The Scenario – This is a FICTIONAL scenario
- Max Volume is a dedicated political and social commentator who works for Australia’s highest selling newspaper. He’s written a column about the Federal Budget, in which he’s called the Treasurer, Joe Hockey, “a bull terrier” and referred to his close associations with financial circles, which include his wife, who is an accomplished merchant banker. Volume writes in his column, published online and in print, that “Mrs Hockey is like Hilary Clinton was to Bill Clinton for the Treasurer’s schemes for budget success”. A reader comments below the column on the newspaper’s website: “Everyone knows Hilary was the real president – and Joe’s friends in finance will make him rich at our expense.” The comment is signed “Shortened Bill from Labor Land”.
- The next day, rival newspaper “Instant News”, an online publication owned by a different company, runs the headline, “Treasurer Mines Mates”, and includes a photograph of Joe Hockey shaking hands with Gina Rinehart, the richest woman in Australia. The newspaper repeats the “bull terrier” comment used by Max Volume the day before but does not attribute it to a source. It then reports, “Sources close to Mrs Rinehart said she would ‘probably send Mr Hockey an invoice for the photo shoot’ ”. The online package includes a 2-minute audio called, “Secretly recorded phone call from source close to Rinehart”.
- That night the Treasurer appears on the ABC’s 7.30 program and mentions that the Max Volume column arose out of a promo deal he’d done for an upcoming personal-biographical story about him to appear on commercial TV show, Sunday Night, and to lead up to fundraising banquet for his favourite charity. 7.30 host Leigh Sales asks Mr Hockey, “Is doing deals with the media misleading the public?” Mr Hockey replies, “The media is its own master; just look at today’s headline. Instant News indeed.”
- He goes on to say in the same interview, “My lawyers are preparing the writs as we speak.” Leigh Sales then asks Mr Hockey, “How long have you known Gina Rinehart socially?” He replies, “That’s our business. Let’s just say she’s a business associate and the media got it wrong.”
- On Max Volume’s Facebook page an hour later, the video of the 7.30 interview appears with a comment written by Max Volume, “Well, the ABC does it again. Just because the Treasurer shakes hands with a rich person, he’s corrupt.” The next morning, the website, Holy Moly, runs the headline “His Master’s Voice”, and reproduces the transcript of the two questions to Joe Hockey from Leigh Sales from 7.30, and the Max Volume quote, and neither carry a credit or source information. Holy Moly does so to lead into its comment piece about media freedom and democracy, and writes – “The Australian media should be able to publish what it likes, especially about politicians.” There is no by-line (author name) on the column, but it receives 320 “Likes” on its Facebook page, including one from Wikileaks and one from Shortened Bill from Laborland.
For a custom-written paper, place your order now!
What We Offer:
• On-time delivery guarantee
• PhD-level writers
• Automatic plagiarism check
• 100% money-back guarantee
• 100% Privacy and Confidentiality
• High Quality custom-written papers
