatics - ethics, facticity, current affairs etc.  Source influence comes next.  Journalism loves to hate PR...whether for spinning, controlling access, approving copy or protecting clients at the expense of the truth (Julia Hobsbawm).  

It is also important to point out that news values differ substantially across different news services and also across different cultures and countries.  People want to hear about news that affects them.  The people of Brisbane don't want to know if it's going to be a scorching hot weekend in Sydney, they want to know what the weather will be like where they live!  A good journalist will always keep news values at the forefront when writing a story to make sure they are engaging their target audience and providing relevant information.  People who want to find out about things going on in different parts of the world may just have to search a little bit harder that the 6pm bulletin to find what they're looking for.

Lily x

Lecture 8 - Ethics

This weeks guest lecturer, Donna Meiklejohn, looks at what is right and what is wrong and how we can analyse why.  How do we base our decisions?  Journalists have a reputation for not having a moral compass, being cold and not really caring about the emotions and feelings of others.  There is a very fine line between what should and should not be published and how something should be reported.  

There are three theories surrounding ethics in journalism,  Firstly, there is deontology.  This is where subscribers follow a set of rules, principles and duties.  In effect, you do the right thing ethically by following the rules.  All ethics codes are deontological.  The second theory, consequentialism, is all about outcomes.  It follows the principals of:  It doesn't matter how you got the end result.  The end may justify the means and the greatest good for the greatest number.  Finally, the ethics of virtue whereby the question is asked does it align with the person I want to be.  Goodness comes from morally good habits (or dispositions) of character.  It is based on virtues based by Aristotle.

I believe throughout a journalist's career they will have to call on all three of the ethical theories to make the right decisions.  Some people will have a more difficult time making these decisions where others won't even need to bat an eyelid.  

Lily xxx

Lecture 7 - Public Media

I previously blogged about commercial media so It seems fitting to follow up with a rant on public media.  

From the words of WGBH Educational Foundation Conference, Public media is media whose mission is to serve or engage a public...It may be for profit, so long as its ultimate purpose is to serve the public and not turn a profit.  In the Australian media landscape we're talking about ABC, SBS and their digital counterparts.  Public media is vast across the world.  There is lots in Europe, Africa and Canada.  Internationally, public media consists of Channel 4, BBC, NHK, PBS, NPR, ARTE, RTHK. Public media is in support of a democratic society.  According to the BBC: there is the idea of embedding a public service ethos, value for licence fee money, weighing public value against market impact and public consultation.  A lot of us that actually enjoy the ABC are so grateful that we can watch some really good quality television made here in Australia without being interrupted by irritating advertisements.  

One of the many advantages of public media is the lack of commercial advertising.  It is for this reason that public media doesn't have to rely on the revenue from advertising which in turn gives it a great advantage over commercial media to report unbiased news and events.  I will point out that it's impossible for them to be completely unbiased but compared with commercial media, there is a significant difference.  This is mainly because public media are not obliged in any way to format their opinion or angle of a news story to support an advertising endorsement or partner.  

In this day and age of social media, reality TV and money hungry companies, it's a relief to know you can switch over to the ABC or SBS and be able to watch an unbiased news broadcast (most of the time).

On a final note, I was recently introduced to a new show called 'A Moody Christmas' which debuted on the ABC this week.  Check it out!

Lily xxx

Fishing

I remember previously mentioning that this summer I want to learn to surf...well I haven't learnt just yet but this weekend I learnt to fish!  It was fabulously therapeutic.  I went down to the Gold Coast, found a perfect spot on a rock at Tallebudgera Creek and got casting.  I had to handle live worms (which was disgusting) but once I had threaded them onto the hook and got myself underway it was great fun!  At first I thought it was a tiny bit boring because I wasn't get any bites but then just as I was ready to throw in the towel, I caught a Whiting!  I was so excited, we packed up straight away and cooked it up for lunch!  Another summer skill under my belt.

Lily x

Week 11: Annotated Bibliography

“The Olympic games are among the most significant sporting events in contemporary world.  Olympic broadcasts and news media accordingly are followed by large audiences, which places sport momentarily at the centre of the worlds attention” (Markula, P., 2009).  Journalism is an integral part of the Olympics, delivering content to households all over the world.  This annotated bibliography will explore the present news stories surrounding the 2012 Olympics, paying particular focus on media’s representation of women during the games.  It will be examined through the viewpoints of ABC News Radio, the Daily Mail online, The Australian Women’s Weekly and Dr Pirkko Markula.  The contrasting mediums of radio, print and online will seek to give a broad array of opinions on the issue in order to build credibility and critically engage. 

