Hoijer, B. (2004). The discourse of Global Compassion: The Audience and Media Reporting of Human Suffering. Media, Culture & Society, 26(4), 513-529.
Birgitta Hoijer is a professor at the University of Orebro in Sweden and has written many articles that focus on the relationship between the media and the public. In particular she focuses on the public reactions to the way in which violence is portrayed by the media. This article was retrieved from the peer-reviewed journal Media, Culture and Society that provides research based upon the media and its communication within political, economical and cultural context. Combined with the author’s credentials this makes for a highly reliable source. In this article Hoijer explores how people respond to the way media represents the ‘innocent victims’ that are involved in political conflicts and war. She particularly examines media efforts to create global compassion, specifically the effects motion pictures have. This directly coincides with the media reporting on the Norwegian Massacre as the attack was in response to the labour party and all of the articles attempt to arouse global compassion. Furthermore the article includes research survey to the way people react to media images, showing that the majority of people respond with compassion, but attribute more to the ‘ideal victims’ such as women, children and elderly people.
Phillip Williams (2011, July 25). Norway Devastated by Deadly Attacks, [Podcast television program]. ABC 7.30 Report. Retrieved October 21, 2011 from http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3277625.htm
Phillip Williams, based in London, has been ABC’s Europe correspondent for three years, however he had previously worked for London ABC on such coverage as the 911 attacks, the Madrid bombings and the Iraq war. His previous works in these areas gives him reliable credentials to report further human sufferings and deaths in the Norwegian Massacre. This news broadcast begins with the essential factors surround the events of the massacre, showing footage of the chaos from the bombing in Oslo to the aftermaths of the massacre on the island. It goes into great depth interviewing witnesses, Norwegian media personals, and experts in media use on violence. This research and depth that has gone into this news report asserts its credibility in reporting the events. However, as referred to in Source 1, because it is a television broadcast there is a sense of forming global compassion within the viewer. Furthermore William puts more emphasise on the victims that are children as opposed to the adults that may have died, as they are the ‘ideal victim’ as Hoijer refers. Despite this favoring, this report is highly credible due to the reporter and sources, providing extensive information on the Norwegian Massacre.
Boyes, Roger and Campbell, Matthew. (2011, July 24). Survivors of Norway’s massacre tell of their escape from gunman. The Australian. Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/survivors-of-norways-massacre-tell-of-their-escape-from-the-gunman/story-e6frg6so-1226100752716
The Australian online news article by Roger Boyes and Matthew Campbell follows the stories of the victims of the Norwegian Massacre. In the article it focuses primarily on the victims, basically recounting their experience. Although this article does include factual information regarding the shooting it is heavily reliant on the victim’s stories as the main crux of the article. This makes the article less reliable as journalistic report as it is more similar to a story. Regarding the authors, Boyes, a British journalist and author, has been a European journalist correspondent, with a focus on political events, for over two decades, making him a reliable author in response to European affairs such as the Norwegian massacre that was against the current political Labour party. Campbell does not have the same high standard of credentials but when in conjunction with Boyes he still retains credibility. In comparison to the other sources this report plays on the victimization of those involved to create a deep sense of compassion within the reader. This follows the idea Hoijer refers to in her article where the journalists emphasise certain elements to force the expected compassionate response from the reader.
Godfrey, A. (2011, July 26). Norway Grieving after bombing and island Massacre. The Courier Mail. Retrieved from http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/world/twin-attacks-gunman-opens-fire-on-youth-camp-car-bomb-explodes-at-pms-office/story-e6freopo-1226100157179
The article featured by the Courier mail written by Alison Godfrey details the aftermath of the Norwegian massacre, which, unlike the other sources, also has a focus on the accused man, Anders Behring Breivik. It is a detailed report that features photographs of both the massacre and bombing while also showing the police investigation into Breivik. In comparison with video report in source 2 the images do not create the same level of compassion that the moving image does, as noted in Hoijer’s article. Nonetheless it does offer quotes from the victims and their detailed experience. This report follows a logical order of events, with specific times and details progressing from the massacre to Breivik’s trial that the other sources do not contain. The detail of the content combined with the credentials of the Godfrey, who is senior news journalists, demonstrates its credibility. Since this news report is placed in an Australian newspaper there is this sense of the distant victim that Hoijer refers to which is manifested by the images. This article, similarly to the other news reports, creates global compassion in its vivid report of the innocent victims.
