Assessment Four - Annotations

Part One: Reflection upon journalism related article

Bradshaw et al (2011)   The online journalism handbook
https://blackboard.elearning.uq.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-2161357-dt-content-rid-156540_1/courses/JOUR1111S_6220STx/BLOGGING.pdf

Paul Bradshaw and Liisa Rohumaa combine their knowledge of media modernity and journalism, to produce an informative and detailed article on contemporary media: blogging. The argument that presents itself in this article is the question of the true definition of blogging and whether it deserves the title of ‘journalism’, or if it can be disregarded as merely a public frenzy of the wannabe writer. Their conclusion is that:

‘Blogs are a platform. They can contain journalism, just as Tv, radio and print can. Many bloggers practise journalism, others do not.

However, he then makes his view quite clear when he states

‘Journalism is an invention or form of expression used to report and comment in public media on the events and ideas of the here and now. If blog fits that description, you could argue it is journalism’.

The article as a whole could be quite useful in the comprehension and different approaches modern day journalism, leaving behind the newspaper and radio broadcasts of the past. With more people being able to view, read and critique one’s blog, it is easier to get a message across. The article acts as a great guide for beginner bloggers to understand the correct way to blog to make their voice heard in the modern, technological world of journalism. 

Part Two: Three mediums, One story

Webber, D (2012) Radio news cast entitled: Aboriginal man unlikely to be charged over death of eight-year-old girl ,

Recording found on : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-04/aboriginal-man-unlikely-to-be-charged-over-death/3811500

This radio broadcast on the ABC radio network discusses the nature of Augustine Miller and the situation outlining his charges. Broadcaster for the ABC, David Weber, talks with the man in question, letting him reveal his thoughts, opinions and allows him to bring his own side of the story to the limelight. Unlike Guest’s online news article, this radio broadcast does not seem to be aiming to defame Mr Miller, rather allows us to perceive the situation with an open mind to the truth. It begins the story not with the taste of blood in our mouths, but rather that Miller ‘Survived a desert ordeal – which resulted in the death of an eight year old girl’. This approach suggests Augustine Miller is not particularly ‘guilty’, rather he endured a ‘desert ordeal’ as he was searching for food, when they unthinkably got stuck out there, resulting in the ‘accidental’ death of the girl. This angle implants a seed into the minds of the viewer, which is this situation could have happened to anyone, cars break down, accidents happen. Furthermore, Mr Miller plays a large part in the interview, explaining his prior convictions, which surprising has the ability to completely resurrect the ‘Sick, crazed paedophile’ label the media has stuck upon him. In this sense, one can regard this broadcast as highly valuable, as it allows people to confront their prior negative spin on Miller with a clean slate. This is a vital party of modern journalism, to allow a 360 degree scope on a story, revealing further, unknown truths and allowing every actor surrounding the incident to fairly address the issue to the public in their own way.

Guest, D (2012) Online news article entitled: Girl dies after paedophile ordeal in WA desert
Article found on: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/girl-pedophile-found-in-desert/story-e6frg6nf-1226235963016

Debbie guest, journalist for national newspaper, ‘The Australian’ reports on the story in an online version of a news article. The article takes a complete opposite side of the situation, with obvious bias projecting negative attitudes towards Mr Miller based on previous convictions.  Not only does it describe it as a ‘Paedophile ordeal’, but states that she “has died after spending four days alone with a convicted child sex offender”. This clearly is intended to incite into the minds of the readers that yes, he is a paedophile and that her death was the direct result of his actions. It must be said, that without reading further along in the article, one could be forgiven to jump to the conclusion that he abused and murdered the girl ‘because that is what paedophiles do’.  This is a shameful action in the journalism world – it purposely darkens any other light on the story, rendering the article unfair, imbalanced and some could say, propagandistic in nature in regards to generating stereotypes about aboriginal men living in remote communities. This is a poor article, and anyone with a journalistic mind needs to approach it with great caution, opting to research the situation further. However, the fact that this was in the highly-regarded newspaper, ‘The Australian’, leaves little room for readers to see the holes and mind-altering twists encompassing the article.

Sheraton, E (2012) Yahoo GWN News Video: Eight year old dead. Mother left shattered. http://au.gwn7.yahoo.com/w3/news/a/-/local/12498800/an-eight-year-old-girl-dead-her-mother-left-shattered-video/

Miss Emma Sheraton is a young reporter for Yahoo’s ‘GWN’ news, a station that strives to cover stories in Australia’s smaller country towns. From the beginning, the video plays on the viewer’s heartstrings, with the girl’s mother crying to the camera, with Sheraton sympathising “A mother grieves the loss of her eight year old daughter”.  It is obvious this video is intended to ignite the emotional side of the story – that is first and foremost above the news and details about the accused, unlike in the other two media outlets by Guest and Webber. Admittedly, this is a very effective way to cover such a heartbreaking story – the ‘mother loses child’ mentality has the ability to go further than the small Aboriginal community. It is a timeless tale, playing on the innate maternal instincts of all mothers watching the video, sympathising with the woman crying in the first scene. Despite the obvious emotive spin intertwined in the story, it is not overly judgemental on Mr Miller, other than stating he was a ‘convicted paedophile’ along with the local women pleading he return to face tribal punishment. This is not blatantly trying to conjure up images of a sick pedofile, as we can see in ‘The Australian’s online news article, rather it is reinforcing that he is to blame, whether intentionally or not. One can also praise the fact that traditional Aboriginal customs were kept sacred, not showing the face or expelling the name of the deceased.  Essentially, Sheraton’s yahoo news story is rather valuable piece of journalism, but it could be criticized for being too one-sided in its approach, leaving little room for consideration of Augustine Miller.