Analysing Two Media Articles

“ Free loading Foreigners are sucking millions of dollars from cash-strapped Victorian hospitals”, Jeremy Kelly firmly states on the 5th of March 2004 in the Herald Sun. Overseas visitors are failing to pay medical bills after getting sick or injured, leaving the hospital with severe “Deficits”. The Human Services Department are now aware of this problem and considering ways to relieve pressure off hospitals. In direct relevance John Ferguson provides a example of a tourist overload, in the Herald Sun 14th April 2004. How the Warley hospital is facing closure due to financial difficulties caused by unpaying visitors attending the Motorcycle Grand Prix.

“Tourists a health cost”, Jeremy Kelly clearly states in the head-line of the article. Then proceeds with fast facts, which refer to the statistics chart on the right of the article, conducted by the Human Services Department. Recalling evidence of last financial year of all state hospitals, how they were “out of pocket by a estimated $3.5 million”. The writer proceeds by bestowing reasons for emergency need for baby deliveries, colds, broken bones etc.

The writer uses strong emotive language to address the problem, a strong tone to identify how serious the problem is. He presses forward issues as if he were a bystander and writes in the mood of being very critical and outraged by what going on. Examples of this include the first paragraph “Freeloading Foreigners…”, and throughout the article disregards what tourists require and focuses on what money and resources are being utilised. Including Health Minister Browyn Pike and her views on the situation strengthen his article. Her views inquire ways to relieve the pressure off hospitals by stating, Visa ‘Should include cover’ on their health insurance. By providing comparisons to other countries people become more inclined to listen and address the issue.

The reader would tend to agree because he analysis the situation as if he were the reader, critical and...