Moral Panic

MEDIA MADNESS- CRONULLA & LESSONS STILL NOT LEARNT

Although the Cronulla riots of December 2005 were (thankfully) quite some time ago now, there are still many important lessons to take from the awful events that took place in Sydney around that time. The media has been blamed by many for inflaming the situation and creating even further social unrest long after the riots themselves had finished.  

The Muslim community at large was persecuted after the actions of a few people from within that community. Not only is that wrong, but it is also most definitely not the role of the media to influence people’s thoughts or behaviour. Of course the blame cannot fall solely on the media- the people who take vigilante actions into their own hands are ultimately to blame. However, the focus of this post is to assess the role of the media: what the media does do and what the media should do.  

Stanley Cohen wrote in his 1972 publication “Folk Devils and Moral Panic: the creation of the Mods and Rockers” about the media’s ability to influence the public through the articles it chooses to publish and the events it chooses to cover. As has been said time and again, Cohen’s words are as relevant today as they were in the 1970’s. the power of the media is undeniable. The Cronulla riots are the perfect example of such a moral panic being whipped up by mass media irresponsibility. Sydney tabloid paper The Daily Telegraph as well as 2GB radio’s Steve Price and in particular Alan Jones were seen as somewhat accountable for inciting violence and unrest in the community due to the irresponsible nature of their coverage of the events.  Alan Jones as we all know needs to be taken for what he is- an idiot. Unfortunately there are people out there who listen to him and respect his views. Even worse, there are people out there who act upon his suggestions. On December 7, 2005 Jones said on air; “It seems the police and the council are impotent here. All rhetoric, no action. My suggestion is to invite one of the biker gangs to be present in numbers at Cronulla railway station when these Lebanese thugs arrive...It’d be worth the price of admission to watch these cowards scurry back onto the train for the return trip to their lairs...Australians old and new shouldn’t have to put up with this scum.”

This is surely not responsible reporting and there need to be more strict guidelines put into practice in order to stop such outrages comments being thrust upon the public. As I stated earlier, it is up to the individual to decide how to act, however it is also completely inappropriate to let the media get away such cowboy antics unscathed.

The lessons of Cronulla riots media coverage were not headed either. This was evident in the case of the media’s favourite paedo Dennis Ferguson. The media coverage of Ferguson’s release from prison, and subsequent daily movements was nothing short of sensationalist. Lynch mobs arrived at his house carrying a pine coffin for poor old Denny. I don’t for a second like the bloke or anything he does. The point here is though, that the media ought not to be allowed to cause a frenzy in the public due to extended and overtly opinionated coverage of any events.