Gable Tostee Controversy

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Over the course of many years, the immense development of mass media has had a considerable impact on societal views. This impact can be observed in various news stories through the manner it is being represented and the various techniques being deployed in these particular news stories. The mass media’s dominating size allows it to be an originator of recent events and reports for millions of people. Due to their prominence to present reports and events, they often control and influence the way society’s stance and opinion is towards a specific issue.
In the news recently, Gable Tostee a 28 year old man from the Gold Coast, has been appearing in an innumerable quantity of reports and articles. There has been a lot of controversy generated …show more content…

However this news article from the New Zealand Herald, is not as bias to that of the one from A Current Affair, where this one takes more of neutral approach, not just pointing fingers. The title of this news article influences the audience to feel sympathetic for the woman through the words “pleaded before balcony plunge”. The way the word “pleaded” plays a role is by making society almost immediately feel like the woman was begging for her life, and did not want to be killed. The picture being used in this news article, portrays more of a neutral stance, unlike in the previous report where its influences are attempting to criticise Gable Tostee and delineate him as the perpetrator. The picture used by the media is a photograph of Warriena Tagpuno Wright before the incident with a smile on her face. The caption for this picture strikes fear in the audience through the use of statement the direct quote then “You are lucky I haven't chucked you off my balcony”. The statement which then followed with the quote was “Rrie (Warriena) Wright's accused killer is alleged to have told her,” this then represents the situation as Gable Tostee having the intention of chucking her off the balcony, and then the resulting cause of her death being just that. The article continues on referencing the conversation between Warriena Wright and Gable Tostee from the recording on his phone and this conversation that the media is presenting, influences the audience’s opinions even greater as the article continues. Between the video news report and the news article, the report emphasises more on the dangerous character Gable Tostee and the dating application, and how guilty he is. The news article conversely focuses more on giving the actualities of what happened that night and how it came to be, not trying to forcibly influence opinions by pointing

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