And interestingly papers in the Broadsheet format ie; Sydney Morning Herald say that real issues will never get proper attention in a tabloid.
Yesterday's Sunday Telegraph was a real contrast. On the front cover was Megan Gale throwing a tanty. Social writer Ros Reines had the scoop on a tears before bedtime tantrum. I have to admit to enjoying this piece as I am so over the nauseatingly posed, sickly images of Gale and her insipid boyfriends. Could she just once smile naturally to a camera?!
But further inside was an article that totally restored my faith, which was recently wounded, in journalism.
The Sunday Telegraph's Deputy Editor, Helen McCabe wrote an article "Media far too slow to act on horror story"on the bringing to the publics attention the horror story of the Bega Butcher, Dr Graeme Reeves.
Her piece was honest, considered and insightful on the media process and investigative journalism.
The Bega Butcher horror is another shocking situation only brought to the publics attention by journalists even though his victims have been making complaints to medical bodies for eleven long years.
Patients who complained to other doctors were ignored - typical of the medical profession who are renowned for standing by each other regardless. The story was taken to the Opposition's Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner in April 2006 - two whole years ago - but she did nothing which is sickening in itself and she should be ashamed of herself.
This brave, persistent group of women campaigned for years to be heard, taking the story to hundreds of media outlets only to be rejected. This is what Deputy Editor, Helen McCabe, wrote in yesterday's paper and what a great piece it is!
Excerpt from "Media far too slow to act on horror story"
"The story had slipped through the cracks in the media for about two years - despite being shopped around to 30 different outlets, including some of the biggest names in the business. But even though it was finally aired in an expose by Ross Coulthard and Nick Farrow on the Sunday Show the story failed to get any traction among other media outlets and even within its own network.
Perhaps Coulthart's failure to get anyone else to take up the fight is symptomatic of the dying influence of the once-almighty Sunday show. But perhaps there are a series of other issues at play, such as laziness and petty journalistic rivalries. Or-- as some female journalists have privately argued - the issue of genital mutilation was seen as too difficult for the largely male bosses in key media roles. Whatever the truth, it seems the media's indifference to the plight of these women has, along with the medical authorities conspired to compound their suffering".
However, at Channel Nine there was no follow-up. Neither was there any elsewhere - not until the Sunday Telegraph's Clair Weaver convinced her reluctant bosses that the hundreds of responses from other alleged victims of Dr Reeves was an incredible injustice and, therefore, a massive news story.
The reasons for The Sunday Telegraph's reluctance was, firstly, that the story of genital mutilation in a sleepy NSW town was so shocking it was unbelievable. Secondly, it was difficult to report the graphic content in a family newspaper. Thirdly, it was difficult to understand why no one had acted earlier.
But having established the facts, the next problem was a commercial one. This story would not sell newspapers, and it didn't. But sometimes the story is bigger than sales, or ratings.
As Coulthart and Farrow breathed a sigh of relief that someone else had taken up the case, many of our colleagues working that afternoon were still prepared to let the story slide. Aside from The Australian and a few radio stations, most of the Sydney media again chose to ignore it.
By Tuesday, Sydney's all-important The Daily Telegraph was starting to warm up as its top reporter, Janet Fife-Yeomans turned her considerable skill to the yarn. By weeks' end, there was not a media outlet in the country not covering the story.
As a profession, we got there in the end. But the coverage of this story suggests it was not only the medical authorities who let down these women.".
Bravo Helen McCabe. I hear that Helen is very highly thought of by the journos at Sunday Tele. "Extremely smart and terrific person and journalist" says one.
I wonder if it was only 10 or 20 women would the Sunday Telegraph still had done the story? I would hope so as just one woman is too many to suffer this horror.
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