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The Forum > Article Comments > Tabloids' bigger crime to foster fear > Comments

Tabloids' bigger crime to foster fear : Comments

By Crispin Hull, published 18/7/2011

News deserves sanction for its phone hacking practices, but even more for its promotion of a climate of fear.

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What an excellent article and relevant to more than just the examples given. Would-be authoritarians have long understood the power of keeping a populace fearful and it's much better to do so with imaginary fears than having to go to the effort of creating or dealing with real ones.

The journalism profession is not solely to blame: this is a tacit collaboration between media, manipulative political operatives and a population that has become so sheltered that bogeymen are the biggest problem that most ever have to face.

It's a simple equation for propagandists: discuss only extremes and always emphasis the victim and you'll gain sympathy from 100% of women and about 50% of men, meaning you'll automatically be in front at the ballot box or in front of the jury.

When we have serious publications from Government that equate having a noisy mutual argument with a punch and never, ever mention that women can be anything other than victims, the broad reach and obvious failing of this sort of thing is obvious.
Posted by Antiseptic, Monday, 18 July 2011 8:13:38 AM
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I think you can go much further in condemning yellow journalism than just writing of how parents' natural worry of child abduction is used to sell newspapers.
The world was stampeded into the second Iraq war by hyping our fear of a few terrorists hiding in a cave in Afghanistan. This could have been handled as a police matter. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with it. But jingoistic yellow journalism made the world fearful, and it has (we have) been paying the price of that overreaction ever since.
Or take today's main story, the carbon tax. Abbott is getting away with stoking fear by saying families and companies will be sent down the gurgler because of it. He offers little to back up his assertions, but journos love him. The public's confidence is suffering as a result of his negativity which is reported ad nauseam.
I often despair at what Gillard says and how she says it, but she got it exactly right last week: Don't write crap!
Posted by halduell, Monday, 18 July 2011 12:19:43 PM
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Yes an interesting article, but it looks to be putting a band aid on a scratch while ignoring both legs have been cut off.
This giant has been run for the benefit of its owners and family.
Few balanced observers will be unaware Rupert's Dad held great power, politicians, even prime ministers called him sir.
No secret, his Australian editors get riding instructions from him, in politics cooperate, financial self interest.
If all the crimes, the interventions and sponsorships, the influence in policy, this giant has seen ever becomes publicly known, our very foundations will be rocked forever.
Had a normal person committed one ten of one percent of this groups lets Say interventions, prison would be the result.
Question for my country.
Is government by Democratic system or can it be bought and paid for by cash and sponsorship.
If the answer is no some is doing great harm to My country and others based on bank account not anything else.
Posted by Belly, Monday, 18 July 2011 12:59:45 PM
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Tabloids, and other news outlets like to print stories that the public likes to read. Shark attacks, and other sensational news will never affect the average reader, but it is interested, and they buy the papers that cover it.

For example what is the global significance of whom Paris Hilton has just hooked up with? but more people want to read about it than the independence of South Sudan.

This is not the newspapers' fault.
Posted by Shadow Minister, Monday, 18 July 2011 1:53:19 PM
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"Crime is falling. It has been steadily falling for all the time we can get information about it (going back to the Middle Ages in Europe)".

Where did you get those figures? Overland and Brumby? Rann and Hyde?

We have in many cases stopped reporting crime (why waste time when we know it won't be investigated?) - I've not reported any of the 11 crimes committed against me in the past 2 years (attempted and successful break and enter, theft, car and other property vandalism), crimes that I would have reported 30 years ago.

Lies, damned lies and statistics; everyone I've discussed society with has indicated they know crime has increased, and it IS NOT because we read tabloids (or the Australian), and to suggest we are so stupid as to blindly follow what you term "the exaggerated coverage of crime" whereas you are too clever to fall for it is an affront to most of us.
Posted by L.B.Loveday, Monday, 18 July 2011 2:17:54 PM
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This was a great article. To LBLoveday, i believe the assertion that crime has been falling for decades at least. The statistics are not always easy to interpret, however, statistics on murder tend to be accurate. All murders are reported and you should be able to find murder statistics on the website of the ABS.
In Western Australia the news on the commercial TV stations is made up of at least 75% assaults and other unpleasant crime. This week it was an attack by a group of young men on another young man. This was played on every news report for four days. In a city of 1.5 million people, would you not expect at least one significant crime per week? This does not mean that crime is out of control, or increasing. It simply means we live in a big city. But the perception is that if you step out your front door you will almost certainly be beaten and robbed.
Posted by Rhys Jones, Monday, 18 July 2011 3:59:06 PM
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Dear Prof. Crispin Hull,

In your article of 18 July you told us of Haid’s Moral Foundation Theory.

In the article of 11Nov 2009 you told us that:” The vast bulk of Journalists honestly try to get it right, but the Media does distort”.

In this article you tell us that: “News organizations like to play on fear”.

“That human emotion is a key to News Value” and “Journalists will do a lot to get those stories, even stooping to illegality”.

Thanks for the lesson but it has not changed the reality that a journalist is one who causes mischief by reporting reality biased by his or her blinkered vision and personal motivations who cannot but play at the tune of who can pay the highest wage
Posted by skeptic, Monday, 18 July 2011 9:30:25 PM
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The Murdoch press constantly demonises Muslims.While I don't like the religion,there are other groups and religions who also have serious flaws.

The reasoning behind his media campaigns to slander Muslims,is to justify the invasion of Muslim oil rich countries for profit and power.
Posted by Arjay, Tuesday, 19 July 2011 12:38:19 AM
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Rhys Jones
Yes, but murders are few and a decrease can be just a statistical blip. Also, because of advances in medical care, people now live who would have died in the past, although that more relates to manslaughter.

But murder, while horrific for the few affected, affects the every day life of very few. The mindless graffiti and other vandalism, gratuitous abuse, "petty" theft that affect us all have spiralled in my lifetime.

We used to ride pushbikes to school, shops, the railway station, leave them untethered and when we came back they were still there - chains were for driving the back wheel. Now the police and pollies say you only have yourself to blame if it is stolen, and the railways have installed rentable metal containers to store bikes - even chains are not enough.

We got to the station by an underpass, but the government filled that in because of the increase in assaults therein. If we drive, the police warn us to take our GPS from the car so as to "not encourage" thieves - our local police seriously wrote in the paper that we should take valuables into the shops with us, or should expect to have them stolen, and walk around the carparks noting cars with valuables displayed, look up the owner and admonish them.

I and a neighbour have had our cars jacked up and the wheels stolen. I was in Sydney and a neighbour wasted her time ringing the police, who had a look then contacted me and ordered me to secure the vehicle because it could injure someone - another thief on my private property, maybe? The police told the neighbour to secure his car behind a locked gate (he'd left the gate open, as so many did with impunity years ago - and even left cars safely on the street).

Even SA Pollies have acknowledged the increase in violence in and around pubs since the smoking ban.

Does anyone seriously claim that children and their parents used to abuse and assault teachers at anything like the present rate?
Posted by L.B.Loveday, Tuesday, 19 July 2011 10:48:21 AM
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8649209/News-of-the-World-phone-hacking-as-it-happened-July-19.html
We will not see press reporting like this in our country.
It has depth balance and is far better than anything I have seen in Murdock's papers.
The standards in England would be very welcome here.
Posted by Belly, Wednesday, 20 July 2011 6:18:10 PM
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