ARTICLE MAY OFFEND

Is it Real?

Image assumed to be of Jamie Gao[1]

The media hype over the last few weeks has been the death of the Jamie Gao who was found dead wrapped in a tarpaulin floating off the NSW coast.  One of the most significant media factors to this story is the fact that several newspapers/electronic mediums published the image of the deceased and identified the deceased. Such an image apparently outrageous and explicit. Yet no more graphic than seen in many M rated television programmes. Is it that the person was once a part of the community that the visualisation of the deceased is so socially taboo?

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Man being eaten alive by tiny dinosaurs in Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World: Rated PG  http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhxjjkkDB51qciujko1_500.gif

The next relevant factor is that they were a victim. If they were a perpetrator of a heinous crime would society be as offended? And furthermore the intersection of fictitious and non-fictional media must be broached. Under which circumstances would this image be less offensive? There are many Hollywood films which have shown much more graphic and detailed imagery to a significantly larger audience with much less attention. The film Jurassic park, I have chosen for its complete removal from reality, rated PG without any legal restrictions placed on who can view its content shows characters being graphically maimed by fictitious recreations of dinosaurs. We have from each of these characters a context and an audio/visual relationship with them from the beginning of their journey until their usually grizzly demise.

Such content is deemed as television. Yet, compared to Hollywood’s standards, this insignificant and bland photo appears to be drawing controversy.  The ability for the media to manipulate the perspective of its readers is incredible. What is even more incredible is the pliability of media. If exposed to an image ignorant of the circumstances, a situation can be constructed. Yet such the simple image of a man in a tarpaulin, when rooted within reality is enough to start an outcry.  This is the by-product of rationalisation[2], which sees that the information provided visually will be processed differently to information provided within a fictitious context. 

This is a still from the film Se7en which is accessible to anybody who can type on a keyboard. There is no warning present on the search engine and the image is freely accessible.

Unlike many other sights which contain much less graphic imagery, but of actual occurrences which provide disclaimers such as:

☠☠ WARNING! ☠

The stories mentioned on this site are of real deaths (famous or otherwise), and may contain graphic pics, text and/or videos. This site is NOT for the squeamish or Faint of Heart! You have been warned.

http://themanyfacesofdeath.blogspot.com.au/p/real-deaths-captured-on-film.html

The outrage occurring due to the publication of the image of Gao in such mediums which are access so easily by the mass, mediums also not associated with imagery of such contexts, was a shock value move on behalf of the news companies. It has been studied that shock value in mediums such as news and advertising significantly increases attention, benefits memory, and positively influences behaviour among affected people.[3] In regards to presenting the image and the impact it holds on many people well it is the next step in the desensitisation of society. In the 1960’s Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller psycho was refused classification due to its graphic content and was awarded an X rating, but now it is sold with an M15+ rating.[4] Unfortunately Gao is the poster child for the next step of media shock value

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[1] Mullaney, A (2014). Wrapped body found floating near Shelly Beach, Cronulla may be missing student Jamie Gao. Available:Wrapped body found floating near Shelly Beach, Cronulla may be missing student Jamie Gao. Last Accessed Date:1/6/2014.

[2] Burton, L; Westin, D & Kowalski, R (2012).Psychology. 3 .Australia: John Wiley & Sons. 432-434

[3] Dahl, D. W; Frankenberger, K. D. & Manchanda, R, V, (2003).Does It Pay to Shock? Reactions to Shocking and Non shocking Advertising Content among University Students. Journal of Advertising Research. 43(3), 268-280.

[4] Filmsite (2013). Psycho (1960). Available:http://www.filmsite.org/psyc.html. Last Accessed Date:1/6/2014.

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The Coward Punch and Media Pressure

Has society become more violent? Kings cross is of course so much more violent and dangerous than it was back in the ‘80’s when it was notoriously run by bikies and drug king-pins. Yet now more than ever, not only does Kings Cross seem to draw more attention than most suburbs within Sydney’s greater metropolitan district, but it is also the focus of a major movement to restrict the late night activities of not just Sydney siders, but of all those living and present within NSW.

''It's the police that rolled over. They were the weak ones. They gave everyone up.'' They were ''dobbing each other in like sucky kids at Sunday school''[1]

The new policies concerning the notorious “one-punch policies”[2] now in place in NSW, as well as curfews[3] recently placed upon establishments serving alcohol after hours demonstrate the immediate effect of fear mongering by social media.

The over exposure of the deaths of teenagers in the cross were used as a tool to produce mass fear in the lives of those who indulged in night time activities within Kings Cross. The first newspaper articles to report on this event focussed solely on the event of an eighteen year old focussed solely on statements such as:

"A positive change needs to come from such a negative situation.

"We would like 'coward punches' to be a thing of the past.

"People have the right to go out without experiencing mindless violence."[4]

With complete disregard to elements of the story which did not appear to capture the sympathetic audience.

