The well oiled machine that is our media has sparked a fiery, journalistic debate surrounding the success or failure of Centrelink’s robo-debt recovery system. The system uses a series of calculations in determining its “victims”, not unlike the media when they decide exactly what and how the information is delivered and perceived by the public.
In mid-2016, Centrelink launched an automated debt recovery system, with little to no human supervision, tasked with the recovery of welfare overpayments. Since its launch, it has successfully returned approximately $300 million to the government. However, it has also received major backlash due to errors in the system sending false debt letters…show more content… Politicians and journalists coexist in the volatile realm of media among the critical eye of the public. Depending on who sits where on the fence, often results in the grass being greener on one side. These political and media relationships are hindered by the issue of whether the media, who are designed to inform, are really just trying to perpetuate their own ideologies which are often pushed by the political agendas. This is exemplified in many of the articles published about Centrelink. Within these articles two perspectives are being offered, one favouring the Labor party and the other favouring the government.
As a credible journalist myself, I am fully aware of one's ability to manipulate an audience one way or another. However, there are times when the lines become blurred and journalists use their creative license to exploit the public's perception of given representations. This is exemplified in the case of the Centrelink robo-debt system where the extremities of the media vary from instilling fear into the marginalised groups of society to glorifying the systems…show more content… Whilst trying to appear “neutral”, it quickly becomes evident that an emotive discourse permeates the article. It tells the sob story of a “Brisbane-based single mom” that received a debt letter right “before Christmas”. Why is that important? Because Christmas is accompanied by connotations of gifts and spending money. As an article that highlights the struggles of “‘Facing years of debt”’, the emphasis of this universal celebration invites the reader to empathise with the struggling single mother. Cleverly accompanying this information is an image of a hand holding small change. The image appeals to our desire for wealth and stability, and as a result evoking an emotional response from the reader. Such manipulation of emotions undermines the public’s perception of the issue, and further perpetuates
