Australian media's use of Facebook postings to report events of national interest

Online social networking sites such as Facebook have grown exponentially in recent times, yet little research has examined how the mainstream news media use the information available on these sites. This study explores how the Australian media used the social networking site Facebook in reporting three different news events: the disappearance of Australian backpacker Britt Lapthorne; the death of 4-year-old Darcey Freeman; and the devastating \u27Black Saturday\u27 Victorian bushfires. Sixty-four articles from Australian newspapers were identified pertaining to these three case studies within a seven month period from August 2008 to February 2009. An inductive thematic approach was used to identify the way in which information from Facebook was utilised by journalists within these news stories. Three main methods of utilising information from Facebook were established: the reporting of group activity to gather information, discuss developments, and gauge general public sentiment; the use of profiles to report the lives of newsworthy individuals via their postings; and responses via Facebook groups and profiles of the specific reaction of families, friends and the general public to an event. The rise of social networking presents new challenges for journalists in relation to how they use information ethically and responsibly, and the privacy implications associated with media reporting of postings on social networking sites are discussed

Australian media's use of Facebook postings to report events of national interest

Online social networking sites such as Facebook have grown exponentially in recent times, yet little research has examined how the mainstream news media use the information available on these sites. This study explores how the Australian media used the social networking site Facebook in reporting three different news events: the disappearance of Australian backpacker Britt Lapthorne; the death of 4-year-old Darcey Freeman; and the devastating \u27Black Saturday\u27 Victorian bushfires. Sixty-four articles from Australian newspapers were identified pertaining to these three case studies within a seven month period from August 2008 to February 2009. An inductive thematic approach was used to identify the way in which information from Facebook was utilised by journalists within these news stories. Three main methods of utilising information from Facebook were established: the reporting of group activity to gather information, discuss developments, and gauge general public sentiment; the use of profiles to report the lives of newsworthy individuals via their postings; and responses via Facebook groups and profiles of the specific reaction of families, friends and the general public to an event. The rise of social networking presents new challenges for journalists in relation to how they use information ethically and responsibly, and the privacy implications associated with media reporting of postings on social networking sites are discussed

Parental Perceptions About the Importance of Play in the First Three Years

Play is a universal and innate disposition that is believed to be one of the most significant components to holistic wellbeing and development during the foundational years of childhood. Research and literature examining the topic of play in early childhood suggests that while unstructured and child directed play is valued, its existence is under threat. Instead, it is being replaced by structured, educational, and adult directed activities which aim to accelerate young children’s learning. Due to these conflicting paradigms, and a lack of research exploring parental values in this area, this quantitative study examined parental perceptions towards structured and unstructured play for children under the age of three years. In order to investigate this topic, 255 New Zealand parents, with children not in full-time childcare and under the age of three years, participated in an anonymous online survey. The survey was designed specifically for this study due to a lack of pre-existing measures. The main finding was that parental perception influenced the way in which infants and toddlers spent their time. The majority of parents perceived unstructured play to best support early development and, consequently, offered children a large amount of daily time to become involved in freely chosen unstructured play. The study also identified that: the more weekly activities a child engaged in, the higher structured play was valued by parents; older parents did not value structured play as highly as younger parents; parents with a tertiary level qualification valued unstructured play more than those parents with a school qualification or less; screen time was perceived to be more appropriate the older the child. These findings were discussed in relation to the implications they raise for the role of the parent, early childhood education, parent education, and child development and wellbeing

On being \u27fat\u27: obese and overweight Australians respond to news depictions of obesity and overweight

There is scarce research into the ways in which overweight and obese people interpret news media coverage of obesity and the so called obesity epidemic. This paper reports on a qualitative study using a purposive sample of 152 overweight, obese and morbidly obese people living in Melbourne, Australia. Most participants felt the news tended to portray them in negative and stereotypical ways. Characteristic portrayals identified by participants included obese and overweight people as: morally irresponsible and a burden on society; objects of ridicule and derision; and the subject of dehumanising images. Participants were highly reflexive and their personal experience as an overweight or obese person was an important mediator of their views about particular versions of reality constructed in the news media, and the significance of obesity for society. The research will inform future health communication strategies which will be played out against the backdrop of continuing news coverage