Marginalisation by Media
Since the 1982 Australian Prime minister , paraphrased George Bernard Shaw’ with comment “life wasn’t meant to be easy ” (Cahill 2013) public discourses have negatively labelled recipients of government support (welfare).Through government policies ,social commentators in the press ,radio and television and online, a stereotyped image of welfare recipients has been produced. Portrayed as undeserving bludgers ,any demographic may be verbally attacked ,from unemployed youth to Disability recipients ,including those with mental health issues ,refugees and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Recent evolution of this mentality includes the addition of the middle class as unworthy recipients of government allowances. Our famously egalitarian Australia cultural ethos, realised on the beaches of Anzac Cove in World War 1, as British military leaders watched the slaughter from a distance ,has strayed to the point where we acknowledge a middle class (Harper J,’millionaire middle class on the march’) (depicted as unfairly benefitting through government assistance, middle class welfare is now a common term.)Australians are not all equal,yet we are signatories to the Universal Bill of Rights,including the rights of children.The reality of our application of these rights(food, housing, mental and physical comfort, freedom from persecution .etc) is seen in the legal challenges to Australia from the Human Rights Commission, particularly in regard to the treatment of aboriginals and the infamous ‘Intervention’, euphemistically called ‘income management’ by the Federal government(Department of Human Services 2014).
The use of marginalised groups as stereotyped scapegoats (identity politics, in Branson ,G ,Stafford ,R . 2010), has developed since the human and civil rights based reforms of the 1970’s and 80’s. Governments created the Australian anti discrimination Acts,(Human Rights Commission 2014) making prejudice and unfairness illegal, and expanding allocation of government allowances to ensure equity for single parents (women).The ludicrous cultural stereotyping of low social economic communities is satirised in television’s ‘Housos’ where the miserable inhabitants deliberately reject consumerist discourses, identified as welfare recipients by codes using clothing, language ,criminality and is filmed on location. Humour is used to culture jam (Bainbridge 2011) but the programme reflects unsettling realities.
Yet, in 2014, the May Coalition government Budget, spotlighted the new discourses which have developed alongside economic rationalism. ‘One month’s pay goes to welfare,says Joe’(Marsazalek,J,2014)The article continues with the Treasurer asking ‘is this fair’?I would ask is it fair to allow Australians to live below the poverty line? The impact of the economic crises within U.S.A, which triggered the famous world financial crisis, include the institution of economic rationalism as a dominant discourse ,becoming part of the accepted capitalist hegemony.The Coalition government campaigned on the grounds of the necessity for a Budget with no deficit. Previous Budgets ,as does the entire economic system, have operated on credit ,deficits are a standard part of commerce ,nearly everyone owes someone money.The unrealistic (no deficit) and unnecessary (Australia has an excellent credit rating) aesthetics of economic rationalism have permeated the public sphere so that a need for government support is portrayed as an undeserved sense of entitlement ,especially by professional conservative commentators, in popular media environments.
Conversely ,supporters of basic human rights ,equity and human dignity, describe and experience the human cost of limited access to the dominant consumer hegemony.The actual quantitative measures of the numbers of unemployed ,disabled ,mentally unwell ,physically unwell incarceration demographics (Australian Bureau Of Statistics, The Productivity Commission ,Local Council Strategic Plans , Well being measurements, Australian Council of Community Services and a plethora of Non-government organisations and special interest groups) indicate the human cost of the tactics of blaming and stereotyping particular demographics.
IRIS Research,from Wollongong University, has published A Statistical Guide to the IllawarraRegion 2013.Within we learn of 51% of women participate in the workforce,or Health and Social assistance is the largest area of employment, the most arrests were made for malicious damage to property.Although the data is “selected” ,the simple statistics speak volumes .The reputable, reliable, data is referenced, with contact details. Information is presented in an attractive but sensible strong official navy blue with structured photos of local icons in a controlled design reflecting the message of beauty, people and place and their importance ,balancing nicely ,with a serious muted green and brown, the charts of easily read figures with well labelled titles and descriptions, inside. The pamphlet was distributed randomly throughout the Illawarra, at community centres, libraries, Government offices. It was made objectively, attractive ,simple but with respect and accessible for it’s audience.
That Economic rationalism and its attendant judgements about who deserves government assistance are successful discourses in modern Australia is seen in the election of a government who espoused these policies ,disseminated through multiple media . Media theory uses discourse analysis (Bainbridge) to examine how ideas come to be accepted through messages in all media.The 2014 Budget has further amplified the issues of who deserves to be entitled to government assistance or whether we are all entitled to the same basic standards of human rights.
