Marinepits
01-27-2006, 10:18 PM
http://www.edba.org.au/media.html
<TABLE width="100%" bgColor=#c9bcb4><TBODY><TR><TD><CENTER>The Role of The Media </CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
by Val Hodgson
Secretary EDBA
When future historical writers examine our times, the role of the world-wide media in bringing about Breed Specific Legislation and its sad consequences will not accord journalism any accolades!
As the most powerful tool available for communication and education, most media is guilty of mere sensationalism ,direct misinformation and omission of information in reporting dog attacks.
Their calls for quick solutions where none exist have caused political acts which see government after government follow like so many lemmings down the road of useless, unenforceable laws, with excessive costs and litigation borne by disgruntled voters—not to say a wake of dead pets!
This all occurs to the detriment of measures focussing on the nexus of dog selection, responsible ownership, training, containment and supervision with children—all of which have a direct bearing on any likelihood of a dog bite occurrence!
The media has had a feeding frenzy on American Pit Bull Terriers, seeking salacious details of a dog attack
Judging by statistics available, media turns down any dog bite story unless it can magically within a par or two, turn into a tale of a “pitbull” attack!
Old shots of some vicious dog snarling are shown to draw attention, from Lost Dog's Home and RSPCA magazines, to newspaper articles—that dog surely by now is long in the tooth !
the word “pitbull” is soon, included and the coverage is prominent, the space is generous.
If stats are used, “bull” breeds and crosses are indiscriminately added ,particularly to increase supposed breed culpability--but this is not declared, one works it out!
There are always the quotes from prominents who have their own axe to grind, even when their profession and organization propounds a more scientific policy, the “No redeeming features” “’till it suddenly turns on the children”’ “no place in society” “a loaded gun”(this requires a human hand on the trigger, remember!) etc., will be forthcoming and give credence to the most illogical of emotional arguments- a dog is 100% responsible for an attack!. Is every attack dog a wild hunter??
The full circumstances of an attack ,mostly due to negligent ownership, are not the focus, it's quotes and facts which will enable the dog to be depicted as the villain.—why a dog is loose is never asked!
Applicable laws and whether they have been met or are adequate are never questioned by reporters after a good “pitbull” story. They blame the breed of dog, full stop.-Singlemindedness!
Language is colourful, dare we say, emotional in conjuring up “killer” dogs.—there is never the admission ANY dog over 25 kgs in attack mode could inflict horrific damage and not be fended off.
Whilst ONE dog has been attacking, let's say it IS an APBT ,at the same time, thousands of the very same breed are at home being good dogs! Like Steve Irwin’s one, yes, the crocodile hunter, and Brad Pitt’s pit!! When Victorian attack statistics appeared in the HeraldSun, they showed 21 attacks by Pit bulls, out of 683 total for 20 breeds identified, when dog population was 900,000----at the same time as the new Bill to curtail “pitbulls” was reported in full. It takes very few brains to work out there were huge gaps in the logic and credibility here—what about all the other 19 breeds of which 12 had bitten more than the banned breed?? How exactly would this STOP dog attacks and make the community safe? <CENTER>
But our journalist did not ask that, people writing to the editor did, later! </CENTER>
False facts are also perpetuated .How many times has it been written Pit bulls have killed 4 persons, in Australia, the truth is NONE of those killer dogs were pitbulls—the university research uncovered the truth.
When did the media ever retract a wrong statement?
Or enlarge the details when they did not condemn the dog breed? Last year's attack in SA by a “Rottweiler” was a by a crossbreed rescued dog with a poor recent history and it was found to have a biro embedded in its ear—an Adelaide paper refused to print that detail however.
A Victorian lad badly injured by a family of “crossbreeds turned pitbulls” when he fell from the fence, had been warned not to tease them, neighbours knew this and his parents had been told, this fact made no newspaper.
Even with a statement of crossbreeding signed by the SPCA officer that destroyed the dog responsible, the Toowoomba death of Mrs Barbara Stringer is still reported as death by a pitbull.
Early stories of pitbulls carried the old myths of scissor jaws , psi of bite and unreliability—none of which have ever been shown scientifically and all of which have been debunked scientifically! But still, to whip up the feelings, newspapers repeat and ……
Stop a second and think—how could thousands of any breed of dogs so vicious, so outrageously strong and unreliable have existed in the community for over 20 yr. and suddenly they are everywhere biting and attacking to the degree we must condemn every one?
The facts do not add up—the APBT has consistently performed as a breed within the top 5 in the respected American Temperament Test, and has outperformed the beloved Labrador! When was this ever freely reported?
The original fight bred dogs had to be trustworthy with humans to be handled by a number of men and this is the characteristic of these bull and terrier breeds that is forgotten or deliberately omitted when breed bans are the cry.
