1.

What is the topic

- Gang violence in Melbourne
2. Who is being represented
- Refugees
- Victims
- Youths
- Sudanese
- Africans
- African male gang
3. Describe the representation
- Extremely bad
4. How does ACA build this representation?
o Language
o Hell-bent
o Menace to society
o Violent scenes
o Surge in violence
o Gate-crash
o Riot police
o African drug ‘cat’
o Wanna-be
o Trashed
o Deported
o Violent home invasions
o Threat to public safety
o Shockwaves to both sides of PM’s
o Every right to be extremely worried
o Soft bail laws and sentencing
o Need a national gang database
o AFP taskforce
o Youth workers needed
o Visuals
o Videos of damaged properties
o Videos of gangs stalking the streaks
o Damaged properties
o Damaged police cars. – ambush animation
o Community centre destroyed
o Bongs
o Memo to police to be careful around these gangs.
o Victims
o Interviewed
o PM
o MP
o Shadow attorney general
o Children – scared
o Member of public (all different races)
 o Victoria police commissioner
o Victorian PM
o Audio
o Screams
o Dramatic music
o Interviews
o Menace 2 society – movie

Gang behaviour is on the rise in Australia. That is, according to that ‘highly regarded media show’ a
current affair.

Gm. Today, I will examine the way certain parts of the media misrepresent African gangs. I will focus
on one particular text from a current affair entitled African gangs in Melbourne from march, 2019.
By using a number of devices such as: highly evocative language, threatening visual images and
music, and selective experts, ACA demonstrates the narrow and unfair reporting around this serious
issue.

The clip begins with the presenter informing the audience that these gangs are “a menace to
society” and “hellbent on destruction” alongside a background animation of dark figures with bullet-
holed glass. Immediately, the viewer is invited to regard this issue from a place of fear. The clip then
moves to a montage showing the damage these so-called “ethnic street gangs” are doing to the
innocent victims of Melbourne. Shots of victims, damaged properties, riot police, ambushes on
police, and the gangs themselves combine to visually aid the story of a city under siege. Alongside
these horrifying images are voice-overs from a number of experts; including the Police
commissioner, the Shadow Attorney General, and children from the community. All interviewees
offer the same terrifying narrative that these gangs, all of African decent and new to Australia, are
hell-bent on destroying the Australian way of life. Whilst these scenes of destruction deserve to be
investigated, and stopped, It is none the less an obvious instance of bias where there are no other
voices interviewed to give an alternate perspective on the issue. By stacking the deck for an anti-
African gang speakers, viewers may question why the other side was silenced.

Clearly, ACA is itself ‘hell-bent’ on portraying these few instances of bad behaviour as a crisis. There
is no nuance to their reporting. There is no balance in who is interviewed. There is, however,
sensationalised reporting with very little facts.

It is not until we, the viewers, demand more from out nightly news that change will occur from ACA.
I challenge you to switch the channel next time a similar story appears on your screen. Go and do
your own research or watch a reputable news show that is prepared to tell the whole story rather
than the dramatic story.

If we really want to stop the rise of gang behaviour, don’t depend on ACA to offer solutions.

Thank u