I’ve been watching the media with unusual diligence this past week or so. National Nine News, Today Tonight, Dr. Phil, AM, Today - I’ve been watching it all, in addition to the usual reputable stuff. Why am I wasting my time with all this junk? Well, first off I have no job at the moment, so succumbing to the attractions of midday TV as been all too sweet and easy. But there is also a reason for this unprecedented consumption of news rubbish – my university course has recommended that I do it.To gain a better understanding of the media around us, my lecturers have encouraged us journalism students to view all Australian media, not just the usual pinko stuff like SBS and ABC. This is because commercial organisations are the main information provider for the masses. Also, they are rich as hell – and will pay more in employment. So I might as well get used to their lax morals now if I want to make in the industry.
Anyway, the whole experience has been eye-opener for me (even for someone who grew up reading The Advertiser), and I thought I’d give you some highlights of my media watching over the last few days:
- Channel 7 News ran a story tonight regarding a 12-year-old girl who had been approached by a paedophile as she walked to school. Instead of the usual, ambiguous camera-shots of faceless school yards and children’s backpacks, Channel 7 made the appalling decision to conduct an interview with the girl, in front of her own school. She was crying, extremely upset, mentioned how the man was ‘touching himself’, and then the journalist began grilling her on how it ‘made her feel’ and ‘why it upset you’. The unprofessionalism and insensitivity of the journalist was sickening – the poor girl is only 12. Her face was blotched, but they left her real voice, and her school uniform was clearly visible. I couldn’t believe it. You’re not supposed to interview victims of sexual assault when they are minors!
- Also on Channel 7, they decided to run full 60 second story (the longest piece on their program) on the question of how their football commentators were ‘shaping up’ for the new footy season. Of course, both the commentators in question worked for Channel 7, and, unsurprisingly, they were ‘shaping up very well’.
- A commentator on Channel 9’s Today program referred to Mark Latham, and then Kevin Rudd, as “that other guy who ran before this current guy”. Deep political analysis right there.
- I discovered that Amanda Vanstone, our former Immigration Minister, and all-round Aussie super girl, hosts her own cooking segment on AM. The morning that I tuned in she was cooking Chinese Pork, and displaying the pleasantry and softly spoken manner for she is renowned (with quotes like: “If that’s too much chilly for you, then just bloody add less alright?”). Is this her new career move?
- I found out today that the Herald Sun makes hundreds of thousands of dollars every Valentine’s Day from personal advertisements. It’s not just Hallmark after all…
- Dr. Phil spent at least 2 minutes yesterday grilling a guest on her sexual affairs before marriage. Turns out she’d given oral sex, and had premarital vaginal sex 10 days before the ceremony. Dr. Phil went on, “See that’s your problem. You went to the alter in lust – you had nothing in common but sex.” Thanks Dr.Phil. This couple has endured 8 years of bad, unloving matrimony, and that’s his ‘professional’ diagnosis. They should have waited. Then, assumedly, it would be ok.
- I could go on forever, believe me, but I’ll conclude with by far the biggest commercial news headlines of the past few days, in descending order: 1) Britney Spear’s lack of hair. 2) Who fathered Anna Nicole’s daughter? 3) John Howard thinks Kevin Rudd is “full of himself”. Is he?
The two things I’ve learned from this exercise is that the commercial media industry is scary, and, more importantly, I really gotta get out more.
The two things I’ve learned from this exercise is that the commercial media industry is scary, and, more importantly, I really gotta get out more.
6 comments:
That is such a beautiful photo of Tracy, Nick. She looks so plastic- like something out of Team America. I especially like the side-on Something-About-Mary style tuft of hair on the side.
*SAM'S MEDIAWATCH*
Well Nick, you dropped the ball a little bit on this one, sure the article was fine but I counted two grammatical errors which didn't help your cause. The first in question was from this line "so succumbing to the attractions of midday TV as been all too sweet and easy" - now the only way that can be grammatically correct is if you were writing it in a cockney accent thus rendering the absence of an 'h' from the word 'has' completely understandable.
The second was from this line "So I might as well get used to their lax morals now if I want to make in the industry" Obviously you have got used to their lax grammatical attitude, and it looks like you won't make IT in the industry after all.
Now all of this isn't personal, it's just if this blog is going to pay out others for their lack of education the least we can do is show them up with our knowledge of the English language.
PEACE OUT
oh - and having no job and no place to live doesn't excuse you from being a dumbass.
"oh - and having no job and no place to live doesn't excuse you from being a dumbass."
here here
so is kevin rudd full of himself? you didn't even address any of these pressing issues.
As a fellow jobless layabout I recommend hard liquor as a supplement to soft daytime tv. Your brain will turn to mush and nothing will offend or surprise you, and by the time Huey's Cooking Adventures come around it will be ultimately hilarious.
Dugg for the Amanda Vanstone information.
Thanks Sam for your unflinching critiques of my entries.... even though we are technically on the same team now. I actually wrote this piece on Microsoft Word - so imagine the mistakes if I hadn't done that (it'd be more like the garbage i noramlly churned out in Safari days).
I might get around to fixing it. We'll see. However, that time might be better certain replying to a certain 'iluvdictators' lass... i hear she's a hottie.
Kevin Rudd is "full of himself", but John Howard is also "full of himself", probably more so (that's my professional opinion to that hard hitting piece of news).
How'd the digg go?
On an entirely unrelated note, there is a pub in my area called "DT's", and it is coated in rainbow colours. Sound suss? Reverse the letters and you'll see.
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