Monday, August 30, 2010

Tabloid Journalism .... boooo

Just a short break to write about something else, as I am prone to do.

I don't generally watch A Current Affair - because it's the most diabolical, souless, inflammatory "news" programme on television. I actually do a disservice by calling it news, because they take topical issues and either degfragment them until they can find a scope with which to run the best fear campaign, or look at it from an angle that is barely newsworthy at all - if not complete rubbish! I studied journalism, and I know all about writing to persuade, but these kinds of programmes are something else: they tap into the complete ignorance of a sector of our community. There is simply no integrity in that.

Anyway, I happened to be channel surfing and caught more of it than I'd generally watch in any one calendar year. Here are my musings on Patty and Bert's unfortunate interview about their son's new down turn.

Whilst I can appreciate a parent’s pain in seeing their child harangued by the media for their indiscretions, I still have to wonder at the real motivation for the Newton’s interview on ACA. The programme alone raises questions as to its integrity. There could be nothing worse than knowing your son has issues with violence against women and substance abuse, but the interview raised two problems for me: why go on a national television programme that only idiots watch, to declare Matthew, for all intents, mentally ill – and in the process threaten to capsize any appearance of support? It was a stupid, pointless interview that won’t do Matthew any favours if he is ill, and really did nothing to highlight or validate the issue of violence against women.

Well done ACA for making a real issue a puff piece once again – outstanding journalism.

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