The power of the Press, What role does it play in OotP? |
 May 27 2009, 07:08 AM
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Madame Pince's House Elf  Posts: 4,607 Joined: 5:46pm January 28, 2005 Location: In HP Book Club 4, awaiting the HBP film's release   |
POWER OF THE PRESS All through GOF it is difficult to miss Rita Skeeter and her Quick Quotes Quill, ready to puncture egos and cause strife. For instance by revealing to the world Hagrid's giantish ancestry, by accusing an off duty Arthur Weasley of not doing more at the QWC or by writing about Hermione's alleged love life. The last of Rita's GOF articles was directed at Harry, himself, questioning his fitness to compete in that last third task. This is the background to the start of OotP. Not having read his Daily Prophets thoroughly, Harry doesn't know anything about the continuing smear campaign against him or against Dumbledore. Rita Skeeter is out of the picture, but also Harry's warning about Voldemort isn't being taken seriously. When Harry returns to Hogwarts he seems to be the object of muttering disapproval even within his own Gryffindor dormitory. It seems only Dumbledore's bald statement at the end of the previous year's leaving feast stops public opinion from blaming Harry, himself for Cedric's death. Here are some questions, any or all of which, you may like to think about whilst you consider the power of the Press in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. *Why did Harry think that there was no news in the Daily Prophet? Why wasn't the death of Cedric after the Third Task, or the proceedings of Harry's trial reported in the paper? *If Rita Skeeter is not responsible for the Daily Prophet innuendo at Harry's expense, who do you think would be behind it? Which is more believable: The Daily Prophet's anti Dumbledore innuendo? Or the Quibbler's accusations about Cornelius Fudge? *What do you make of the press release about the appointment of Umbridge as High Inquisitor? Why is Lucius Malfoy's opinion of the appointment quoted? Why does the Daily Prophet run in the same edition a piece about Mme Marchbanks and links with goblins? *Luna Lovegood proves to be one of the most honest, reliable and closest friends that Harry will ever have in his life. Why then doesn't he or other students, Hermione, in particular, find her more a more credible sort of person? *What do you make of Rita Skeeter' statement that 'The Daily Prophet only exists to sell itself'? What do you think of the Quibbler as an 'alternative paper'? What does Rita Skeeter and her comments about 'spin' tell us about modern day journalism, and its impartial reporting of the news? *How effective is Rita Skeeter's article in changing around public opinion? Was it really the article itself, naming Lucius Malfoy and others as Death Eaters? Or was it Umbridge's ban on anyone reading it? Or was it Voldemort's appearance in the Ministry Atrium, in front of Cornelius Fudge, himself? This post has been edited by WaggaWaggaWerewolf: May 28 2009, 05:32 AM --------------------  Check out the Beedle the Bard Book Club |
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Jun 2 2009, 10:33 PM
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 202 Joined: 3:24am June 3, 2008 Location: Enjoying the latest HP book club |
QUOTE *Why did Harry think that there was no news in the Daily Prophet? Why wasn't the death of Cedric after the Third Task, or the proceedings of Harry's trial reported in the paper? Harry didn't read the newspaper properly. He thought he only had to read the headlines, not the actual articles. I expect Cedric's death was to be hushed up, though how that could happen after it was the centre of the leaving feast the previous year is hard to imagine. As for Harry's trial not being reported it was because Fudge and a number of other people still believed he was guilty. QUOTE What do you make of the press release about the appointment of Umbridge as High Inquisitor? Why is Lucius Malfoy's opinion of the appointment quoted? Why does the Daily Prophet run in the same edition a piece about Mme Marchbanks and links with goblins? Umbridge must have some powerful friends. I wasn't surprised at the end of the book to find out that one of them is Lucius Malfoy. But Lucius Malfoy has been quoted in the press in other books. Because Madame Marchbanks protested against Dumbledore's being dismissed from the Wizengamot the Daily Prophet had to find something to say that would make her look less credible. |
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Jun 3 2009, 04:30 AM
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Diagon Alley Magical Bricklayer Posts: 2,898 Joined: 8:53am April 20, 2006 Location: Prifysgol Bangor Univeristy, Bangor, Cymru |
*Why did Harry think that there was no news in the Daily Prophet? Why wasn't the death of Cedric after the Third Task, or the proceedings of Harry's trial reported in the paper?
