Frontline draft 1
The notion of ‘truth’ in a postmodern society is commodified and diversified to mean different things in different contexts. Frontline is a television series which satirizes the dubious practices and shallow content of ratings driven tabloid TV current affairs programs by deconstructing the way they are assembled. It demonstrates how truth is manipulated sensationalized and fabricated for commercial gain and that the truth is really a subjective commodity employed tactically through the highly influential means of the media.
The bias of authoritive figures leads to selectivity and determines which truths can and can’t be known. Frontline, the program is packaged to the markets analysis to win the ratings war and secure the advertising dollar. This is most specifically seen in We Ain’t Got Dames in which Brian the producer selects stories for dramatic values to increase ratings. “We got anything on women and their bodies and shit…” However, ‘anything’ means, something palatable to the audience that will maintain their interest to boost ratings. This is demonstrated when Brian interrupts Emma while she is showing a clip on pap smears commenting “we don’t need to see all that”. Stitch et al make it evident that this is in response to serious issues not being deemed dramatic enough to rate. The truth of the story is second to drama, exemplified by the reenactment of the dr sleaze. Stitch et al utilize hyperbole to illustrate the highly contrived and exaggerated nature of the reenactment technique so readily employed by current affairs programs. The Dr Sleaze story is based on nothing, merely unpredictable information from a women’s magazine reinvented for the stations purpose to increase female ratings, which overrides exploring issues that actually happen, and are important in society such as pap smears. This idea is further reiterated with the perversion of Mike’s sweatshop story to screen as a vacuous catwalk piece, praising the Australian fashion industry, demonstrating how trivialized ‘infotainment’ wins the ratings war, highlighting a complete lack on integrity on Brian’s part.
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The Siege is also exemplary of this selective process, evident with Brooke’s callous request for a reshoot of the mothers plea “with tears”, which scathingly highlights her fake compassion and manipulation of anyone who can give impact to a story to dramatise the situation and increase audience interest.
The Siege exemplifies how power and influence enable the media industry to exploit our perceptions of the veracity of ‘news’. Through the utilization of camera framing, props such as flak jackets, lighting and stance, Marty is able to convince the purported audience that they are actually “in the line of fire” with the possibility “of a Rambo situation. The over dramatic television speech such as “keep safe Marty, live from the frontline” further sensationalise and reinforce the ‘reality’ of the situation, with the war imagery also increasing the dramatic tension. However, stitch et al has presented us with the ‘truth’. With the use of handheld camera to reinforce the documentary style of the series, we witness Marty merely setting himself up “to make it look like I’m in danger” This further reiterated the idea of the misrepresentation of truth and the falsity of what the media represents.
A mature age psychology student is interviewed in lieu of a psychology professor. Brian advises Kate to “slap him up in front of a bookcase”, Frontline functions on the assumptions that audiences will not question the legitimacy of a particular image that is presented.
The façade of a public reality is further undermined through juxtaposition, specifically seen in we ain’t got dames where Mike is repackaged to look authoritive, in control and “warm and fuzzy”. Mike’s ineptness is revealed by his total dependence on the autocue and his lack of authority clearly shown by his co workers lack of respect to his attempts to contribute ideas at planning meetings. This demonstrates how media truth is about perception not content.
The blurring of boundaries between differing levels of reality is central to Frontline’s satirical operation. Frontline also highlights the conflicts that exist between ethics and sensationalism. It reveals to the responders the hypocrisy embedded within the processes undertaken by the media to secure exclusives and in turn ratings. This is specifically seen within the siege where the frontline team has broken police enforced restrictions in order to capture exclusive footage, with no concern for the safety of the children. This disregard for the media code of ethics is further reiterated by Brian’s decision to interview the gunman, preventing professionals from negotiations. Unlike the purported audience we are given an insight into the real Mike Moore and we can see he is not a qualified negotiator, without the slightest knowledge of the situation.
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