Download Comparative Essay EXEMPLAR

News Program Analysis
Democratic systems such as the kind we have in Australia require media information systems for a freethinking and educated population. There are currently a disturbing number of Australian citizens that have an
enormous dependence on “Current Affairs” programs such Channel Seven’s Today Tonight for their primary
source of information. Presented in the style of news programming, these shows attempt to justify their
biased, unethical and un-news-worthy stories with false pretence of education. The programs become
extremely popular due to their ‘entertaining’ qualities; biased and often untruthful information disguised as a
form of news, means that the power that these programs wield against an uneducated population is
enormous. Therefore the ownership of media institutions which govern such programs must be carefully
examined. The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a parallel content analysis survey conducted
over the period of three days (27 – 30 October) for both Channel Seven’s Today Tonight and the ABC’s 7:30
Report which will then be analyzed as to how news media presentation differs between a government
sponsored media institution (The ABC) and a commercial television station (Channel Seven). More specifically,
the paper will examine how the nature of each institution effects the final product. Both programs were
analyzed for bias, sensationalism, recurring themes, persuasive productive techniques and commercialism
affecting the programs. The ABC’s 7:30 Report has been found to be the more viable contributor to a freethinking and educated Australian population.
Firstly, Channel Seven is a commercial television station. The largest in Australia in terms of spread, Channel
Seven has overtaken Channel Nine in the lead for popularity in recent years and is therefore extremely
influential as to the broad audience that its programming reaches. Today Tonight is a Channel Seven tabloid
journalism program notorious for sensationalized reporting of “community issues”. According to the
Australian Communication and Media Authority, Today Tonight has been marked several times for factual
inaccuracy. The show has been running since 1995 at five days a week, and its ratings have been usually
around 1.5 million people, ranking it in the top ten rated programs according to Oztam. The Australian
Broadcasting Corporation (the ABC) is a government funded and sponsored television and radio network. Its
in-depth “Current Affairs” program is the 7:30 Report, a four day per week since 1986 and is known for its
coverage of national and globally significant issues. Typical ratings for this program are about 0.8 million. Both
these programs are therefore incredibly influential as to the level of educated journalism that the Australian
people absorb.
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News Program Analysis
In Today Tonight’s broadcast on the 27th of October, the story entitled “Rich Pickings” was blatantly driven by
commercial interests and a biased appeal to a lower income audience. The story discusses the many auctions
of luxury items in the wake of the financial meltdown. The story was constructed specifically to appeal to a
lower-income audience, with an appeal to classism. This theme of class struggle between the high and low
echelons of society is recurring in Today Tonight’s programming, and is meant to ‘make friends’ with the lower
income audience. The reporter once referred to higher income earners as “fat cats” and accompanied with the
title of the story, “Rich Pickings”, it is clear that Today Tonight is attempting to ‘side’ with the average income
earner. One interviewee was shown saying, “There are some signs that the big hand is cracking. But, you
know, some of them deserve it.” This in combination with the closing interviewee’s statement, “someone’s
pain is your gain,” clearly shows that Margaret McKinnon’s story is appealing to classism. But the style of the
article is closer to an advertisement than a report. Language used in the story adhered to the advertising style,
with phrases such as, “everything must go,” “all awaiting your bid,” “your first luxury car purchase awaits,” “All
yours, for $70,000,” “Ever thought about buying a boat?” and “Times are tough but there are bargains out
there,” said by anchor Matthew White and reporter Margaret McKinnon. These phrases, accompanied with
fast paced editing between luxury items on sale, are clearly aimed at exciting the average income earner into a
buying frenzy. The article even foregrounds Grays.com.au, an auction site selling the luxury items being
discussed, inviting the audience to partake in the process. Furthermore, the price-tag overlays contrasting the
original and the new reduced price are a juxtaposition aimed at shock value for the average income audience.
The use of a flash of light between shots of luxury vehicles is also a blatant manipulation of the ‘wow’ factor.
Reporter Margaret McKinnon even at one stage said, “nothing says [indescribably rich] like a BMW.” This
appallingly blatant commercialism is an excellent example of how the commercial nature of the station effects
the news outcome.
