The commercial stations cover up the Qantas cover-up
JG Estiot is the President of TELNEM, a media-watch group based in Melbourne, Australia. His weekly column below is posted every Monday by 9pm and reflects on news coverage from the preceding week. Unless otherwise specified, his comments are based on the daily monitoring of ABC, Nine and Seven TV news in Victoria. JG is not a member of a political party, special interest group, sporting or professional association other than TELNEM.
jgestiot@netspace.net.au
The commercial stations cover up the Qantas cover-up
The media inquiry may have missed the point
The study the TV news rejected
The Holloway trial: just right
Prophylactic reporting of the Israeli occupation
Return to Australian News of the Day
As you may recall, I revealed in my 4/11 column how
a Qantas flight parcel bomb story failed to capture the
imagination of the commercial TV newsrooms. I suggested the advertising
dollar may have something to do with it.
This week, things went from bad to worse. On Monday, the news of the salmonella poisoning of the passengers on a Qantas flight received wide coverage.
It did not make the news on Seven. It was the
third time in two weeks Seven eliminated a major story on
Qantas passengers safety. Nine ventured a muted 15 seconds story,
conceding the hospitalisation of only two victims and incorrectly
implicating one flight, when it was already known at the time
four Qantas flights had been affected. This was to be the last
report Nine put to air on the matter.
On Tuesday, Japan called for an inquiry on the matter
and later in the week, media coverage there had reached fever
pitch. The Japanese media accused Qantas of covering-up the extent
of the poisoning. The toll was believed to be closer to 350 than
the 100 originally disclosed by Qantas. By then, it was not just
the commercial stations which had put the lid on the story, the
ABC had also turned shy.
The public is entitled to an explanation
when one of our main TV networks forfeits community interest to
act as a shameful servant of the corporate dollar.
A quick check at the Qantas Internet site confirms
the reluctance of Qantas to elaborate on recent matters. There
had been no press releases
since the 31/10/96.
Return to Media Watch Menu
The media inquiry may have missed the point
Nowadays, media ownership - particularly foreign
ownership - is the red herring waved aimlessly as a substitute
for a proper media inquiry. Admittedly, the string pullers
are more interested in sharing the cake than looking at its content.
However, media concentration makes little difference to the public
if newspapers, radio and TV stations are all equally misused as
tools of propaganda and misinformation.
There is no limit in Australia as to the number of
milk bars one can own. Yet, and according to the government, there
is a need to control media ownership. This may well be necessary,
but first, the reasons prompting a need for media ownership
regulations should be closely examined. Are the media reflecting
community values or setting the agenda? Are newspapers or TV
programs routinely used to make or destroy reputations? Was
Bob Hawke ousted by a media campaign? There is a pile of evidence
waiting to be heard.
A Royal Commission into the abuses and corrupted
practises of our media could be a starting point. After all, we
have had Royal Commissions into matters far less important to
the community. I believe the proposition would receive wide support.
The news media are of critical importance in the democratic
process. They shape the public's perception of election candidates
and convey the information on which people eventually vote.
The study the TV news rejected
The TV newsrooms are always hungry for surveys, opinion
polls, crash tests and studies. Items such as the Choice magazine
surveys or the RACV crash tests are part of the news culture,
and are regular features.
This week, the screens went blank on a world-wide
study which received some publicity in the press. It had everything
to make a perfect TV news report: it put Australia number one
in the world and was about commercial television . A News Director's
dream, or was it?
The study ranked Australian children as the most
exposed to TV commercials in the world. Two minutes more per
hour than the US and a staggering 11 minutes over the averages
recorded in countries like Holland, Belgium and Austria. The study
found most of the ads were for junk food.
It seems the TV news and current affairs have missed
out on a lot of good repeat material. Such a story begs for an
investigative follow-up linking the study with the 30% overweight
kids in Australia. Also, a close look at the way the commercial
stations cheat their own self-regulatory guidelines and
put more ads to air per hour than allowed would make compelling
journalism.
Next month, the Australian consumers' association's
survey will be more inviting to the commercial TV stations and
they will no doubt resume a long-standing relationship.
The original press release can be found on the Internet
The Holloway trial: just right
This week, the TV news got the coverage of the Holloway
trial just right. The diplomat was charged under a news law which
allows Australians to be charged for child sex offences committed
abroad. Unlike the newspapers, the TV news resisted the temptation
to make public some of the worthless (and graphic) evidence
presented against Mr. Holloway.
There are some serious questions associated with
the practise of reporting testimonies of an on-going trial. It
is tragically obvious that despite having been cleared of any
wrong-doing by the Courts - indeed, he never made it to trial
- Mr. Holloway will never recover his pre-trial reputation.
This is partially due to lengthy newspapers articles describing
some of the more sensational allegations against him.
The TV news covered the start of the hearing and
its conclusion. The ABC put to air an additional report a couple
of days before the dismissal, when the case for the prosecution
started to fall apart.