The court was told McNeil allegedly told police Mr Gill and Mr Flynn approached him over the purchase of drugs and he became protective of his partner. He said he was not drunk and alcohol did not affect his judgment.[5] 

This is not to dismiss the situation of the victim’s situation, but it is to acknowledge that there is rarely a one sided situation. Research has shown that media tends to choose cases for publication which present variation with the statistical norm.[6] The occurrences of deaths due to one-punch killings in Australia are recorded as being only 90 deaths since 2000 for the entire country.[7] Which means that over the last 14 years each state/territory has had approximately 0.91836 deaths per year from king-hit related violence. The statistical evidence for this would mean that events such as the one punch killings, which have allegedly plagued Kings Cross, are a social irregularity which has been acted upon with haste.

Notorious location for alcohol-fuelled violence: Kings Cross. Photo: Steve Lunam

http://www.smh.com.au/national/90-killed-in-singlepunch-assaults-since-2000-20131201-2yjtr.html#ixzz33pQ6LiH7

Driving this haste in legislation change is the media posting images like this within its articles. The use of language such as “notorious” and the image of a victim to some ailment, which is assumed to be alcohol related violence, being carted away triggers the emotional reaction which not only sells newspapers but insights fear for change.  

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[1] Jacobsen, G. (2010). Good crims, bad crims in the Cross. Available:http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/good-crims-bad-crims-in-the-cross-20100404-rlsf.html. Last Accessed Date:2/06/2014.

[2] NSW Government (2014). One Punch Can Ruin Lives. Available:http://www.nsw.gov.au/onepunch. Last Accessed Date:2/06/2014.

[3] NSW Government (2014). New Alcohol Laws. Available:http://www.nsw.gov.au/newlaws. Last Accessed Date:2/06/2014.

[4] ABC (2014). Daniel Christie death: Shaun McNeil charged with murder over New Year's Eve assault. Available:http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-13/shaun-mcneil-murder-charge-one-punch-death-daniel-christie/5197764. Last Accessed Date:2/06/2014.

[5] Danks, K (2014). Bashing victim Daniel Christie's family speaks out: believes 'king hit' is more like 'coward's punch'. Available:http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/bashing-victim-daniel-christies-family-speaks-out-believes-king-hit-is-more-like-cowards-punch/story-fni0cx12-1226793349087. Last Accessed Date:2/06/2014.

[6] Sorenson, S. B. & Peterson, J. G. (1998).News Media Coverage and Epidemiology of Homicide. American Journal of Public Health. 88(10), 1514.

[7] Dow, A. (2013). 90 killed in single-punch assaults since 2000. Available:http://www.smh.com.au/national/90-killed-in-singlepunch-assaults-since-2000-20131201-2yjtr.html. Last Accessed Date:2/06/2014.

Police Powers and the Media

The media and the police force have been intertwined since the beginning of societies.  Whether it be a police force of the contemporary order or the exacting force of a government body implementing capital punishment, the media has played a large role in the public’s accessibility to the legal ramifications of the justice system.

This is a video shot off a mobile phone in the USA with the title cops behavingbadly.flv.[1] Posted on YouTube this video promotes an anti-police authority mentality which is reflected in the numerous posts left bellow this clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oIb51CdHY

The comments posted below this clip generally read with three distinct perspectives. The first being that of distain for the police actions taken, that of praise for the police and the third category is that of criticism of those comments which praised the actions taken.

Unlike the classical days of authority implementation when legal authority was not questioned the mass media has presented society two deceptive perspectives which constantly collide and ignite social tension. Published in the Journal of Criminal Justice are many articles which look at the fictitious depiction of police and the findings of recent “research suggesting that images of policing created unrealistic public expectations about real policing and disappointment when police did not perform like their media portrayals”[2] The second perspective is that of situational sources such as the internet and other such platforms which allow for individualised and non-regulated images of police to be distributed.

“Findings for contextual variables reveal that, regardless of whether contact was voluntary or involuntary, an individual's perception of unsatisfactory or unfair treatment decreased the probability of positive perceptions.”[3]

These two presentations of police activity present a conflicting and unrealistic model of which authority cannot adhere. The fictitious perspectives of good cops overcoming all in their quest to uphold the law presents a standard which reality is then compared against. This unobtainable standard is then placed against perceptions of police indiscretions and unsatisfactory actions to highlight just how far the police are from the unobtainable and socially desired standard of the fictitiously constructed media-police.

Societies require social cohesion for the betterment of their circumstances, but paradoxically it would appear that the institutions involved with the organising and implementation of measures required for such social cohesions are the centre of media attention. The focus placed upon the police force within contemporary socio-climates is that of an abstract nature to which the vilification of their presence is an inevitable by product. The media in its both customised nature as well as its counterpart of being entirely socially accessible for both editation and consumption provides the perfect platform for overwhelming of any individual institution- such as that of the law enforcement agency of any community.

It is the freedom of opinion that defines the democratic states of the world and yet it is also the freedom such opinion which holds back the productivity of societies. The double edged sword which is democratic freedoms; allows for the spreading of slander, ignorance and misconceptions as well as the provides citizens the freedom to exist in a state which recognises the individuality of each citizen.

