Equal coverage – Northern Advocate – 7th September
2016
Does preferential treatment cost? If so, how much?
After fielding a number of calls since Saturday
regarding an article prominently positioned on page two of Saturdays Advocate, I
thought it was worth watching and seeing. Well it’s off to a great start. Saturday’s large edition Advocate has a large, prominently placed, well coloured
article (494sqcm) promoting a, new to politics, wanna-be mayoral
candidate. I suggested to those making comments that they may be alphabetically
placed, but in hindsight Mr Stuart (Stu) Bell should have been first cab off
the rank.
Then there was Monday’s Advocate; a small (260sqcm) far less conspicuous
presentation for Stu Bell’s mayoral bid placed on page five. A very small, low resolution,
photograph and one in my opinion, hardly fairly depicting a candidate vying for
a mayoralty bid. An injustice or an oversight, or is it he who pays the big
advertising dollars prior to and during the election run up that gets
preferential treatment from the local media?
These
comments made, are in no way a slight to the author Alexandra Newlove, who I
believe writes balanced and accurate reports, but results are sadly controlled
by those further up the food chain that control the levels of exposure by
position and size of articles.
Well all I
can say is at least we still do have unbiased media exposure available
with local social media political groups. Let us hope that continues, as it
appears to be a much more
level playing field for all participants
at no cost and not just for those who spend the big bucks.
Warren Slater
Maunu
Editors Note: There is no correlation between
advertising dollars and stories in the newspaper, but we take the point about
photographs being the same size, so that all candidates get the same exposure.
And unlike social media platforms, newspapers regulate content for defamation,
accuracy, exag-geration and outlandish claims.
Items that
were abridged by the Northern Advocate are in italics, (for their published copy)