Mine: the media disgrace

THE Beaconsfield mine disaster and on-going rescue effort has polarised public attention and that of the Fourth Estate.

I’m speaking as one of ‘the hardy few’ who spent most of Sunday night mine-side with locals desperately awaiting further news of the two survivors.

The scene greeting locals on Monday was nothing short of traumatising.

I will now break the cardinal rule of print media reporting here and write in the first person.

A who’s who of ‘celebrity journalists’ descended on the close-knit mining town all in search of an ‘exclusive interview’ with someone connected to the three miners.

I am not having a go at any of the journalists who treated the bereaved or those whose loved ones are still awaiting rescue, with respect and dignity.

On the contrary, I would like to congratulate the ABC for providing rescuers with some of the electronic equipment necessary to make contact with the trapped miners.

However, the ghoulish handful of sensationalist, lightweight consumer-driven reporters present disgusted me.

These people are largely responsible for the dishevelled condition the Fourth Estate presently finds itself it.

A Current Affair, one of the worst offenders, makes my case quite eloquently with Monday night’s effort as narrated by Tracy Grimshaw.

“And all our hearts go out to those in Beaconsfield and we pray for the miners safe return.”
“Coming up after the break … a new liposuction treatment that will make tuck shop arms a thing of the past.”

Jesus Mary and Joseph, Ms Grimshaw sure managed to cheapen that didn’t she.

Not content to only use the miners’ plight to sell cosmetic surgery they also spent much of the day getting the Channel Nine chopper to do flyovers of the mine and town in an attempt to see into the mine complex.

All they managed to achieve was cause further distress to local residents.

But don’t worry Channel Seven also wheeled out the ‘investigative big guns’ to milk the story for all it’s worth.

Seven’s onslaught began with Koshie and Mel on Sunrise ‘with the inside story,’ followed by Seven Morning News, special hour-long mine miracle edition, concluding with that doyen of all things shallow and salacious Naomi Robson and Today Tonight.

All told there were probably around 150 journalists and support staff camped outside the mine yesterday.

Most were only interested in news per se but some major networks using it to help boost ratings and sell infomercials was a low point for Australian journalism.

If the Fourth Estate is a voice for the Public Sphere than just what are they saying and is it worth listening to?