Frontline: Truth in the Media

2860 Words12 Pages
Elective one: telling the truth. 20 marks Texts in this elective offer perspectives on the significance of truth in human experiences. Were you persuaded to embrace these perspectives? Refer to your prescribed text and at least TWO other related texts. The significance of truth in human experiences is shown to be of utmost importance, whether it be in telling the truth, or in hiding it. This perspective can be seen in Frontline the text, and in “Frontline” the fictional current affairs show. It can also be seen in the article Corby: battle of the TV experts (Sydney Morning Herald , 15th February 2007) by Ben Cubby and Mark Forbes, and in the song Shades of Truth by Bad Religion. Frontline’s perspective aims to convince the viewer that truth, and lack of it, is of utmost importance in the humane experience, particularly in representations in the media as well as in relationships with other people. In the Frontline episode Playing The Ego Card, Mike Moore, the fictional current affairs host, is constantly and consistently lied to and manipulated, and by bending the truth, those around him bend his will. The truth is shown to be a rare thing in the current affairs business, where lying and manipulating is a way of life. This attitude of deceit, lies and manipulations of the truth is particularly shown by the chief executive, Farmer’s Machiavellian comment, “Mike has this network’s 100 per cent support… right up to the day we sack him.” This phrase uses a comic juxtaposition to show the way the truth is manipulated through lies, as well as provide humour, which in effect puts the audience ‘on side’ with the writers, helping to establish their authority in the viewer’s eyes. Frontline aims to convince the audience of the truth to their perspective on truth. The shows producers, Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, et al, use particular techniques to play on the
Open Document