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| Photo: SMH |
The media is a sucker for stories about plain-talkin’, grass-roots folk confronting cynical politicians with homespun morality. Think ‘Mr Smith Goes to Washington’.
Brought up on these sentimental tabloid templates and jaded with the daily theatre of covering politics, capital city journalists tend to revel in ‘people’s protests’ as a welcome injection of ‘authenticity’ in a working environment where no-one ever says what they mean.
Aware of this tendency, Australia’s savviest spinners and lobbyists have taken their cues from the world’s best practice US media manipulators and their now widely employed strategy of ‘astro-turfing’ – a form of advocacy to advance a corporate or political agenda masquerading as a ‘grass-roots’ movement.
And don’t some of our media friends in Canberra fall for it every time? Despite priding themselves on their cynicism, political reporters like the ABC’s resident Tory Chris Uhlmann earnestly interpret the parade of shockjock-manufactured people’s protests against the carbon tax, pokie reforms, gay marriage (and whatever else fires up an 18-wheeler driver in a lumberjack shirt) as some sort of expression of the real folk:
UHLMANN: “It’s not as large a gathering as some of the organisers had hoped, but the crowd has certainly found a way to make itself heard. although there was an anti-carbon tax theme, the convoy had picked up many hitchhikers along the way.”
PROTESTOR: ” That’s the international Christian flag. You see the cross up there. And I just brought this down today because God told me to bring it down.”
UHLMANN: “But to dismiss them all as cranks of no consequence meant you didn’t bother to talk to any of them or ask why they would travel so far.”
Just when did our journalistic elite stop taking their bullshit detection medication? The mere presence of that self-promoting blow-hard carnival barker Alan Jones – a man whose opinions have been found to be correlated to how much he is being paid by corporate interests – should have alerted anyone with any news sense that this was an astro-turfed event. Sure there were a few truly aggrieved souls in the crowd, but the idea that this was some kind of natural expression of widespread community anger was just fanciful.
Yet there was Uhlmann running News Ltd’s line that “the forgotten people” are not being heard in Canberra, despite 90 per cent of the media – including himself – doing little else in their reporting but manufacturing the circumstances of discontent with the government so that they can then run the line that the country is in uproar.
There are exceptions, of course. Getting full marks for real journalistic chutzpah, The Sydney Morning Herald’s Jacqueline Maley sparked a characteristic spittle-projecting hissy fit by the vile Jones when she dared to ask him whether he had been paid a fee for venturing out of his $3 million Sydney harbourside mansion to mix it with the bush ‘battlers’ in chilly Canberra. For her troubles, she nearly found herself on the wrong end of a pitchfork.
But for the most part, it suits a lazy media – hooked on fake conflict and the eternal election campaign – to patronise their readership and viewership by presuming that a few dozen truckies in bush shirts and akubras standing outside parliament and calling for fresh elections somehow is the true ‘voice of the people’.
We deserve more from journalists. We deserve a better media.
30 Comments
NucMed · August 22, 2011 at 1:27 PM
Not to mention becoming unhinged after a valid question from a journalist in attendance at his latest wind-up session and getting the rubes all hysterical and threatening …. http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-fee-me-and-alan-jones-how-question-of-money-turned-crowd-nasty-20110822-1j6fu.html
730reportland · August 22, 2011 at 2:05 PM
It is a tragic day when the cream of the Rohypnol fed Embedded Media, can`t muster up enough hill-billys to fill a cousin marrying shin-dig or Liberal recruitment drive. Even when led by the cashed up “Puffy-Little-Floof“, and assisted by Toolman, the “prefered-lemming“. Now who`s fault is it that Mr Rabbit isn`t President?
Roger Wegener · August 22, 2011 at 10:15 PM
I vote for the pony – hilarious.
Dan Cass · August 22, 2011 at 10:19 PM
I'm not a journalist, but it seems that News Ltd, Jones etc campaign politically in one direction but Fairfax and ABC are too weak to stand up to them in case they get accused of campaigning in the other direction.
Surely the quality media could do quality journalism more often and simply ignore the smear that this is partisan?
Maley was doing her job, wasn't she?
Mr D · August 22, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Dan, I think the Australian media, like the Labor Party, has had its perspective of the electorate skewed by 11 years of Howard.
The reflex position for a lot of journalists is that the electorate's position on everything is default conservative – when it is much more nuanced than that.
But there's an asymmetry of risk in journos being seen as “getting ahead of public opinion”, lest the Murdoch rearguard slam them as elitist and out of touch.
