Drugs Information Alcohol Together With Other Drugs: Why The Media Oft Gets It Then Incorrect Together With Why 1 Accept Pulled Away From Interviews ...
For almost xx years I regularly appeared inward the media. In my locomote every bit the Information Manager at the National Drug in addition to Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), I provided comment on drug-related issues of the day, every bit good every bit promoting the inquiry findings from the Centre. It became a major business office of my locomote in addition to I developed non bad relationships alongside journalists in addition to media organisations across the country. When I left that role I continued to create interviews, focussing inward on exclusively alcohol in addition to other drug (AOD) exercise in addition to immature people - that fitted in with my novel concern in addition to it was the surface area that I was most passionate about. If appropriate, I would handgrip to hold upwardly interviewed nearly other topics but by in addition to large I would refer the journalist to someone alongside expertise inward the area.
For the past times brace of years, however, I receive got refused almost all media requests in addition to am oftentimes asked past times those who recall the Triple J days why they rarely hear from me anymore ... I thought it was nearly fourth dimension to explicate my conclusion to line away from making media comment ... I receive got just returned from overseas after presenting at a conference on the changing locomote of the media in addition to its impact on the AOD plain but it was a telephone phone telephone from a reporter just earlier I left that genuinely led me to write this weblog entry ... She wanted me to comment on what I knew nearly 'flakka' in addition to the fact that it was making those who used it receive got gender activity alongside trees! She was putting a slice together based on the Britain article shown higher upwardly in addition to after a 15-minute conversation alongside her nearly the merits of a slice on this theme I realized that it was fourth dimension to say something ...
I ever promised myself that I would non locomote my manful mortal raise in addition to hold upwardly that mortal who says "but it's non similar it used to be!", but that's precisely what I'm going to create ... Let's instruct inward clear at this point, the media has never got the alcohol in addition to other drug number completely right but at to the lowest degree at that spot were some people who tried bloody hard! Now that nosotros respect ourselves entrenched inward the '24 hr word cycle', are drowning in commentators (from both sides of the political spectrum) who seem to handgrip unbelievable ability in addition to spit vitriol rather than ever having anything positive or constructive to say in addition to receive got thence many people rely on Facebook in addition to other social media for their word - it's almost locomote impossible to instruct whatever accurate in addition to well-balanced information out there!
I've talked nearly the media in addition to the 'ice epidemic' number many times earlier but, for me, that has been the straw that broke the camel's back! Every fourth dimension I receive got been interviewed nearly this topic, peculiarly inward the impress media, I supply them alongside the prevalence information nosotros receive got on the exercise of methamphetamine - they don't similar the numbers, every bit they don't represent what they desire to write, in addition to thence they inevitably motion onto asking me nearly whether I receive got seen much H2O ice exercise at the schools I visit. I tell them I haven't seen whatever and, 1 time again, they melody out! I receive got spent hours alongside journalists from across the solid set down on this theme in addition to my comments are rarely, if ever, used. When I read the published article they receive got inevitably gone to an unnamed constabulary root or the similar in addition to got the quotes they genuinely wanted - "Ice is everywhere, it's unbelievably inexpensive in addition to everyone's using it!" It's infuriating! Yes, this is a horrible drug that has caused devastating effects on users, families in addition to the wider community but it is vital that the number is given a context. Most people don't exercise the drug in addition to they never volition ...
As I said, there's going to hold upwardly a lot of 'it's non similar the one-time days' for the adjacent few minutes but, regardless, hither are just a few of my concerns inward the area:
- entertainment programs are at 1 time often sold to the audience as word or electrical flow affairs programs. Morning television set shows used to hold upwardly a non bad house to roll-out novel inquiry findings. Yes, at that spot was ever an amusement aspect to these programs but for at to the lowest degree the get-go hr of airtime, yous got 'hard news'. You were given a goodness 3-5 minutes to embrace an number in addition to it was 'live' in addition to 'face-to-face', that often gave yous a infinitesimal or ii to utter to the interviewer in addition to allow them know 1 telephone commutation message yous wanted to instruct across. Now, you're lucky if yous instruct 3 minutes and, fifty-fifty if you're inward the same metropolis that the programme is recorded in, you're placed somewhere else in the edifice to instruct inward await similar they're doing a 'live-cross' to yous - why, I receive got no idea!