Markula, P. (Eds). (2009).  Olympic Women and the Media: International Perspectives.  Hampshire, UK: Palgrace Macmillan

Pirkko Markula is Professor of socio-cultural Studies of Sport and Physical Activity at the University of Alberta.  Her research interests are vast and include ethnography and poststructuralist feminist analysis of dance.  She has gained her credibility and reputation from co-authoring several highly revered books and journals with her main focus on women in sport.  This book specifically focuses on Olympic women and how they are represented and covered by the media.  This book is a collection of articles written by female 13 female academics from around the world.  The articles range from broad discussions of sport media representation of women, to specific case studies of female Olympians being underrepresented in the media during their performance in comparison with their male counterparts.  There is also detailed analysis of specific female Olympians being represented as sex objects rather than professional athletes.  On the contrary, some case studies explore certain country’s female athletes being represented equally.  Markula links the pieces together to create a balanced book with concise arguments surrounding the issue of female representation by the media at the Olympics.  The book is well referenced and includes evidence of coverage using newspaper excerpts and specific television broadcast information.  The significant use of citations throughout the book adds credibility to the research being presented by the editor and the contributors.

Brown, R. (Presenter).  (2012, July 27).  Australia’s first female Olympic flag bearer in 20 years [Podcast radio program].  Sydney: ABC The World Today.  Retrieved October 20, 2012, from http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2012/s3554849.htm

This radio conversation was found on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) website.  The ABC is one of Australia’s few public media entities.  It provides television, radio, online and mobile services.  Although funded and owned by the government, the ABC remains editorially independent.  London based ABC journalist Rachael Brown conducted the interview.  She speaks to Nick Green, the Australian Olympic team boss who had just named Lauren Jackson as the team captain and the first female flag bearer in 20 years.  The article focuses on the positive as to why Lauren Jackson was chosen as the flag bearer.  Whilst the title of the interview insinuates the main focus will be about the first female in 20 years to carry the flag, the actual crux of the story is focused on whether Britain will beat Australia in the medal tally.  The ABC withholds a high level of credibility and its content is seen to be of a high standard.  However, this article doesn’t go into enough depth about the flag bearer for the 2012 Olympic games.  Rachael Brown chooses to keep the interview to a light conversation and avoids the real substance to the story.

Burke, E. (2012, July 19).  Olympics outrage: Female athletes fly economy, men fly business.  The Australian Women’s Weekly.  Retrieved from http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/news/newsstories/8501753/olympics-outrage-female-athletes-fly-economy-men-fly-business

This article from a popular magazine, the Australian Women’s Weekly, is a heated piece about female athletes being treated unfairly compared with male athletes.  As expected in a women’s magazine, Burke writes passionately about the inequalities that the Australian female athletes faced during the 2012 Olympics.  She focuses on the fact that Australian female basketball team flew economy to London, while the men were flew business class.  The article is short but fairly well balanced.  It includes a rebuttal from basketball Australia denying any sexism and claiming that the player’s average heights determine their seating arrangements.  Burke also makes mention to other countries who flew their female athletes in a lower class than the men.  This article has been shortened and appropriated for online consumption.  The Women’s Weekly is published by ACP Magazines which is a division of PBL Media and while seen as a credible source, the articles are more lifestyle and entertainment based as opposed to hard news.  However, seeing as this issue focuses on women and so does the magazine, it makes a fitting platform for this particular content delivery. 

‘The Olympics has destroyed womanhood’: Columnist provokes storm of criticism after attack on ‘chestless, manlike’ competitors.  (2012, August 8).  The Mail Online.  Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2185510/Newspaper-columnist-provokes-worldwide-outrage-saying-Olympic-Games-destroying-female-figure.html

This piece written by a Mail Online reporter is in reaction to another article that caused uproar and controversy all over the world.  The original opinion piece written by a Turkish columnist was describing how the Olympics have destroyed womanhood.  He wrote that the games was distorting women’s bodies and that extra points should be given to female athletes based on how feminine they looked.  In response, this online article describes the reaction from the rest of the world. On their website, the Mail Online do not publish the names of the journalists which lessens the credibility of the work.  The Mail Online journalist picks apart the original column and also includes images of the specific female athletes being scrutinized.  It also includes a comments section at the end of the story for people to voice their own opinion of the story.  The Mail Online is owned by Daily Mail and General Trust and is one of the largest media conglomerates in Europe.  Its popularity is a reflection of its credibility.  This article directly relates back to Markula’s research that shows the inequality and misrepresentation of women by the media during the Olympic games.

