Annotated Bibliography - Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Scenic Rim

Vines, J (2001). News values and country non-daily reporting. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 10, 38-48. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/fullText;dn=200114456;res=APAFT

The author is an academic who has lectured in Journalism at Deakin University and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, which demonstrates that she has a strong knowledge of the area. The article uses a range of sources including those who have knowledge of the country newspaper industry to back up the articles idea, however the reliability of the article is questionable due to the fact that it was written in 2001. Due to technological advancements since then one of the key ideas of country towns being isolated due to a lack of technology is outdated, however the key idea of country publications focusing on the community is still seen in country newspapers today. The article is well referenced, with the author citing sources from a variety of different perspectives, which helps to strengthen the article. The language used in the article is easy to understand, making it easy for the reader to comprehend the authors intended meaning. The article is quite helpful to understand the differences between reporting in a country publication and daily publication. One of the key ideas in the article is that country non-daily publications focus more on the ideals of the community instead of the typical ‘if it bleeds it leads’ news value.

Best, M. (Reporter). (2011, October 16). Channel Seven News [Television Broadcast]. Brisbane, QLD: Channel Seven

This clip from Channel Seven news illustrates the difference between the treatment of country news by large media organisations and local media organisations. While the local news organisations focus more on the effect on the local community, the channel seven story uses both facts and emotion and focuses on the bigger story. The story also gives background information to ensure that those who aren’t from the Scenic Rim can understand the story. As this story was a television story on a major network, the target audience was substantially larger than that of a local/regional newspaper. It is interesting to note that the story focused largely on the threat of the community losing its lifestyle as well as the ‘country’ values that exist within the Scenic Rim.  While this is central to the reason that many residents do not want Coal Seam Gas mining, the stories from the local papers focused more on the protest itself, not the effect of Coal Seam Gas mining.  The channel seven story also featured a balancing viewpoint from Arrow Energy who is responsible for the Coal Seam Gas exploration, and Alligence Coal, who are responsible for any future Coal Mining.  In many ways this demonstrates the way in which major news organisation will present an issue of conflict whereas local papers like the Fassifern Guardian and Beaudesert Times are more inclined to report about Community Development. Unlike the other articles, the author has no interest in the region or the impact of Coal Seam Gas mining, meaning a less biased viewpoint is presented.

Cunningham, C. (2011, 18 October) Anti-Mining Fight Reaches New Heights. Beaudesert Times. Retrieved from http://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/beaudesert/150-anti-mining-fight-reaches-new-heights

The online version of the Beaudesert Times, also featured an article on Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Scenic Rim. The article appears to be originally intended for print, however adapted to feature on the website. Beaudesert and its surrounds are the most populated region of the Scenic Rim, however the paper still has a relatively small circulation. The viewpoint of the Beaudesert Times is quite similar to that of the Fassifern Guardian, and despite the article being almost two weeks old it was still the central focus of the homepage, illustrating that it is a major issue in the community. The article uses many of the same sources as the Fassifern Guardian, however like the Seven News report it gave more background details. One of the main differences found when looking at the articles from country/regional non-daily papers and other media sources is the fact that a balancing sources was not used in either the Beaudesert Times or the Fassifern Guardian, rather the opinion and groups consulted only seem to reflect the view of the wider community.  Amongst the community the paper is seen to be a quite reliable source of information on local issues, which reflects the fact that the paper is written almost entirely with its target audience of local residents in mind.

Battle for the Scenic Rim. (2011, October 19). The Fassifern Guardian, p. 6-7.

The Fassifern Guardian is the local paper in the Boonah-Fassifern Region of the Scenic Rim and has covered the issue of Coal Seam Gas mining and exploration in great detail over the past few years. The paper is thought to be a reliable source of information by many locals who purchase the paper to find out about the issues that affect them, which is one of the main values of country newspapers and reporting. Paper recently won, the Best The Best Newspaper (circulation less than 10,000) at the Queensland Country Press Association conference. The article focuses more on the impact of Coal Seam Gas mining on the locals instead of the facts and figures which are the focus of other articles on the issues, written by those not from the region. While the paper doesn’t present a evident bias in the article, the journalists have in previous articles expressed their concern about the Coal Seam Gas in the Scenic Rim. While some may believe that this impacts on the reliability of the source, the view shared by the paper is the shared by the wider community, adding to the community value of the source. The article, which got a full front page and a spread in the centre of the paper is definitely is in line with the news value ‘if it is local it leads’ a value which is central to Country news publications.