- TV programs are at 1 time constantly looking for that 'water cooler moment' - there's existent contest across the networks to get that 1 comment or incident that volition thence instruct inward online in addition to locomote viral. Instead of just reporting the news, many breakfast in addition to morn programs genuinely want to brand the news. The opportunities to instruct lineament information nearly a attain of issues out to the full general world via these programs is reducing all the fourth dimension
- so much of what is discussed in so-called 'news programs' is at 1 time delivered past times 'media personalities' in addition to non experts inward their field. I instruct it that non all academics or other experts are non bad talent - some I receive got worked alongside over the years should never supply media comment - but whoever thought it was a goodness thought to instruct a collection of 'personalities' to hash out complex issues similar medicinal cannabis in addition to drug testing inward the workplace is beyond me! One I saw of late had a panel of 3 people, ii women in addition to 1 human being - a footballer's wife, a fashion designer in addition to a radio host - discussing cybersafety! The number of times I receive got wanted to pose my pes through the television set when 1 of these people has said something that is thence factually wrong is ridiculous ... The problem is at that spot are people out at that spot who believe that if it is said on the TV it must hold upwardly truthful - no thing who says it!
- journalists aren't prepared to hold off for thoughtful in addition to considered comment. The media has always worked to tight deadlines but inward the 24-hour word cycles, at that spot is just no fourth dimension to hold off for the interviewee to examine what they receive got been asked to comment on in addition to thence intend nearly an appropriate response. When 1 mortal won't supply the comment inward a timely manner, journalists are simply finding someone else who will. I for certain don't blame the journos for this - their chore has locomote increasingly hard in addition to the pressure level they must hold upwardly nether is unimaginable. That aside, as a result, we're increasingly finding media stories covering AOD issues containing information that is incorrect. When it is discovered that what has been written is wrong, it is rarely, if ever, corrected in addition to misinformation continues to circulate
- many online stories, once published, are at that spot forever. That's non bad if what has been written is accurate, but if it is incorrect, then that slice of misinformation is dredged upwardly over in addition to over again, often beingness referred to years later
- 'media grabs' receive got ever been a business office of the interview sense but at 1 time that's it, there's often zero else done to back upwardly those grabs. Working out 3 telephone commutation points yous desire to embrace for a TV or radio word spot has ever been 1 of the most 'fun' parts of doing a media interview. These would hold upwardly a uncomplicated summary disputation of a complex number that yous could almost guarantee would hold upwardly dealt alongside inward greater detail elsewhere - at that spot would hold upwardly an article on the theme printed inward the newspaper, a lengthier TV interview was due to hold upwardly aired afterward that day. That's non the instance anymore - a select handgrip of is all yous sometimes get. Alcohol in addition to other drug issues, similar thence many other social issues, are presented inward a brace of 'black in addition to white' statements in addition to at that spot are no 'shades of grey'
Alcohol in addition to other drugs is a complex number in addition to no-one (no thing what their viewpoint) is ever going to hold upwardly completely happy alongside how it is covered inward the media. Journalists receive got 1 of the most hard jobs inward the globe in addition to now, alongside the 24-hour word wheel in addition to the growing influence of social media, it is getting harder. We also at 1 time receive got a growing give-and-take nearly so-called 'fake news' in addition to its impact. Whether nosotros similar it or non all of us are influenced past times the media inward some way. You tin hold upwardly the most 'media-literate' mortal out at that spot and be good aware of the special biases that particular outlets may have, but when yous are bombarded alongside the same message over in addition to over 1 time to a greater extent than (e.g., previews of tabloid electrical flow affairs programs every bit yous sentinel 1 of your favourite TV shows, reading headlines of newspapers or magazines every bit yous sit down contrary someone on a educate or bus), it is a potent mortal that isn't going to hold upwardly affected inward some agency ...
It is extremely of import that people examine the media critically - looking beyond the headlines in addition to the 'click-bait' in addition to looking at who is beingness quoted in addition to why. This is peculiarly truthful for parents of teens, many of whom are worried nearly things they come across in addition to hear inward the media that most in all probability aren't fifty-fifty going to hold upwardly on their ain children's radar. Of course, parents should hold upwardly concerned nearly this surface area but they should ever hold upwardly wary of sensational coverage in addition to misinformation.
After presenting at the conference, writing this piece and genuinely thinking through this number I at 1 time receive got to consider what I create adjacent inward this area. Do I start to engage alongside the media to a greater extent than in addition to just 'grin in addition to bear' the frustration when things don't locomote every bit hoped or create I locomote along to sit down back, reject to brand comment and allow it all come about around me? It's a tough 1 - I dear writing my weblog in addition to engaging alongside people, peculiarly parents - but there's no improve agency of reaching huge numbers of people in addition to hopefully making a positive impact than past times having a 3-minute alive interview on a television set program! Watch this infinite ...
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