Formal Media Folio Examples

Threatening positive politeness

Manipulating

Dutton a “monster” according to Ali France

Who: Labor Candidate in Dickson, Ali France, who has a disability, What: suggested the Coalition was planning cuts to essential National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support to pay for AUKUS submarines.

Where: social media post

How:

"What he's saying here is that disabled people should fund the AUKUS submarines by going without essential supports. And some say he's not a monster," she wrote in a social media post above a picture of Dutton.

Reinforcing social distance and authority

Pusillanimous? Turnbull retort a soundbite for the ages

Who/What: Malcolm Turnball, former PM accused of jeopardising US trade talks

“Has the ABC become so pusillanimous that you’re seriously suggesting that we shouldn’t be free to speak the truth in Australia, for fear of Donald Trump?” 

- Used as a soundbite that grabs attention, rather than informal language “cowardly” gets lost

- Gives strength and authority to Turnbull

- Appears superior

- Separates himself, with term no one understands

Establishing expertise

Stranded shark: scientist’s views

Who/what: When locals in Brisbane rescued a stranded Great White shark from the shallows, Macquarie University wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta was asked for comment.

How: Ms Pirotta states there were “a number of reasons why marine animals like sharks might strand”, before giving reasons such as “illness and injury” alongside sharks chasing “prey into the shallows”, detailing her expertise in the subject of marine animals stranding themselves alongside the use of hyponyms such as “marine animals” and “prey” to describe the hypernym wildlife

Challenging social harmony

Harmony Week 

Australian Human Rights Commission demonstrates how the idea of 'harmony' hides structural and systemic racism through designed worksheets and lesson plans.

Promoting social harmony

Solidarity

PM Speech at Close The Gap

PM Anthony Albanese’s speech at Close The Gap uses non-discriminatory language “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people” to refer to the group in:

When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people advance, the entire nation moves forward.

In order to acknowledge and commit to reducing the disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

• Double speak: “stake” in economy, includes what? Investments, a job?

• Rhetorics: “sense of community in which we can be a meaningful part.” appeals to emotions and sense of solidarity

Negotiating social taboos: sexism

Politeness strategies

Mr Speaker…

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton addresses a female speaker repeatedly as “Mr Speaker” and “Madame Mr Speaker” jumping to stereotypes about men only in positions of authority.

A comment on the YouTube video summarises perfectly:

“Seems like a mixture of habit, laziness and sexist indifference.”

Negotiating social taboos: periods

Periods in sport

Paralympics swimmer Monique Murphy opens up about her experience with her “debilitating five-year ordeal” which uses the double speak “ordeal” to refer to her missing her menstrual cycle for nearly two years before being diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis. Dr Rach Harris states “We want to normalise these conversations for female athletes and also the people that support them”, indicating the social taboo around menstruations must be broken down to make female health a priority in sport, not just the outcome.

This taboo around menstruation has been witnessed by Sariah Wilson as a young footballer, who has had her coach tell her “Oh, that’s a bit weird.” when raising that she was training on her period. 

Clarifying
Obfuscating

Coalition government allows vaping

The Coalition has confirmed it would allow vapes to be sold at retail stores not just pharmacies, tax the products and regulate the industry.

By allowing vapes to be sold, Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston explains that “strict and sensible policies will protect our kids” and our community “from organised crime”, clarifying the Coalition’s reasoning when first announcing this plan whilst obfuscating the exact plans in place that will prevent crime and harmful effects of vaping on kids.

Financially, the tax received “benefits taxpayers” according to Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor, as the Coalition government would “rather have a properly regulated sector” than one where vapes are sold on black markets and through organised crime.

Manipulating

Albanese just stumbled

In The Guardian: “Just one leg went down, but I was sweet,” Anthony Albanese insisted. “I stepped off the stage and I didn’t fall over on the backside. I stumbled. That’s what happened. I laughed about it at the time, I’ve laughed about it since, it’s no big deal,” he said. 

• Precedes to make a joke to lighten the mood.

• Clarifying and manipulating readers to believe Albanese’s perspective, not to draw attention to his fall
  
  

Coalition Leader Peter Dutton called Albanese a “liar who can’t be trusted”. “The prime minister lied about falling off the stage for some reason. I mean it was on camera, it’s quite amazing,” he said.

This helps manipulate Australian voters’ opinions of Mr Albanese and further Mr Dutton’s campaign.

Obfuscation

IVF Mix-up

An article in The Herald Sun, 

An Australian-first IVF mix-up, biological parents may have no legal rights to the child born by a “stranger”. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler vowed to put IVF regulations “on the agenda” if re-elected.

 

-              Ambiguous wording “on the agenda” is an example of obfuscation

Monash IVF said: “We are confident that this is an isolated incident and we will do everything we can to help ensure it never happens again.”
Monash IVF also said it was “human error” which caused the mix-up.

 

-              Double speak “incident” referring to the mix-up, without revelaing details of the mix-up, to ensure privacy

-             Everything we can: like what? what are the policies placed to “ensure” it never happens again

-             Euphemism “human error” instead of horrible mistake rendering biological parents with no legal rights