Blog 1: Anti-media sentiment – one reason conspiracy

theorists do not trust mainstream news

duncantolmiesautblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/13/blog-1-the-journalist-the-conspirator-and-the-media-agenda

March 12, 2022

It is no secret conspiracy theorists hate the mainstream media. Attacks on ‘biased’ journalists
have only been exacerbated over the past few years under the backdrop of the covid-19
pandemic. This came to a crescendo in New Zealand with the anti-mandate protest on
parliament’s lawn, which saw a journalist be physically attacked (Hall, 2022), and the media
in general accused of conspiring with the government (Reporters Without Borders, 2022).
 Journalist Graham Bloxham getting dragged in a chokehold at the anti-mandate parliament protest in
February 2022. Photo / 1News.

The claim of conspiracy theorists, including those at the protest at parliament, is the news
media has a hidden agenda (Harford, 2021). That journalists are puppets of the government,
spreading lies to protect the elite. While for some it may seem difficult to fathom how we got
here – a clear warning to journalists was provided more than 50 years ago.

In 1965, academics Galtung and Ruge identified the values that made news, news. The list
consisted of values like importance, newness, sensation, and conflict. Similar research was
conducted in 2001, and 2017 (Harcup and O’Neill). This time, an additional news value was
discovered: stories that adhere to the organisation’s agenda. These agendas are causing
conspiracy theorists to think: if news organisations have a marketing, commercial or political
agenda, what is stopping them from engaging in something more sinister?
 Signs from the protest at parliament in February 2022, including one that reads “THE MEDIA IS THE
VIRUS”. Photo / Angus Dreaver, RNZ.

News agendas in New Zealand

According to former Mediaworks head of news Hal Crawford (2021) an example of the news
agenda in New Zealand is how Stuff and the NZ Herald are beginning to lean toward
opposing sides of the political spectrum. The opinion pieces in the NZ Herald mostly feature
right-wing commentators like Matthew Hooton, a former National Party staff member (RNZ,
2021).

Stuff’s marketing agenda ‘The Whole Truth’. Screenshot / stuff.co.nz

One could also argue modern news organisations have a political agenda whereby only
dominant ideologies are heard. This is done through marketing campaigns like Stuff’s 2022
The Whole Truth: Covid-19 Vaccination or through comment moderation on the NZ Herald
website to exclude fringe views.
 Comments by premium users of the New Zealand Herald are moderated before they are published.
Screenshot / nzherald.co.nz

A Finland study (Ojala’s 2021) found trust in journalists is undermined when journalists claim
to be neutral, in a world where extreme views are silenced and ignored, despite these
perceptions increasing in popularity. It becomes increasingly difficult to appear balanced,
when minority ideologies, even those that are evil, appear to be silenced (Ojola, 2021).

The Consequences
In 2019 Galtung said the news values he provided in 1965, and those subsequently
assembled, were not meant as a guide, but a warning(Haagerup, 2019). As a student
journalist I need to see the news agenda as a warning. I need to recognise my own bias to
ensure I do not miss any potential story angles, and include more voices and points of view. I
will need to balance giving a voice to extreme ideologies, without giving them oxygen to grow
and reject adhering to political agendas that may be present in some news entities.
 Johan Galtung has been credited with forming the foundation of what makes something newsworthy.
Photo / IMAGO.

I need to recognise that within every great lie is an element of truth. In having a news
agenda, whether that be political, commercial, or marketing; news organisations have given
a loaded gun to conspiracy theorists. Conspiracy theorists have taken the truth that news
organisations have an agenda, and broadened this to allege government editorial influence
and corruption amongst the powerful and elite.

The protest at parliament in February 2022 indicates the damage of the agenda has already
begun.

blog-1-bibliographyDownload