Epidemics

When I glanced at the front page of today's Hun I was shocked to learn of the terrifying "grog epidemic" that has "gripped" Victoria. So I put down my third beer for the morning and fired up the computer. What other "epidemics" had the Hun reported ("exclusively"!)* over the last few weeks that I might, by virtue of only having read other papers, have missed?

Plenty.

There's an "epidemic" of truants. An obesity "epidemic". A plastic bag "epidemic" (although because it's a bit of a greenie thing to worry about, the Hun put "epidemic" in quotes in this instance). A childhood asthma "epidemic". Even a "niceness epidemic".

They do like their "epidemic" beat-ups down at Southbank.

And that's just the ones where they're specifically using the word. As I've pointed out many times before, their court reporting relentlessly, shamelessly gives the impression that courts are "soft" and criminals are "walking out free" without being punished and that the STREETS ARE GETTING MORE DANGEROUS and knife-wielding gangs have turned Melbourne into Gotham after dark. That there's a crime wave building on an epidemic of violent lawbreaking. Which is absolute rot, but sells newspapers.

Newspapers which too many people unfortunately take seriously.

I mention this again because I was very disturbed today to hear a magistrate justify a sentence on the grounds of "always reading in the papers" about the behaviour in question being one of these alleged "epidemics" - the misleading impression these beat-up reports give actually influencing the way justice is administered.

So don't tell me it doesn't matter. You hear people - even well-educated, professional people who should know better - repeating opinions based on this disingenuous rubbish more and more, whilst applying their critical faculties to such reports less and less. They expect courts to be unbelievably soft and criminal-friendly, so they don't question reports that, by leaving out critical details, seem to confirm their preconceptions. It's a dangerous approach to the criminal justice system that seems to be on the rise. It's everywhere.

I'd go so far as to say that there's an epidemic of it.

*Nothing more "exclusive" than quoting an "Australian Institute of Health and Welfare" press release.