This annotated bibliography endeavors to recognize the relationship between politicians and the media, particularly the portrayal of politicians, focusing on the case of MP Craig Thomson and the credit card scandal surrounding him at this current time. Articles from the Brisbane Times online, Ninemsn and ABC's 7:30 Report will be analyzed and annotated as well as the academic text, Adversarial Moments: A Study of Short-Form Interviews in the News, from Swedish scholar Goran Eriksson.
Eriksson, G. (2011, January) Adversarial Moments: A Study of Short-Form Interviews in the News. Journalism vol. 12 chapter 1: pp. 51 - 69
The author of this journal, Goran Eriksson, is currently an academic lecturer for Research Methods and Methodology as well as Communication Theory at Orebro University in Sweden. Eriksson’s many years of academic practice and research are highly evident throughout the peice as he writes with clarity, insight and professionalism. Agenda Setting and the development of a more adversarial, critical or interpretive form of news journalism is discussed throughout the article with a specific focus on the portrayal of politicians by the use of short-form interviews in news stories, Eriksson highlights how such interviews are often reduced to single turns or answers. With a significant use of citations Eriksson adds credibility to his article. He outlines the communicative techniques used when politicians’ answers are cut and incorporated into news stories, and how these techniques are related to the roles of both politicians and reporters. Throughout the entire piece Eriksson begs the question - what potential relationships are set up between politicians, reporters and viewers? Swedish television data from 1978, 1993 and 2003 is analyzed to corroborate with Eriksson’s hypothesis, the analysis shows that in the early period, news journalism appears as a mediator or interrogator while in the latter periods, news journalism appears in an adversarial role, essentially becoming more of an interpreter or a critical interrogator of politician’s actions.
Journalist Phillip Coorey is based in Canberra as Chief Political Correspondent for the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’, which he joined in 2005. He has an extensive and reputable resume, previously working as Political Editor for Adelaide's ‘The Advertiser’ and then in New York as a correspondent for News Limited in 2003 and 2004, Coorey has also been in the Canberra Press Gallery since 1998. His worthiness and reliability to report on the scandal surrounding MP Craig Thomson is hard to deny, as he has proven himself somewhat of an expert in the field of politics. However Coorey’s article does not comply with the views of Eriksson’s text, as he gives a balanced report throughout, not allowing his own bias to seep through but simply representing all opposing sides, including that of Mr. Thomson himself.
An author was not listed for this article so therefore the possible motives or bias of that person or persons cannot be identified. While Ninemsn is often noted to be very much an outlet for entertainment rather than factual, newsworthy stories, the article did have a professional structure in which many credible factors within the scandal were noted. However it did have a noticeable trace of bias throughout, leaning towards Mr. Thomson being guilty, for example some of the evidence against him was listed “…asked how payments for prostitutes were made on credit cards that he controlled, and how his driver's license details and signature appeared on receipts…”. The author is blatantly insinuating how ridiculous it is that Mr. Thomson might dismiss such claims. The position of Mr. Thomson was not illustrated clearly in the article, which is coherent with the points made in Eriksson’s text, that the media can shape people’s view of a politician simply by what they do not allow them to say. The Ninemsn article also ends on somewhat of an anti-ALP, anti-Thomson note with this statement, “every union member and Labor member across the country would be horrified if these allegations are true, because every hard-earned dollar that is contributed to unions, contributed to the Labor Party, should be used for appropriate purposes”.
The 7:30 Report, broadcast on the ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is considered a reputable, balanced media outlet. The ABC is a form of Public Media, therefore it can be assumed that there is no hidden agenda or bias toward any party as it is not profit driven. The May 21 broadcast regarding Craig Thomson’s speech to parliament in which he defends himself was the focal point of the story; the commentary is from both presenter Chris Uhlmann and Political Editor Heather Ewart whom is actually conducting the report. Heather Ewart is considered one of ABC’S most skilled and experienced journalists with a diverse career in print, radio and television. She has reported for bureaus in Canberra, London, Washington and Brussels and has also held the role of Chief Political Correspondent in Canberra for ABC radio. In 2007 Ewart was awarded the Monash University ‘Gold Quill for Excellence in Victorian Journalism’ award. Chris Uhlmann joined the ABC as a radio producer in 1998; from 2000 until December 2004 he co-hosted a range of ABC radio shows before working in Canberra as Chief Political Correspondent for radio current affairs in 2006. Chris switched to television in 2008 and has been Political Editor for ABC News, The 7.30 Report and ABC News 24; in 2008 he won a Walkley Award for Broadcast Interviewing. The televised report displayed a balance of opinion; however Eriksson’s text which highlights the use of ‘short form’ interviews in which the appearance of the politician is decided on what excerpts the media chooses to include was highly relevant to this report.