A police force is only as strong as the citizens which it is created from. Not to say that I am advocating a communist, fascist or any other dictatorship styled governance, but to look at the benefits that such a model of government has on law enforcement. The rights of citizens and the power of the legal system are at the mercy of one another and it is the mass media and its influence which appear to now hold a firm grasp over the direction such sway will go.

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[1] FlipsideJedi's channel (2012). cops behaving badly.flv. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oIb51CdHY. Last Accessed Date:22/05/2014.

[2] Kenneth, D. & Zawilskib, V. (2007).Public perceptions of police misconduct and discrimination: Examining the impact of media consumption. Journal of Criminal Justice. 35(2), 194.

[3] Correia, M. E; Reiseg, M. D & Lovrich, N. P. (1996) Public perceptions of State Police: An Analysis of Individual-Level and Contextual Variables. Journal of Criminal Justice. 24(1), 25.

The Media’s Creation and Perpetuation of Social Villains

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/33200000/love-forever-joker-heath-ledger-the-joker-33276652-1920-1080.jpg

Who is a villain? Do they have to be considered a threat to a hospital full of elderly citizens? Or are they the as simple as the post man delivering the neighbours mail into your mail slot? The truth is the true villains are those of the Middle East, predominately those of the Islamic tradition. A bold statement I know but it must be true. As I opened the home pages of Channel10news, ABCnews and News.com.au I was bombarded with scenes of individuals of Middle Eastern appearance indulging in less than acceptable activities including burying and then stoning a woman[1] and standing in front of an arsenal of weapons[2].

The social villain constructed within the Australian economy of media transfer is that of the historically feared invader. He who is not of Anglo descent with a strange tongue and different clothes is, for lack of linguistic finesse, bad.

“Declaration of Prime Minister John Howard; ‘We will choose who comes into this country.’”[3]

http://www.news.com.au/world/what-you-need-to-know-about-stonings-and-honour-killings/story-fndir2ev-1226934316113

But where have these perspectives of who is good and who is bad come from. In its simplest derivation could it be argued that without the influence of cultural exploitation and exposure from the media the perspectives of most societies to their neighbouring states would be very different?

In recent time the most obvious and clichéd incidents of media focus is that of the events from the Middle East, mainly in the countries Afghanistan and Iraq. The events of 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq for weapons of mass destruction exposed a new land which had never received such international focus.

These widespread negative images also show how pervasively anti-Arab and anti-Muslim attitudes have become accepted or adopted by Westerners who consider themselves impartial and open-minded.[4]

But how has media facilitated such radical perspective of who is bad? And furthermore, what would drive institutions to create such a frenzy as to subject an entire culture to such vilification?  It would be nice to acknowledge that all Muslim people from Iraq are evil, it would also be just if it were true. It would be clean and simple and easy. It would be a lie. The vilification of this culture allows for fear to be created, and as a by-product of ear is the need for self-preservation.

One researches and gathers information to ensure they know how best to preserve their self. Enter the media; the one stop shop to know who will harm you and your country! The media in its capitalist situation is like any other institution which needs to create urgency and demand for its product. Why would one buy something that is not relevant or in any way insightful to their life.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=xBZ6IWCWes2lbM&tbnid=CYr-Rn_MfpL3kM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fterronezlibrary.edublogs.org%2F2010%2F03%2F07%2Freturn-books-on-time-and-avoid-fines%2F&ei=FOCHU_6ZMsOckAXw5YDgBA&bvm=bv.67720277,d.dGI&psig=AFQjCNFlim1XE30IHGDay0X44a7NHqDXjw&ust=1401500042348125

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQI0tdmJ6TvG-vixKUhxBlqWDfb3fsWG6b0y9abPzARpD8QsoNQKg

 

I have presented two issues, one more relevant than the other. The first is a protest internationally which has people demonstrating their disdain for the USA- and thus their western values. The second is a notice for people to return library books on time.  The fear in spiring true life, but intercontinentally separate story is much more engaging than the relevance of a local non-life threatening situation. The library threatens nothing more than a fine, yet is immediate and local. The idea of death being imposed upon a nation is distant but still powerful.

The media are aware of the concept of self-preservation and there is nothing more satisfying to a reader than the ability to be in control and be informed about the world’s perspective and what they should do to continue living in the life they love. In it’ll only be $1.99 a day to be kept in the loop!

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[1]Australian Government (2014). Home page. Available: http://www.abc.net.au/news/. Last Accessed Date:28/05/14.

[2] News Corp Australia  (2014). Home page. Available: http://www.news.com.au/. Last Accessed Date:28/05/14.

[3] Richards, Eric (2008). Destination Australia : Migration to Australian since 1901. 1 .Australia: University of NSW Press. 329

[4] Mohammed M. Aman (2013).Images of Muslims In western Scholarship and Media Post 9/11. Digest of Middle Eastern Studies. 22(1), 44.