Drama on A Current Affair
November 16th 2006 03:29
An ad for tonight’s A Current Affair features reporter Simon Bouda chasing one of the big wigs from the Nigerian Email scam. Mr Bouda is seen crouching in the back of a speeding ute – and hanging on – as he breathlessly reports that “Boy, can this guy run!”. A worthy story, sure, as this particular scam apparently caught a lot of people out. But do the people at ACA think they’re journalists or film makers? Surely the ratings war hasn’t become so intense that we’re forced to endure drama dressed up as journalism?
Yes, it may be rocketing good television, but as investigative journalism it doesn’t actually achieve anything. If the ad is anything to go by – and let’s hope that it’s not – tonight’s story won’t provide any real evidence of the man’s guilt or tell us at what stage the investigation into his activities is at.
Interesting, then that Channel Nine’s own Ellen Fanning was so desperate to distance herself from ACA when interviewed in the Green Guide on November 9. Fanning said she would “never have a career doing stories that I didn’t think were important.” When it was pointed out that she sometimes fronts ACA she somewhat curtly replied, “It’s not something I’ve ever done full time.” When Channel Nine’s own stable of reporters are trying to distance themselves from one of their flagship current affairs programs, you know there’s something wrong.
Yes, it may be rocketing good television, but as investigative journalism it doesn’t actually achieve anything. If the ad is anything to go by – and let’s hope that it’s not – tonight’s story won’t provide any real evidence of the man’s guilt or tell us at what stage the investigation into his activities is at.
| 82 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
