Nick ‘Chainsaw’ Smith
NZ Herald - March 14
It is clear from the graphics employed in the NZ Herald today the inference that they are trying to put across in respect of the approach being adopted by Nick Smith towards ACC.
This graphic was used at least twice in the major article the NZ Herald ran on ACC today.
The chainsaw image undermines any supposed balance in the article.
Not only was it used on the main two page spread, it was used on the frontispiece to the section as well.
This was the use of emotive imagery to drive a specific perception, whatever the textual content was. This was of course compounded by the use of emotive text, colouring and cartoon image, before the body of the article was reached. This was then made worse by the use of another graphic.
NZ Herald - 14 March
Many who read the article on the internet will not have realised the full impact of the NZ Herald’s presentation. In this regard many internet sites still lack the impact of the print edition or a digitised copy.
However, this fronting page with the use of red, the cartoon and the phrase ‘THE KNIFE GOES IN” is designed to push the reader to only one point of view.
This is a very biased approach to this issue. It is a good example as well of how the judicious use of cartoons can aid and abet the text. Indeed, the cartoons and graphics can be used, as Adam would suggest in this case, to put across a stronger and more biased case than the actual text portrays.
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