The discourse of the dole bludger,often youth, is popular among prominent professional commentators who are expected to express these types of views. The famous conservative Sydney radio commentators offer opinion framed as information and entertainment, within the respectable institution of a large commercial radio station ,bestowing some authority on the hosts of the radio shows .There is a company behind the radio station which is interested in profits . Their large audiences hear the shows wherever a radio is on or casually listen in the car ,subjects discussed are chosen to resonate with a disgruntled modern Australian who is feeling their own economic pressures .It is always a human trait to enjoy whinging about someone else. The ideas become normalised ,one of Barthes ‘myths ’,creating a representation of a community.(Bainbridge 2011).The media effects model seems to apply (Bainbridge)though he disagrees with this idea that media consumption can control an individual directly ,the strong influence of media on thought and behaviour can be seen in the creation of the undeserving dole recipient myth and stereotype in Australia.Bainbridge 2011 credits audiences with having a great influence on what texts are created for them, but the limitations on what can be created for audiences in Australia due to distance , the influence of advertisers, high wage/production rates, available funding, limited free to air and independent channels ,and unpredictable audiences mean we do not really choose what we want the media to create for television . The dialogues criticising undeserving recipients of government allowances reflect the cultural or social creation of meaning as each listener interprets the message.(Saussure, in Bainbridge , J 2006) The limited amount of media outlets in Australia mean the ideas are continually discussed on the television ,newspapers and online ,perpetuating and reflecting the created discourse. The apparent legitimacy of the radio show includes interviews with policy makers and politicians . The commentators use emotive language and imagery and they claim to be representing the views of many. The language is exaggerated and strong to enforce the significance of their position.
A transcript from an interview by conservative commentator Ray Hadley on 2GB with Senator Payne ,Minister for Human Services,.From the Department o website ,it is one of only four press releases from that Department currently on that site. Headlined ‘ Allegations of rorting of welfare benefits’ in huge font that stands out strongly, the language is outrageous,’ notorious’ “nefarious’ deeds by able bodied young men’ ‘ general view’ ‘ rorted ” and colloquial, to engage the Aussie listener “’playing with a straight bat”.”Widespread abuse” has been reported to Ray.The” ambo”(Ray reflects the culture of the common man using slang and familiar address to suggest authenticity)is annoyed because “non genuine holders of Health care cards” call the ambos for ventalin, as they cant afford to buy it, but “we find cigarettes lying around’. The” tip-off a rorter” line is advertised.
Senator Payne has another message about the undeserved collecting benefits, in an interview with Luke Grant on 2GB.Grant says to his listeners that they should, ‘ report anyone they believe is not entitled to receive Centrelink benefits, that’s not their money ,that’s your money or my money or whatever-you call the tip off line.” This is literally senseless rhetoric.He claims 100,000 fraud tip offs have been made ,again a meaningless statement as anyone can accuse, as they have been encouraged to do .The minister claims the fraudsters are ‘masterful’ and Luke noted that a Tasmanian conviction of a welfare recipient for 15 months for fraud was “a good outcome” .The messages of the likely criminality of welfare recipients came across clearly. These messages from the Human Services Dept are intended to frighten and threaten people who may need government support.
The conservative commentators in the Telegraph include the infamous Andrew Bolt, fined for racist commentary .He ridicules the marginialised and oppressed by finding fault with the Human Rights Commission, criticising their choice of an upscale venue for a function. The large white capitals of the headline ”Shabby Time for Human Rights” deliberately mislead the audience by framing and anchoring the opinion piece as a genuine message for the support of Human rights .His message is that we cannot trust organisations who claim to support the disadvantaged and discriminated against .His piece is not labelled as opinion and presents as a news report in a serious, stand out white on black ,conspicuously set horizontally down the whole page.
Humour or satire may be used to enforce a message Laurie Oakes, a famous reputable journalist attacked Clive Palmer in a piece marked Opinion .Palmer is accused of “populist-or populist-“politics by asking the government to divert money to ”pensioners, single mums and so many others doing it tough in our communities”.Oake’s contempt for Palmer brands the marginalised as a populist cliché ,rather than real people ,entitled to equity.The Sunday Telegraph bellows,in 5 cm block print on the front page , each word positioned one line at a time so words are vertically separated into huge symbols, ‘DRUGS DOLE TEST’ so the associations are obvious.(Maiden,S,2014) This story was in a Sunday paper, the audience relaxing over the newspapers so is meant to entertain ,in a nasty way, by ensuring readers that ‘jobless’ drug users could be deprived of government assistance.I presume the “employed users” are safe from persecution.The story hides the actual details of this interpretation of the New Zealand welfare system ,in the fine print and in another section of the paper .It is another manifestation of the demonisation of those receiving certain types of government payments through a variety of codes used to send the readers this message.
