The implications of social constructions in the media
For as long as I can remember, crime in western Sydney has
always existed with capital bold letters blaring at the front of newspapers.
Crime in Sydney’s west carries with them issues of social and cultural
injustice yet on closer inspection, it appears that our government institutions
and media have been more concerned with raising awareness for political expedience
rather than focusing on social justice. Often, phrases such as ‘worse than
ever’ ‘soaring crime rates’ and ‘soft on crime’ are expressed by the media yet the
statistics has revealed that rates of crime in the West have been either stable
of going down (Government, 2013) . The reason why
these statistics will never be highlighted in the media is simply it is inconvenient
for them revealing deeper problems in the way power is distributed in society.
Recently, these issues have been highlighted more than ever
as it is a pivotal issue in the upcoming federal election. It has been clear
since the beginning that Sydney’s west holds the key to the Lodge and the
processes in which parties are attempting to obtain votes by being tough on
crime is apparent with policies and smear campaign.
I use this campaign by the liberal party as an example to
show how questionable the intentions of Australian politics and their use of
media to misinform the public. This advertisement by the Coalition is aimed to
strike fear within the Western Sydney community, questioning their safety and
it is this shock that will cause overlooking how misguiding and misinforming
this advertisement can be. Firstly, crime in the west has not been increasing
ever since labour has been in government. Statistics show that it has in fact
remained at the same rates. Secondly, and in my opinion the most condescending,
is that crime in the Sydney’s West is not at all under Labor’s jurisdiction. It
is under state jurisdiction and as a result governed the coalition. For these
two points, I find that attempting to obtain votes through such a misinforming
ad victimises the ordinary person as it compels them to believe in change that
will never come.
Misinforming
the people of the current criminal climate of Western Sydney will add to the
negative constructs that the area is already stigmatised with. The people of
western Sydney will struggle to transcend their stigmatised status as a result
of the ongoing misrepresentation (Young, 1990).These conjured
social issues will have adverse effects on the education of children who live
and are schooled in the area as their identities become unfairly affiliated with
crime. This degrading portrayal will
consequently leave its stamp in the education systems by forming unnecessary
boundaries between social classes that will have to be overcome, a rift in
social classes that will lead to students living in western Sydney to doubt
their potential due to the representation of the area in which they live in.
Government, NSW. (2013, 9 19). Lawlink.
Retrieved from NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research:
http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/bocsar/bocsar_index.html
Wright, T. (2013, April 15). Sydney Morning
Herald. Retrieved from Western Sydney where pollies would have you think
crime control is at sea:
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/western-sydney-where-pollies-would-have-you-think-crime-control-is-at-sea-20130415-2hvq4.html
Young, I. M. (1990)
Justice and the Politics of Difference (Princeton: Princeton University Press)
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