So they furrow the comfortable and deeply dug narrative created by the News Ltd machine: Labor is naturally incompetent, the conservative parties are the natural holders of power – and Tony Abbott has policies that make sense.
No-one wants to stick their neck out and point out the glaringly obvious point that Australia is going down the US Tea Party road – where the far right just makes stuff up and a frightened media blandly report it as fact.
That's why Jacqueline Maley's gutsy question reminded us of what journalists are supposed to do – ask tough questions of ALL sides and provide some perspective for people.
Too late for that now, though. The Murdochracy has won again. And the entire electorate can roll over and go back to sleep.
Rhiannon · August 23, 2011 at 12:23 AM
Brilliant and as ever depressing post Mr. Denmore, thanks again. I love the line, “Just when did our journalistic elite stop taking their bullshit detection medication? “
Pretty much sums it all up!
aidan · August 23, 2011 at 12:33 AM
I think Uhlmann's biggest problem was that he didn't actually let people speak about why they were there. The bloke whose truck he was on just said he “felt pretty strong about what she's doing to the country at the moment”. What exactly? What are their grievances?
The live-cattle people got a bit of an airing, but there was no mention of what they thought the Govt. should have done or not done. Now the trade has resumed, what is their beef?
It was pretty poor journalism I thought.
Anonymous · August 23, 2011 at 1:34 AM
Chris Uhlmann is just… ugh. As Aidan points out above – he just creates anti-government bumf with no attempt to articulate what these people feel so aggrieved about. It's shameful that someone like that can co-host our flagship public current affairs program, but so typical of the ABC's timid and tedious he said/she said approach to 'news'.
Russ · August 23, 2011 at 2:27 AM
Chris Uhlmann is of course married to the (ALP) Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann, so he may feel that he has to show more “balance” than most. He also stood for the local Assembly many years ago as a member of the “Paul Osborne Independents”, but missed out. Osborne was a Canberra Raider and had basically a Catholic party (anti abortion, divorce, etc but pro lots of children). Thankfully now consigned to the dustbin of history.
Stop Murdoch · August 23, 2011 at 2:34 AM
I hate this idea that this is “lazy” journalism.
You're right about the US/astroturf/Tea Party thing, but this is driven by ideology, not laziness.
Murdoch/Fairfax/ABC are all neo-liberal adherents long after the real world worked out it is a failed ideology.
newswithnipples · August 23, 2011 at 2:53 AM
Anyone who says (and believes) that the anti-carbon tax mob/anti-Govt mob aren't being heard is an idiot. They're the only ones being heard.
But Stop Murdoch, I have to disagree with you. It is lazy journalism, based on the idea that two opposing sides makes a story balanced (it doesn't, it just fills it with empty rhetoric and point-scoring, with no real information), and that simply reporting what the Opposition says means you are holding the Government to account. That just means the Opposition sets your news agenda. This is a problem with News Ltd, Fairfax and the ABC, as most political stories begin with “Tony Abbbott says”.
Richard Halcomb · August 23, 2011 at 3:03 AM
You can usually sum up Australian Journalism thusly: Fairfax are Pro-ALP, News Ltd. are Pro-Liberal, The ABC hates WHOEVER is in Government, they ALL fear the Greens, and TV journalism is a corpse.
Richard Halcomb · August 23, 2011 at 3:03 AM
You can usually sum up Australian Journalism thusly: Fairfax are Pro-ALP, News Ltd. are Pro-Liberal, The ABC hates WHOEVER is in Government, they ALL fear the Greens, and TV journalism is a corpse.
Doug · August 23, 2011 at 3:44 AM
Best coverage of the rally was by ABC Local Radio 666 – covering the fall out of the convoy on the country towns on the way to Canberra who stocked up on food on the say so of the organisers and are now substantially in the red, community groups and all. There are a number of seriously unhappy people out there now and the convoy is in their sights.
Spokespeople for the convoy started getting difficult to contact after 666 announcers started asking them factual questions that they didn't like.
Stop Murdoch · August 23, 2011 at 3:52 AM
The Age was pro-Howard at the 2004 election.
But you're right, they all hate the Greens/Independents.
Anonymous · August 23, 2011 at 4:06 AM
The question is though, how do we stop the lazy journalism? I already no longer buy papers, avoid TV and radio news and access online content via rss and social media. I'm at the point where if I ever meet someone who calls themselves a journalist, I will open mock them to their face.