Watching the Wheels Go Round

It was a hot day at Sydney’s Oran Park.  The crowd had erupted as the first lap of the formula ford racing championship got underway.  The sound of his engine roaring had Charlie’s heart pounding, he was in good position so early in the race.  As turn one was fast approaching, there was a problem on the track.  A car up ahead had a minor collision and forced the marshals to wave a yellow flag to signal the remaining drivers to slow down until it was safe to resume the race.  Charlie neared the turn with excitement and adrenaline, not knowing the devastation that lay ahead.  The car in front slowed suddenly in response to the yellow flag and with no time to react, Charlie hit the car in front which sent his car spinning through the air several times before coming to a stop upside down several hundred metres away.  As hoards of people rushed to his aid, little did they know, the wreckage of the car was the least of their worries.

Growing up in a privileged Melbourne family, Charlie had his sights set on racing from a young age.  His face lights up when I mention it. 

“I would wake up thinking about it [racing] and I’d go to sleep thinking about”. 

Charlie travelled with his famous V8 supercar driver father to all the race meets and he was his enthusiastic right hand man.  His face lights up when he recalls the memories.

“I’d be attached to dad’s side the whole time…if he picked up a spanner, I’d find one too.  If he had a headset on, you’d be damn sure I’d have one on too.  Looking back, I’m pretty sure I would have annoyed the shit out of dad, but he never let me believe I did.”

I met Charlie four years ago when he was 19.  We met through a mutual friend at a group dinner one night and I had offered to drive.  The first words he arrogantly muttered to me were “Jesus, you’ve got a lead foot…why don’t you race cars with me?” 

We were instantly friends.  I was so drawn to his vibrant energy, sense of humour, love of life and cheeky attitude.  I have never met someone who talks quite as much as Charlie and sometimes it was exhausting.  We quickly learnt three vodkas was all it took to make him pass out, so that method was used frequently for some peace and quiet. 

The accident at Oran Park happened a few months after we met. 

“I really don’t remember much from that period in my life.  I was scared and really struggled to believe it when the doctors told me I would never walk again.”

Charlie spent months in rehabilitation after suffering irreparable spinal damage as a result of the accident.  He couldn’t eat or speak for four weeks.  His family communicated with him using a letter board.  

“I would blink and use my eyes until they got the letter I wanted.  I felt so frustrated and trapped.”

Sitting in his family’s beautiful home trapped in his wheelchair, the pain and suffering he endures everyday is etched into his face.  His once fit body is now slumped in a chair and looks tired, his eyes drained of the glow they once had. 

“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, I’m actually doing ok.  Everyday I have mixed emotions, I’m devastated but I also know that this is the hand I’ve been dealt and I just have to get on with it.”

While it would seem to most of us that Charlie has been stripped of any happiness in life, not long after his accident, he manufactured his own dream and founded a motorsport team of his own to contest Australia’s most popular motor racing series, the V8 Supercar Championship. 

“I didn’t have to think twice about what I was going to do when I found out I wouldn’t be able to race anymore.  Of course I was going to run a race team.”

With a specially designed trailer to allow him to manage his team on the road and at race meets, Charlie is going from strength to strength.  Not only has he recruited some of the most promising young drivers, he has also landed impressive sponsorship. 

“I’m really looking forward to the upcoming racing seasons, I want to show the world what I can do.”

It’s then that I see his old cheeky grin creep onto his face and I can’t help but smile back.

This feature story is based on real events and people but the names have been changed to protect their privacy.

Lecture 6 - Commercial Media

Money money money!!!  Commercial media is everywhere and its main focus is churning up the big bucks to keep the top dogs driving Bentley's and cruising their yachts on the Riviera.  Commercial media is seen as a platform for advertisers to reach the biggest scope of users/viewers/listeners possible.  It is passionately argued that corporations such as FairFax, News Limited, Nine and APN sacrifice quality for profit when they whack a huge chunk of ads in between your favourite show.  For this reason, I hardly ever watch TV.  I can't stand ads!  I especially hate how the volume mysteriously turns itself up when it's time for an ad break.  I much prefer to watch my favourite show online.  That way, you only have to endure one or two ads.  

Success in commercial media is not measured by the quality or social importance of the content, but sadly on the amount of profit generated.  With commercial media ruling so much of what we see and hear, the issue is raised on the dumbing down of society.  In the future we can expect to have what we see and hear so tailored to our needs and interests that we could perhaps miss a lot of other relevant information.  This hyperlocalisation can have an alarming brainwash effect on the way people vote, believe, and form opinions.  

We then have the public media sphere which consists of ABC TV and radio and SBS.  These are government funded and therefore have a much higher regard to the interest and wellbeing of the public.  

We can only hope that the majority of society is educated enough to know what commercial media is all about.

Professor Michael Bromley sums it up perfectly.  "...One thing stands out above all others - the view that the very nature of the commercial equates to a corruption of the social.  In other words, as media become more commercial, they do so at the expense of their social function.  This is seen as a zero-sum game.  Profits come before quality."

Food for thought.

Lily x