Crime in the News and Framing Analysis Assignment Guide

Nature of the Task: A presentation focused on a framing analysis of a news article.
Duration: Approximately $7$ minutes. A guide of $6$ to $8$ minutes is provided to allow for a one-minute leeway for students needing extra time or struggling to reach the limit.
Word Count Guide: Estimated at $750$ to $850$ words, though this varies based on speaking speed and specific content.
Total Weight: $25\%$ of the unit grade.
Theoretical Basis: The analysis must utilize theory from the textbook, specifically Chapters 2 and 3.
- Framing Devices: Focus on information found on page $29$ regarding framing devices.
- News Values: Topics covered in the current week's curriculum.
- Definers: Concepts of primary and secondary definers, found on pages $40$ to $41$ (to be covered in the following week's material).

Publication Type: The article must be selected from an Australian tabloid newspaper.
- Tabloid vs. Broadsheet: Tabloids (e.g., The Herald Sun in Melbourne) offer richer data for framing analysis because they typically feature more sensationalized content compared to broadsheets (e.g., The Age in Melbourne).
Content Requirements:
- Select an article with sufficient information for analysis. Avoid articles that are only a few paragraphs long.
- Look for articles that include images and quotes from multiple sources.
- If an article is extremely long (e.g., seven pages), it can be analyzed in sections, but the specific pages must be clearly identified.
Article Approval: Pre-approval is not required, but students should check with tutors if they are uncertain about their choice.
Ineligible Content: Avoid "obvious" opinion pieces or editorials, such as specific columns (e.g., Andrew Bolt in The Herald Sun), as they represent a different media type than standard news stories.
- Exception: Articles by credentialed crime writers (e.g., Andrew Rule) may be used even if they have a strong perspective, provided they are structured as news articles with quotes and references.

Recording Software: All presentations must be recorded using Panopto.
- Students may use any slide program (PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.) but must record the walkthrough in Panopto.
- Including a video feed of the speaker in the corner is optional; the focus is on the audio and slide content.
Slide 1: Title Slide:
- Must feature an image of the article (visibility of every word is not required).
- Citation: Must include the article's citation in APA 7 format. This is the only formal referencing required in the assignment and is a specific marking criterion.
Body Slides (4-5 Slides):
- Each slide should focus on a different framing device.
- Visual Design: Recommended to use pictures, "zoomed-in" sections of the article (e.g., focusing on a heading), and relevant quotes.
- Structure: Use clear dot points or short sentences. Students can model their structure after the unit's lecture slides.
Final Slide: Analysis:
- Synthesize the individual framing devices into a critical discussion rather than treating them in isolation.

Step 1: Navigate to the university library website.
Step 2: Search for the specific publication (e.g., "Herald Sun").
Step 3: Locate the correct result; for The Herald Sun, it is frequently the 11th result on the second page.
Step 4: Select "Access Options" and choose the second "Newsbank Access Australia" option. This version displays articles exactly as they appeared in the physical newspaper layout.
Step 5: Filter or browse by date (e.g., searching for entries within the range of $2020$ to $2026$ ) or topic.
Note: Page numbers in the database may not match physical page numbers exactly if full-page advertisements are present; students should verify the number printed on the page image.

Subject: A news story from July 11 concerning the arrest of a $16$ -year-old boy following the discovery of a girl's remains in the bush.
Vocabulary and Headlines: Terms like "shocking," "sickening," "senseless victim," "crime crisis," and "broken state" were used to imply a systemic crisis and assign blame.
Narrative Framing:
- The Victim: Represented as "innocent," "gentle," "quiet," and having "so much life to live."
- The Perpetrator: Visualized by the act (a selfie of the victim vs. the remote bush where remains were found).
- Small Town Context: The article explicitly mentioned the population of Donald is $1,472$ and its location is $145$ km Northwest of Bendigo. This emphasizes the "tight-knit" nature of the community and the "unpredictability" of the crime in such a remote area.
Selection of Sources:
- Quotes often came from the community (mentioning a GoFundMe) and police detectives.
- The teenager being interviewed was mentioned but not given a voice, a common feature in crime reporting.
- Mention of two women ( $53$ and $55$ years old) assisting police from Melbourne and Donald suggests the impact or influence of outsiders on small towns.
Ideal Victim Theory: The victim is depicted in the most positive light possible to signify she did not deserve the outcome. No "victim blaming" (questioning why she was out) was present in this specific framing.

Problem Identification: What problem is the article conveying (e.g., youth crime reaching small towns)?
Causal Attribution: Who or what is identified as the source of the problem?
Moral Judgment: How are individuals (victims or perpetrators) represented? What messages do the images and quotes send about their moral character?
Remedy/Solution: Does the article propose a solution (e.g., community cohesion, Crime Stoppers assistance)?

Question: Can I record only the audio over my slides for Panopto?
Response: Panopto records the screen as you go through the slideshow and talk. Instructions on the unit site explain the setup. A video of the speaker is not mandatory.
Question: I have an article that feels slightly opinionated. Is it still okay?
Response: The tutor checked the specific link and confirmed that while it expressed a strong viewpoint, it functioned as a news article because it utilized quotes, references, and standard reporting structures. Using those opinionated elements (images, specific quotes) as evidence in the framing analysis slides can actually add value to the presentation.
Discussion on Victim Portrayal: The class discussed the "Ideal Victim Theory," noting how labels like "gentle" and "quiet" specifically build a narrative of innocence that contrasts with the "horror" of the crime.