Representation Of Grace Tame As Viewed By The Media

Grace Tame, former Australian of the Year and sexual abuse survivor and advocate, has been represented in a variety of ways by the media, all differing depending on the respective media’s biases, purposes and perspectives. Upon collation of the different representations of Tame, an overall picture can be put together of who she truly is, how she wants people to view her and how different people may perceive her. A key example of this arises upon comparison of the articles; ‘If looks could kill’ from the Green Left organisation, and ‘Feminism’s embarrassing fall from ‘Grace’’ from The Spectator. Both of these articles are about the Grace Tame and Scott Morrison meeting which sent ripples throughout the Australian media, and have an extreme amount

It is important to recognise the work Tame has put into altering Australia, not only from a legal perspective, but also from how we treat abuse survivors and how our societal views have majorly shifted. A key example of this can be taken from the outpouring of support for Tame after the media’s release of a photo of Grace Tame as young person, holding drug paraphernalia. 7 News commented on the ‘irrelevance of the image’ and also displayed the many supporters, friends and celebrities who posted images of themselves in solidarity with Tame. Tame went on to release a lengthy open letter to her blog, saying her foundation ‘received a record amount of donations that day’ and suggests that it is bringing Australia ‘one step closer to a future free from the sexual abuse of children and others’. This is monumental in the advancement of sexual abuse advocacy in Australia, and similarly it is bringing it to the forefront of the minds of politicians and anyone who may be present on social media. This use of social media also widens the audience of this advocacy for survivors, into a wildly influential group of young people who are more likely to use social media then traditional medias. Tame was also proved to be very influential in the 2022 Australian Federal Election, especially in respect to that of female voters. Tame’s advocacy hurtled sexual abuse prevention into the forefront of the political landscape, which was key in regards to campaigning for the election. Tame especially resonated with younger audiences through her empowering speeches and likeable personality, which shifted public opinion of the current PM, and brought to light the previous mistakes which may have been made by the Liberal Government. Even on an international scale, Tame has sent ripples worldwide through her advocacy work and powerful