Also in that episode, the story by reporter Rodney Lowes regarding infamous con-man Ron Fredricks is an
appallingly biased and over-simplified representation of the issue, aimed at playing on the audience’s
emotions. Anchor Matthew White’s introduction included, “There’s some good news tonight: ’Ron the Con’ is
in jail, and he’ll be spending Christmas behind bars.” This celebratory element of his language is part of an
overall simplification of the story into a one-sided presentation of the issue; knowing that a significant number
of people would celebrate such an event, Today Tonight has tailored the story in order to increase ratings, at
the cost of an even marginally objective report. At several times during the story, reporter Rodney Lowes is
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News Program Analysis
shown entering the subject’s private abode clearly without permission, and clearly with the intention of
aggravating the subject to hit him. With success, the goal of the effort was achieved: Ron immediately looks
like a ‘sore loser’ and the antagonist of the situation. The camerawork in that segment adhered to the ‘caught
in the act’ style, contributing to the apparent validity of that representation. Rodney Lowes is later shown
walking with the subject and making a joke at his expense. Lowes also used phrases such as “his dirty deeds,”
“ruining dozens of people’s lives,” and later said to Ron on his way into court, “Every day you get is a day you
deserve.” Not only is this aimed at once again antagonizing the subject, but at ‘scoring ground’ with the
audience. This attempt to ‘make friends’ with the audience is a commercially driven method of boosting
ratings at the cost of journalistic ethics and objectivity.
In contrast, the 7:30 Report displays a far less sensationalized manner of reporting. The lead story of the
episode broadcast on the 27th of October regarding the Federal Government’s decision not to guarantee
market investments is an appropriate example of the 7:30 Report’s style of reporting. Throughout the story,
both sides of the argument were shown equally through experts and officials, providing a balanced view of the
issue at hand. Very little music was used, title graphics were plain and conservative and lighting throughout
the episode appeared natural; these elements in addition to camerawork, interview questions, editing and
sound were in no way manipulated to form bias or misrepresentation of the issue. Language use was also
plain and in no way sensationalized; appropriate for formal journalism.
Particularly in the highlighted lead stories of economics and politics, it is clear that the aim of the 7:30 Report
is not to entertain, but rather to educate viewers about both sides of the story, as well as question the
government’s decisions. For example, the story broadcast on the 27th of October regarding the Northern
Territory Intervention was constructed as an expository piece. Anchor Kerry O’Brien established in his
introduction that there was a belief that the intervention had undermined its original purpose. Without
discrediting that belief, he led into the story with the question, “So what has the intervention achieved in
promoting better health?”. This is an excellent example of the expository nature of the 7:30 Report; seeing
that there is one aspect of the story or the issue that is not commonly understood, the program aims at
explaining that side of issue through experts and witnesses to form a balanced representation. Also, this is an
example of the 7:30 Report questioning the government’s decision, which research has found to be a frequent
aspect of the program despite the government’s funding and sponsorship of the ABC. This education before
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News Program Analysis
entertainment style of “Current Affairs” programming entails significantly more journalist integrity than the
starkly contrasting commercially driven ‘entertainment’ style adopted by Today Tonight, and thus gives the
7:30 Report significantly more factual credibility.
This paper has found that non-commercial media institutions are far healthier for a democracy. If power is
given to corporations driven by profit and consumerism, then the population’s view of the world will be
controlled by profit and consumerism. Today Tonight is an appalling example of how stories are selected
based on commercialism, how people and issues are over-simplified and biased with the purpose of playing
on the audience’s emotions and how journalistic ethics and integrity are lost in the name of ratings and profit.
The 7:30 Report on the other hand, is aimed not towards sensationalism and profit, but rather towards
educating the Australian people and encouraging a questioning and free-thinking society. In conclusion, it is
vital for a democratic nation such as Australia to remove the commercial drive of profit from media
institutions such as Channel Seven through significant government funding.
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News Program Analysis
Bibliography
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27/10/2008, 7:30 Report, Australian Broadcasting Corporations, [Recorded television program]
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
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
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
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
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
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
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