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Peddling outrage and disgust : Comments
By Michael Visontay, published 9/6/2009The Matthew Johns-Sharks affair is a story about the power of broadcast media, rather than about the morality of footballer culture.
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Posted by Cornflower, Friday, 12 June 2009 10:12:36 AM
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The Four Corners treatment of the 'Clare' story did miss important facts that were essential to the audience's understanding of events and would have given some semblance of balance to the otherwise slanted version of it. The ABC has been careful not to say if Four Corners simply told 'Clare' and Johns it was doing the story. Given the way some journalists work, it wouldn't be surprising if both parties had been surprised by a phone call and dragooned into taking part. There has been nothing to say that 'Clare' approached Four Corners. The ABC's Media Watch further exploited all of the parties, avoiding criticism of Four Corners' sloppy journalism and probable ethical deficiencies by masking it all with nanny-style moralising.
A very obvious example of bias in reporting is the kid gloves treatment accorded to HOME And Away starlet Jodi Gordon. Had she been an AFL or NRL footballer certain sections of the media (and Pynchme) would have been calling for her shaming and immediate trashing of her employment contract. As it is, the media is happy to report how Jodi is doing a bit of 'retail therapy' in shops to overcome her 'distress'. Ben Cousins should have been so lucky.
Regarding group sex and other adventurous (for want of a better word) sexual practices, there is plenty of evidence in art and literature of such goings on over the centuries and at all levels of society (especially the upper classes who had the time and money for such entertainment). It might not be my cup of tea but like many others I am wondering why only sportsMEN are under the spotlight when when it is very likely that their 'betters' in society, including women (but of course) might dabble somewhat in sexual athleticism themselves.
It is a strange morality that only judges (sports)men.