<TABLE width="100%" bgColor=#c9bcb4><TBODY><TR><TD><CENTER>The Role of The Media </CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
by Val Hodgson
Secretary EDBA
When future historical writers examine our times, the role of the world-wide media in bringing about Breed Specific Legislation and its sad consequences will not accord journalism any accolades!
As the most powerful tool available for communication and education, most media is guilty of mere sensationalism ,direct misinformation and omission of information in reporting dog attacks.
Their calls for quick solutions where none exist have caused political acts which see government after government follow like so many lemmings down the road of useless, unenforceable laws, with excessive costs and litigation borne by disgruntled voters—not to say a wake of dead pets!
This all occurs to the detriment of measures focussing on the nexus of dog selection, responsible ownership, training, containment and supervision with children—all of which have a direct bearing on any likelihood of a dog bite occurrence!
The media has had a feeding frenzy on American Pit Bull Terriers, seeking salacious details of a dog attack
Judging by statistics available, media turns down any dog bite story unless it can magically within a par or two, turn into a tale of a “pitbull” attack!
Old shots of some vicious dog snarling are shown to draw attention, from Lost Dog's Home and RSPCA magazines, to newspaper articles—that dog surely by now is long in the tooth !
the word “pitbull” is soon, included and the coverage is prominent, the space is generous.
If stats are used, “bull” breeds and crosses are indiscriminately added ,particularly to increase supposed breed culpability--but this is not declared, one works it out!
There are always the quotes from prominents who have their own axe to grind, even when their profession and organization propounds a more scientific policy, the “No redeeming features” “’till it suddenly turns on the children”’ “no place in society” “a loaded gun”(this requires a human hand on the trigger, remember!) etc., will be forthcoming and give credence to the most illogical of emotional arguments- a dog is 100% responsible for an attack!. Is every attack dog a wild hunter??
The full circumstances of an attack ,mostly due to negligent ownership, are not the focus, it's quotes and facts which will enable the dog to be depicted as the villain.—why a dog is loose is never asked!
Applicable laws and whether they have been met or are adequate are never questioned by reporters after a good “pitbull” story. They blame the breed of dog, full stop.-Singlemindedness!
Language is colourful, dare we say, emotional in conjuring up “killer” dogs.—there is never the admission ANY dog over 25 kgs in attack mode could inflict horrific damage and not be fended off.
Whilst ONE dog has been attacking, let's say it IS an APBT ,at the same time, thousands of the very same breed are at home being good dogs! Like Steve Irwin’s one, yes, the crocodile hunter, and Brad Pitt’s pit!! When Victorian attack statistics appeared in the HeraldSun, they showed 21 attacks by Pit bulls, out of 683 total for 20 breeds identified, when dog population was 900,000----at the same time as the new Bill to curtail “pitbulls” was reported in full. It takes very few brains to work out there were huge gaps in the logic and credibility here—what about all the other 19 breeds of which 12 had bitten more than the banned breed?? How exactly would this STOP dog attacks and make the community safe? <CENTER>
But our journalist did not ask that, people writing to the editor did, later! </CENTER>
False facts are also perpetuated .How many times has it been written Pit bulls have killed 4 persons, in Australia, the truth is NONE of those killer dogs were pitbulls—the university research uncovered the truth.
When did the media ever retract a wrong statement?
Or enlarge the details when they did not condemn the dog breed? Last year's attack in SA by a “Rottweiler” was a by a crossbreed rescued dog with a poor recent history and it was found to have a biro embedded in its ear—an Adelaide paper refused to print that detail however.
A Victorian lad badly injured by a family of “crossbreeds turned pitbulls” when he fell from the fence, had been warned not to tease them, neighbours knew this and his parents had been told, this fact made no newspaper.
Even with a statement of crossbreeding signed by the SPCA officer that destroyed the dog responsible, the Toowoomba death of Mrs Barbara Stringer is still reported as death by a pitbull.
Early stories of pitbulls carried the old myths of scissor jaws , psi of bite and unreliability—none of which have ever been shown scientifically and all of which have been debunked scientifically! But still, to whip up the feelings, newspapers repeat and ……
Stop a second and think—how could thousands of any breed of dogs so vicious, so outrageously strong and unreliable have existed in the community for over 20 yr. and suddenly they are everywhere biting and attacking to the degree we must condemn every one?
The facts do not add up—the APBT has consistently performed as a breed within the top 5 in the respected American Temperament Test, and has outperformed the beloved Labrador! When was this ever freely reported?
The original fight bred dogs had to be trustworthy with humans to be handled by a number of men and this is the characteristic of these bull and terrier breeds that is forgotten or deliberately omitted when breed bans are the cry.