Chomsky en Herman (2002: 31) skryf oor die skep van digotomieë in die Amerikaanse medialandskap (eie paragrafering toegepas ten einde lees te vergemaklik):
By definition, news from primary establishment sources meets one major filter requirement and is readily accomodated by the mass media. Messages from and about dissidents and weak, unorganised individuals and groups [...] are at an initial disadvantage in sourcing costs and credibility, and they often do not comport with the ideology or interests of the gatekeepers and other powerful parties that influence the filtering process.
Thus, for example, the torture of political prisoners and the attack on trade unions in Turkey will be pressed on the media only by human-rights activists and groups that have little political leverage. The U.S government supported the Turkish martial-law government from its inception in 1980, and the U.S business community has been warm toward regimes that profess fervant anticommunism, encourage foreign investment, repress unions and loyally support U.S. foreign policy (a set of virtues that are frequently closely linked).
Media that chose to feature Turkish violence against their own citizienry would have had to go to extra expense to find and check out information sources; they would elicit flak from the government, business, and organised right-wing flak machines, and they might be looked upon with disfavor by the corporate community (including advertisers) for indulging in such a quixotic interest and crusade. They would tend to stand alone in focusing on victims that from the standpoint of dominant American interests were unworthy. [Chomsky en Herman se skuinsdruk, my vetdruk]
Hoewel ek onder die indruk is dat die Suid-Afrikaanse pers veel meer liberaal as hul Amerikaanse eweknieë is, kan ek nie help om te wonder of, die heterogene teikenmark van die plaaslike media ten spyt, daar ook in Suid-Afrika gevalle van sogenaamde worthy en unworthy slagoffers is nie. 'n Soektog op Sabinet na onderskeidelik “plaasmoord”, “farm murder” en “zimbabwe” bied die volgende uitslae:
Die uitslae in die plaaslike pers vir “Zimbabwe” – 'n kolossale 52631 – verdwerg die aantal nuusberigte oor plaasmoorde. Ek het natuurlik nie elkeen van die 52631 berigte oor Zimbabwe gelees nie, so ek weet nie wat hul inhoud behels nie, maar ek wonder tog of 'n mens aan die hand hiervan die volgende oor die plaaslike pers se “filter” kan postuleer:
- Zimbabwiese slagoffers van geweld = Worthy
- Slagoffers van plaasmoorde = Unworthy
Is bogenoemde voorbeelde realisties of nie? Kan julle aan nog of beter voorbeelde dink?