It is often argued that the existence of a democratic society necessitates the existence of information outlets whose duty is to provide the populace with authentic, unbiased and relevant material. Media outlets are thus the most pivotal institutions within society. The obligation of the modern media and its journalists to perform sufficiently as the "fourth estate of democracy" - that is, the vital pillar in maintaining social equality - arguably stopped being fulfilled when media became privately owned. In recent years, rhetoric has triumphed over reality and the general public seem to remain unaware. Owned by media monopolist Rupert Murdoch, popular newspaper "The Courier Mail" is perhaps one of the most biased outlets of all popular newspapers. …show more content…
By comparison to the aforementioned author, journalist Phillip Adams uses crafted rhetoric to add interest to his articles, as opposed to using subtle rhetoric to mask the nonexistence of substantiated arguments. Within his articles, Adams makes use of high-level language and poetic devices in order to attract and capture the attention of more intellectual readers who are assumed to have thorough prior knowledge of the articles' central contentions. The author is well known for his decorative writing and articles of substance, often tackling political issues without predisposition and with dignity. Whilst Adams, a journalist of quality and veracity, uses rhetorical devices as an additive measure, Houghton uses rhetoric as substitute for reason. Clearly, the intention behind the use of rhetoric distinguishes the quality of the journalist.
In summary, it has been made clear after thorough analysis of Des Houghton's article, "Why does the Left support this avalanche of paedophile filth," that there exist journalists whose exact intentions are to conserve inequality and push the agendas of Rupert Murdoch under the façade of legitimate news. This finding holds disastrous implications for the democratic society of Australia, as it highlights that journalists and modern media outlets are failing their duties as providers of newsworthy material that is authentic, unbiased and