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It seems we have two types of media in the country. The hateful Sky News after dark, shock jock, angry columnist types spew racism, sexism and lies for political gain. The other soft type don’t behave like that but also won’t call haters out. That’s the problem. A thread👇🏻
This situation was perfectly represented when the St Kilda Nazi rally was depicted by the ‘soft’ media as an ‘activist’ rally, rather than calling it what it was: the rise of white supremacy.
What the journos from this soft media tend to do is frame both sides as behaving badly. False equivalency. Us tweeps who have been saying for YEARS that white supremacy is rising in Australia are called hysterical, trolls, unhinged, brokens, anything to basically delegitimise us.
Another example is obvious race baiting of African immigrants in News Corp papers which though not repeated in soft media, is also not called out for what it is. There seems to be a policy across all media that they don’t criticise their colleagues. Full stop.
So what ends up happening is the public consume the hateful media, and the soft media give hateful media a free pass to continue their hate. Sometimes the hate media is even put on soft media shows to provide ‘balance’. For instance on ABC Drum or QandA.
Through this ‘both sides behave badly’ frame, hate has risen unabated and has been normalised. Four Corners does soft interview of white supremacist Steve Bannon and those like me who complain are told the ABC isn’t into censorship.
Part of the problem is the soft media has decided they won’t say anything that sounds like they actually have an opinion on hate speech and racism because they might accidentally be biased. Being biased is apparently worse than being hateful. So they in effect say nothing.
The balance thing is why Pauline Hanson gets a regular platform across all media. She snaps her fingers and they all come running. Anning was elected on Hanson’s ticket. How’s that working out for you all?
Until we see good journalists consistently calling out hate journalism and hate commentators for what they are - radicalisation of our culture - the right wing white supremacist movement will continue to grow to the detriment of all of us.
It’s time journos had a long hard think about what their role in society is, and why it’s important that they keep watch over politics AND media, and that they do this from a value base that is born from a will to ALWAYS DO GOOD.
The media have HUGE power over who is elected, what the public find out about those who are elected, and what is considered normal and acceptable in society. With power comes responsibility. Use that responsibility for good. No more soft false balance. End.