Milking the Bryant case
The Martin Bryant frenzy is set to make a huge come-back
this week. Seven is even advertising the Bryant trial as part
of it news content for the week. Agenda rather than daily
events seem to shape their news.
When Martin Bryant changed his plea to guilty, the
news media expressed relief on behalf of the families. In an uncharacteristic
paternalistic and caring fashion, both the press and TV greeted
the news of a short and expedient trial with satisfaction. The
journos rejoiced at the thought the families of the victims would
not have to live through their ordeal again. In the same breath,
they rushed to interview them, once again, about the tragedy.
What is left to report on the Martin Bryant case?
The vultures have even tracked down (and published) the birth
notice his parents placed in the paper in 1967. We know everything
about him. The wall of the prison are made of pink sandstone
and he currently uses a stainless steel, lidless toilet bowl.
Come to think of it, there are things we do not yet
know. We are yet to find out who were the two journalists who
criminally entered Bryant's place and stole photographs. This
is more important to the public than the colour of his socks on
the day he committed the crime.
Sport on the ABC News
Section 4.3.3.9 of the ABC editorial policies read:
"Editorial staff will ensure that coverage of newsworthy
activities within the Australian community is comprehensive
and non-discriminatory."
In November (so far), the ABC has dedicated over
80% of its news coverage air-time to three sports: Horse
racing, cricket and golf.
At best, it is an elitist approach to sports
coverage. In the worst case, it is corrupt. No wonder ABC
journalists keep winning awards from the racing industry.
Instead of boring us to tears with footage of horses
being loaded onto cargo planes, or close-up shots of the quarantine
buildings, give us some real sport.
Blame it on the Internet
The Ten news have a sorry habit of bashing the Internet
at every possible occasion. It seems Nine is now getting into
the act. On Monday (11/11), Nine reported how a teenager set his
garage on fire mixing chemicals using instructions obtained from
the Internet.
Nine put the blame for the "bomb" incident
squarely on the Internet: "this incident has only added
to growing concerns that such dangerous information is so readily
available via a home computer." I contacted the Webmaster
of an Internet site where the information can be obtained. His
comment: "the information has been available in encyclopedias
for over twenty years."
Prophylactic reporting of the Israeli occupation
The occupation of the Palestinian territories by
Israel continues to confuse our media. This is especially true
for the commercial stations. Stories about the stone-throwing
misbehaved Palestinians always find a way into the news but abuses
by the Israeli troops seldom do.
On Monday, they missed out again. At Deir Qadis (West
Bank) the Israeli troops fired into a small demonstration, killing
one and injuring 13. No more than 100 Palestinians participated
in the gathering which was a protest against the illegal confiscation
of 500 hectares of land and the bulldozing of Palestinian homes
to expand Jewish settlements.
Some newspapers kept the story down to under 50 words.
The ABC news did report the incident but failed to put the story
into its proper context. It was not an incident related to some
mild reshaping of the borders between Israel and the occupied
territories. It was another episode in a long history of systematic
human rights abuses, the list of which can be found on the
Internet
In Brief
The Nine versus SBS saga continued this week. The
allegations and counter-allegations have reached a point where
heads will have to roll. I predict the resignation of Malcolm
Long, the SBS managing director. The available evidence appears
to totally refute his public statements this week. He has nowhere
to go.
On Monday, David Johnston and Tim Watson (Seven)
used 15 seconds of air-time to wave at a little girl David
met at a fishing event on the Yarra. This friendly banter was
more than the time allocated to the coverage of the West Indies
cricket victory over W.A. in the same news bulletin. Tim Watson
displayed great waving talents and I suspect he is not
being used to his full potential behind a news desk.
Something unusual on Wednesday. The only station
not to use footage of the appearance of John Howard on the Midday
Show (Nine Network) was Channel Nine!
On the same day, Nine turned its report on the RACV
crash tests into a clever piece of advertising. At every opportunity,
the RACV, Mazda, Honda and Mitsubishi
logos featured intentionally and prominently in the picture. This
must be a subtle way to say a big thanks to the faithful sponsors.
It certainly is a clever way around the restrictions on the number
of commercials a station can put to air. Seven did broadcast the
same story and without giving intentional exposure to anyone.
See, it can be done.
You can rely on the news to remind you of the number
of days to both Christmas and the start of the football season.
They all are frantically "counting down." However, just
like most of the news, they cannot get it right. On Thursday Nine
claimed 100 days to go to the start of the Footy season. The same
day, Seven claimed it was 99 days.
On Friday, the top news story was the "secret"
wedding of Michael Jackson. It was so secret, a press-release
had been issued to the media well in advance of the ceremony.
I will spare you any lengthy analysis of the media
coverage of the Michael Jackson visit to Australia. Just like
me, you probably have had enough of it already. And it has just
started. We've had Jacko unmasked, Jacko-fever,
Jacko-mania and much more. Stand by for days of the
jacko.
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu
Return to Media Watch Menu