Review and analyse current case studies of media portrayal of the public services, including one
factual and one fictional case study
Factual: Road wars
Road wars is a programme that shows the various exploits of traffic cops at different locations
throughout the UK. It is factual in that it shows how they deal with individuals and when necessary
respond to various situations as well as the follow process and what eventually happened to those
that were involved. Whilst it is factual and correct it is very “cherry picked” in that it only shows the
most exciting or interesting highlights of what the traffic cops do or encounter and they only include
the legal process and paperwork as its boring to viewers who watch the programme. As such this
creates a much marginalized view of what actually happens whilst being a traffic cop focusing
everything on the 1% of cases that are interesting and not the 99% boring but no less important
cases.
This kind of programme is very narrow minded and gives only tunnel versioned version of what
actually happens. As such whilst a factual programme with factual content it’s misleading and isn`t
an accurate portrayal of the public services or the role of traffic cops. What it is though is a positive
presentation of the public services and promotes the traffic cops as an effective service. The chases,
arrests and similar that are shown in the programme are good propaganda for the public services
showing and reassuring the public that crime doesn’t escape justice, and for those who might be
interested it acts as a recruitment show persuading individuals to join the public services and do the
same things that happen in show. It is however unclear whether this is intentional or if it is simply an
accidental by product of the deliberate “cherry picking” of only viewer appealing moments.
Fictional: Casualty
Casualty is also a programme and is a drama series set in the casualty section of a hospital. This show
is fictional but tries to include the processes that would be present in a casualty ward. However it
only focuses on the processes everything else is the people focused drama about the patients and
members of the casualty ward. This means that means unlike a real ward none of the paperwork or
bureaucracy is present and as such the depiction of the casualty ward is inaccurate.
Again this programme is misleading in its representation of the public services, however this is
fictional and as such when it focuses on the drama, plot development and similar it is not denying
content to the viewers of what actually happens at a casualty department. However as a far as an
accurate portrayal it’s inaccurate and leads a false impression. However as its fiction not fact, the
programme has no deliberate effect positive or negative and as such any such conclusions are drawn
upon by the viewer alone and whether it has acted as a recruiting programme also depends upon
the viewer alone with no deliberate intention or content aimed at acting as such.
factual and one fictional case study
Factual: Road wars
Road wars is a programme that shows the various exploits of traffic cops at different locations
throughout the UK. It is factual in that it shows how they deal with individuals and when necessary
respond to various situations as well as the follow process and what eventually happened to those
that were involved. Whilst it is factual and correct it is very “cherry picked” in that it only shows the
most exciting or interesting highlights of what the traffic cops do or encounter and they only include
the legal process and paperwork as its boring to viewers who watch the programme. As such this
creates a much marginalized view of what actually happens whilst being a traffic cop focusing
everything on the 1% of cases that are interesting and not the 99% boring but no less important
cases.
This kind of programme is very narrow minded and gives only tunnel versioned version of what
actually happens. As such whilst a factual programme with factual content it’s misleading and isn`t
an accurate portrayal of the public services or the role of traffic cops. What it is though is a positive
presentation of the public services and promotes the traffic cops as an effective service. The chases,
arrests and similar that are shown in the programme are good propaganda for the public services
showing and reassuring the public that crime doesn’t escape justice, and for those who might be
interested it acts as a recruitment show persuading individuals to join the public services and do the
same things that happen in show. It is however unclear whether this is intentional or if it is simply an
accidental by product of the deliberate “cherry picking” of only viewer appealing moments.
Fictional: Casualty
Casualty is also a programme and is a drama series set in the casualty section of a hospital. This show
is fictional but tries to include the processes that would be present in a casualty ward. However it
only focuses on the processes everything else is the people focused drama about the patients and
members of the casualty ward. This means that means unlike a real ward none of the paperwork or
bureaucracy is present and as such the depiction of the casualty ward is inaccurate.
Again this programme is misleading in its representation of the public services, however this is
fictional and as such when it focuses on the drama, plot development and similar it is not denying
content to the viewers of what actually happens at a casualty department. However as a far as an
accurate portrayal it’s inaccurate and leads a false impression. However as its fiction not fact, the
programme has no deliberate effect positive or negative and as such any such conclusions are drawn
upon by the viewer alone and whether it has acted as a recruiting programme also depends upon
the viewer alone with no deliberate intention or content aimed at acting as such.