Communicating the message from the disengaged, unemployed,marginialised and disadvantaged are often communicated in an emotive way where a sad story is broadcast or by research and resources provided by non government or government agencies working directly with people .In this way the audience is targeted and messages are directed towards informing people of services. Special conferences are held where community workers can discuss how to improve well being for everyone.In March 2014 ,the Illawarra Forum held a conference to discuss the current position of community services losing funding.Attended by The NSW minister for Ageing ,Anna Bligh (ex Premier, Queensland)Senator Doug Cameron and other political luminaries,ideas and solutions were discussed,recorded, reported on the local Win news and can be accessed on the Forum’s website. Speakers offered solutions to social inequities, Mr Cameron particularly revisited the idea of governments supporting their people equitably, not sacrificing individuals in the cause of economic rationalism. His old style, unionist determination, strength and willingness to fight for justice ,was one of the highlights of the conference. All proceedings can be accessed on the Illawarra Forum’s website. Though the conference championed human rights, the main reason the Television cameras appeared was due to the value of Anna Bligh as a crowd puller for the evening news and assorted associated advertising.
A typical method of selling the message of the need to help the disadvantaged is a heart rending photo attached to the text . In a RMIT University publication, story about homelessness shows a concerned individual against a graffiti covered concrete environment. The text uses emotive language ‘‘squalor’’” primitive’” ’unbearable” “chaos” .A current Anglicare campaign Winter Appeal 2014 ‘’Locked Out” features a sad child against the broken brick wall. Branston and Stafford (2010) note the same sad waif image in a Barnardo’s advertisement of 1870.
Hidden in A Sunday supplement is the headline” Bludging myth must end for sake of jobless and the nation” .This epitomises the opposite discourse to that of economic rationalism. The journalist uses figures to show the low rate of payment for those living on benefits, below the poverty line. He compares Australia’s rates of payments with the rest of the world, shaming readers with comparisons to economic crisis suffering European nations .He claims a public poll showed voters resented welfare recipients and he tries to convince the reader of the harshness of current payments. ’Australians should be more generous “.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that their invention, The Herald/ Age Lateral Economic index of Australia’s Wellbeing , indicates the ill effects of unemployment on Australians. This article uses figures to measure well being , useng frightening words like ‘atrophy ”to impress the serious effects of unemployment upon us and to relate economics and social consequences.
Influential messages are sent by media commentators in regard to the entitlement of Australians to government assistance .That Australians can support inequity and suffering, for any reason, is shocking.
References.
Anti Discrimination Act (NSW) 1977 Index of legislation. Available at www.humanrights.gov.au
Anglicare 2014 Locked Out Advertisement in Lake Times,Wednesday June 11th 2014
Bainbridge ,J, Goc ,N, & Tynan, L 2011, Media and Journalism :new approaches to theory and practice, 2nd edn ,Oxford University Press, South Melbourne.
Branston, G & Stafford,R 2008 The Media Student’s Book,3rd edn,New York Routledge,
Bolt, Andrew , ‘Shabby Time for Human Rights ’The Telegraph’ p13.
Department of Human Services 2014 Budget 2014-15:Income Management-one year extension and expansion to Ceduna,South Australia Government of Australia Available at http://www.mhs.gov.au/media_releases/2014/ [ 6/06/ 2014]
Cahille, D, ‘Great gaffes Australian politicians wish Australians would forget’
http://www.news.com.au/nationalfederalelection2013/great/gaffes/
Department of Human Services 2014 Media release:Tasmanian woman jailed for $97,000 fraud Government of Australia Available at http://www.mhs.gov.au/media_releases/2014/ [6/06/2014]
Department of Human Services 2014 Transcript: 2GB Mornings with Ray Hadley-Allegations of rorting of welfare benefits including the Disability Support Pension and Healthcare Card Government of Australia Available at http://www.mhs.gov.au/media/speeches_and_transcripts/2013_ [6/06/2014]
Department of Human Services 2014 Transcript: 2GB Mornings with Luke Grant-Interview with Senator Payne,Minister for Human Services,about Centrelink fraud tip-offs Government of Australia Available at http://www.mhs.gov.au/media/speeches_ and_ transcripts/2013 [6/06/2014]
Human Rights Commission ‘Declaration of Human Rights’2012 Available at http://www.humanrights.gov.au.publications/rights- and- freedoms- [5/3/14]
‘Housos’ 2013 [television series] SBS-TV May 5, May,12 Producer Paul Fenech
Illawarra Forum ‘Stand up Stand Out Conference 2014 Program 11-12 March Available at http://www.illawarraforum.org.au
IRIS Research The Illawarra Region 2013 Pamphlet published by IRIS Research ,University of Wollongong. .Innovation Campus,Wollongong
Maiden, Samantha , ‘Dole Drug Tests’ Sunday Telegraph June 1 2014 p1
Cahill ,http://www.news.com.au/nationalfederalelection2013/great/gaffes/
Oakes, Laurie ,’Time to face Clive and co’ Daily Telegraph June 14 2014 p36
Shellharbour City Council 2011 Shellharbour Community Srategic Plan 2011-2021.Booklet. Available at http://www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au
Tarika, Elisabeth ’Home Help ’Making Connections p16 RMIT University
Wade, Matt ,’Unemployment takes toll on our wellbeing’ The Sydney Morning Herald June 7-8th June 2014 p6
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