Media & 'Cage fighting'

Kent Brockman

Have to have a little rant here:

Picked up 'The Sun' (I know,I know but it was beside me as I waited for the young lad) in the barber shop today and was reading about that terrible incident about the missing Irish lady, who has been murdered in Australia.
Anyone following will know that someone has been arrested.

The article on page 4 or 5(?) lead with "Cage fighting fan......." and went on to describe the murder suspect etc.
Further down the article this was clarified by saying "On his facebook page he listed Cage fighting etc... among his interests"

In the name of sweet Jaysus how do they get away with printing that irrelevant muck and trying to somehow make out that being a fan of cage fighting is linked in any way to this heinous crime?

El Guapo!

They'll do anything to sensationalise a news story. It has no relevance to the crime but because its viewed as a violent sport, they'll try to make the connection that criminal activity is somehow attached to the sport. And that the people who do follow the sport are of a less desirable nature.
It does my head in. As if mma has anything to do with it. But the general public are idiots so they'll lap it up and put 2 + 2 together and conclude that the sport somehow made him do it. It's the same as the way they blame violent video games and movies for kids going on shooting rampages.

Richy06

Your answer was staring at you from the front page.

Right around this bit....

Jonah42

I keep a copy of the Sun in my bathroom, but not for reading....

r_obric

Kent Brockman wrote: »

....
Picked up 'The Sun' .......?

That right there is the problem.

riffmongous

Kent Brockman wrote: »

Have to have a little rant here:



The article on page 4 or 5(?) lead with "Cage fighting fan......." and went on to describe the murder suspect etc.
Further down the article this was clarified by saying "On his facebook page he listed Cage fighting etc... among his interests"

Well at least it was only on page 4/5, most of the people reading the Sun wont get past page 3

Mellor

Had a look at the article there,

This is the first mention of the killer.

News of his arrest has been met with shock and disgust by neighbours in Coburg.

Local man Peregrine Sellick said he had seen Bayley about three times in recent months, recalling: “He would walk out with his head down, get into his car and go.

“He never seemed like the kind of person I wanted to communicate with.”

On his Facebook account, Bayley lists his interests including the gym, movies, music and anything outdoors. He also describes himself as a Buddhist.

The chef is a fan of Ultimate Fighting Championship and regularly spent time working out at the local Fenix Fitness in Coburg.

One member explained: “He was pretty easy going, he was confident.

I don't see where the article mentioned "cage fighting" at all. The mention if UFC is pretty minor and reasonable imo. They were describing his character and interests.
Nothing is the Aussie media made a deal if it either.

The media do tend to make a deal of MMA, more so in the past. But I don't think this is a example of it.

Kent Brockman

@Mellor thats a different article to the one I read.

It was either The Sun or The Irish Sun, just picked it off the seat in the barbers and didn't pay too much heed.
It had a bit about it on the front page and more a few pages in (either 4 or 6) top rhs of the page, and the opening line was 'Cage fighting fan.....'


Couldn't find it on line.

Mellor

Fair enough.
That one was the Irish sun.