Mr D · August 23, 2011 at 4:18 AM
Anonymous, lazy journalism will stop when people start demanding higher standards. It also might help if politicians stopped jumping to the mainstream media's tune on the misapprehension that anyone is listening.
It isn't JUST the media. As in the UK, it's the whole cosy relationship between media and politicians (who are all advised by former journos anyway).
If the public only knew how compromised and corrupt the system is and how much most (not all) journalists and most (not all) politicians look down on the public they are meant to serve.
Jane · August 23, 2011 at 6:34 AM
Thank GOD someone is saying this stuff out loud. Articulates exactly what I think about the Australian media and its relationship to government. I too get all my news from Social Media and selected RSS feeds and have done for years. Please don't stop – you're doing me the power of good.
Pete Moran · August 23, 2011 at 8:10 AM
A fine post, but I think the explanation is less a conscious effort to deliver idealism, than to stoke the controversy necessary to receive attention.
If those Murdochian papers, websites and the rest of the commercial media filth aren't generating the eyes on their controversy what have they to sell to advertisers??
As long as there is a controversy they'll be there to amplify it, no matter how insane. The more polarising the better. That's the model we're travelling down; pure Murdoch.
(For reference, I think the end-game is someone like Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh – God help us).
That the ABC is sucked into not asking hard questions deserves an inquiry all of it's own.
Avengergirl · August 23, 2011 at 8:15 AM
Brilliantly well said Mr D. The so-called “real” Australians at these blatantly orchestrated events are pandered to by the media (with a few honourable exceptions) and opportunistic politicians. As for the convoy's cattle farmers involved in the abhorrent live export trade and protesting the very temporary ban – where were the questions about their callous complicity in sending countless animals to be brutalised? Oh, that's right, they're farmers, a protected species that must not be questioned. Too bad about the enormous suffering their agribusinesses inflict on millions of helpless animals, and the calls of many thousands of Australians to end the live export trade. So long as it's profitable for the farmers, that's the main thing…..the animals can go to hell, literally.
Anonymous · August 23, 2011 at 8:58 AM
Shame Uhlmann didn't ask the Christian with the flag just how far he had traveled, because the answer would be about 5 km.
Quipper · August 23, 2011 at 10:24 AM
Another great post Mr D.
730reportland · August 23, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Hello Richard Halcomb, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this. http://bit.ly/k0X5Q9 I hope Mr D doesn`t mind.
honourollaustlaborecent. · August 23, 2011 at 6:19 PM
I want a pony too. Mr D points out fact. See our
PM and her latest tweets. Hit the YouTube link.
Link · August 24, 2011 at 1:51 AM
Unfortunately the same reason that Alan Jones is apparently so very popular is the one behind a vocal minority getting such oxygen. It's patently ugly and we're all agog/appalled, including the humble journalist, who measures 'what people want' by his own fairly low moral and ethical standards.
Exceptionally ordinary journalists assume all we are interested in is money, sex, anger, violence and blame. There is irony in the contempt Murdoch has and I wouldn't doubt Alan Jones too, for the very people he markets his trash to.
Its so hard to believe that people actually take Alan Jones seriously in any way shape or form. Can we have a list of names? Maybe they could be re-educated, ridiculed and run out of town.
Anonymous · August 27, 2011 at 9:48 PM
Mr D
You don't have an email address so this is the only way I can bring this piece to your attention. It sums up nicely much that is wrong with political reporting.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/what-if-journalists-stopped-trying-to-be-political-insiders/244167/
cheers
Anonymous · August 27, 2011 at 9:48 PM
Mr D
You don't have an email address so this is the only way I can bring this piece to your attention. It sums up nicely much that is wrong with political reporting.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/what-if-journalists-stopped-trying-to-be-political-insiders/244167/
cheers
Anonymous · August 27, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Hmm – my bad re the post immediately above. I'm overseas and cruising the web. Have subsequently found the interview of Jay Rosen by Tony Jones on Lateline on 25 Aug. I might add that I thought Jones' questions and responses were unhelpful and in denial of the issues.
Anonymous · August 30, 2011 at 5:34 AM
Oh, I long for the day when I can turn on the ABC news and not hear a story start with “Opposition leader Tony Abbott says”…….
Frankly I don't care what he says because he isn't in damn power and is, in my opinion, irrelevant.
I also long for a day when I can hear a politican that can do something, answer a damn question in a straight forward way and not make me feel as though tyey're reading from a script they've rehearsed for weeks on end.
Jane Bovary · September 15, 2011 at 4:37 PM
If only someone would put Alan Jones in a chaff bag and send him out to sea…