I think Harry was being a bit naive here. He really seemed to think that the Minstry would retracts its claims easily at the first hint of disturbance. Clearly they didn't as it was being covered up. I think Harry was in just too much of a mood to go digging in a paper he didn't believe in. *If Rita Skeeter is not responsible for the Daily Prophet innuendo at Harry's expense, who do you think would be behind it? Which is more believable: The Daily Prophet's anti Dumbledore innuendo? Or the Quibbler's accusations about Cornelius Fudge? Rita Skeeter tries to keep on the good side of the Ministry by writing what they want. She has found this opportunity of people suddenly doubting those they trust like Harry and Dumbledore and bending the stories to worry the population. *What do you make of the press release about the appointment of Umbridge as High Inquisitor? Why is Lucius Malfoy's opinion of the appointment quoted? Why does the Daily Prophet run in the same edition a piece about Mme Marchbanks and links with goblins? Again, it it the whole anti-Dumbledore thing. Fudge obviously thought it was Ok to run the story through the Daily Prophet becuase it needed no one else to see it first. Obviously Malfoy's opinion was again noted becuase he appealed to the Prophet and Ministry's stance against Dumbledore. *Luna Lovegood proves to be one of the most honest, reliable and closest friends that Harry will ever have in his life. Why then doesn't he or other students, Hermione, in particular, find her more a more credible sort of person? Without tryin to get too personal with this, becuase I find myself in Luna's character all the time, I guess they just have not known her long enough to understand what Luna is like, and work out all the true stories from the made up ones. All the way through this year Harry has had trouble trusting people, and he has just met Luna, so he really needs to work her out before taking her seriously. By being a keen member of the DA Harry realises Luna's loyalty at the Ministry and that lovely moment at the beginning of the next year when Luna asks him whether the DA will continue. *What do you make of Rita Skeeter' statement that 'The Daily Prophet only exists to sell itself'? What do you think of the Quibbler as an 'alternative paper'? What does Rita Skeeter and her comments about 'spin' tell us about modern day journalism, and its impartial reporting of the news? What papers don't write headlines to make money, especially the Murdoch oness? I hat the press in real life. For those in the UcK, read expenses: if the papers and media and effing Beep stopped trying to get on everybody's backs, no one would be as worried or confused because they know they were being told the truth. At the moment I never really read what's in the news because I can't tell what's right and what's not anymore. They got on Gordon's back the very first day he was in office wasn't he; all "how long will he last..." you could tell they were wanting stories about him at the first opportunity rather than giving him a fair chance. I deliberatley chose not to pursue a journalism career becuase I just did not want to work for any of our current press at all. I do think the Government have to do something to control the media more; but what if we ended up with a paper like the The Prophet? If it was too controlled by them we still wouldn't know what was actually going on. We need more Quibblers in the real world methinks. *rant over* *How effective is Rita Skeeter's article in changing around public opinion? Was it really the article itself, naming Lucius Malfoy and others as Death Eaters? Or was it Umbridge's ban on anyone reading it? Or was it Voldemort's appearance in the Ministry Atrium, in front of Cornelius Fudge, himself? This is about the Quibbler article right? I think for the doubters it was the part about the Death Eaters, but for those hardened against Harry and Dumbledore it was Umbridge's ban. That was yet another obvious sign that the Ministry did not want the story beleived as it was against them. --------------------  "...because if there is one thing I've learned from all I've been through, it's that you only regret the things that you didn't do." Cameron Duncan |
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Jun 11 2009, 08:38 AM
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Dumbledore's Personal Secretary Posts: 4,714 Joined: 10:28am December 31, 2006 Location: At a violin concert with my boss. |
Great questions WWW !  * Why did Harry think that there was no news in the Daily Prophet? Why wasn't the death of Cedric after the Third Task, or the proceedings of Harry's trial reported in the paper? Harry, honestly, was quite naive at that point of time. He still hadn't realised the full impact of Fudge's unbelieveing stance and knew little of how dirty politics worked. Not that Harry is to blame, he was just too innocent and believed in black and white. Sirius, having seen more of the world and having suffered it too, knew that the world wasn't divided into good people and Death Eaters, but Harry didn't get what his Godfather said and learnt it the hard way. Fudge brought pressure to bear on the Daily Prophet and it printed what the Ministry wanted it to print. It didn't help that the general public didn't want to believe that Voldemort was back either. People felt more secure deriding an old man and a teenage boy rather that accepting that possibility that the Dark Lord had returned. So, the Daily Prophet supplied what the people wanted to hear and the Ministry was happy about it. * Which is more believable: The Daily Prophet's anti Dumbledore innuendo? Or the Quibbler's accusations about Cornelius Fudge? Being a hard-core Dumbledore fan, I cannot answer this question with a little bias creeping in. Cornelius Goblin-Crusher Fudge seems a lot more believable to me than Albus Lost-His-Marbles Dumbledore.  But there were people in the wizardling world like me who never for a moment believed the rot the DP was spewing about Harry and Dumbledore. Families like the Longbottoms and the MacMillans went so far as to say that it was the Ministry and the DP that were losing their grip and standards and not Dumbledore. And say what one may, the fact that the Quibbler had a customer base, however small, proves that some people at least trusted what it printed. And like Hermione observed, when people wanted answers, they would be willing to listen to what an unusual paper had to say rather than rest disatisfied with the 'approved' paper's feeble assurances.* Luna Lovegood proves to be one of the most honest, reliable and closest friends that Harry will ever have in his life. Why then doesn't he or other students, Hermione, in particular, find her more a more credible sort of person? Luna is the sort of person one has to get to know before one really likes her. Till then, she's just a loony put in the picture for comic relief and evidently, that's how her peers saw her. Luna's innate goodness was apparent only when someone went closer and scratched the eccentric surface. Because the trio and Neville and Ginny were associated with Luna in a deeper way, they saw the truly nice person under the butterbeer cork necklace and radish earrings and good for them they did, for they would have lost a true friend and priceless supporter if they hadn't. Harry, especially had a strong connection with Luna - she gave him the support he needed when he needed it most - after he lost Sirius, Dobby, and seemingly Hagrid. Luna came through for Harry everytime and Harry never forgot that. after all, he named his little girl after her.  --------------------  |
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Jun 20 2009, 06:21 AM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 130 Joined: 11:58pm April 21, 2007 Location: Haunting werewolves |
QUOTE Cornelius Goblin-Crusher Fudge seems a lot more believable to me than Albus Lost-His-Marbles Dumbledore. Sorry, he doesn't seem all that believable to me. The allegations against Fudge were too wild and improbable. Do Heliopaths really exist? And do the bulk of the Wizarding World really care what happens to Goblins, anyway? Certainly not the people surrounding Fudge, even if they did have a streak of decency somewhere. The allegations against Dumbledore were much more believable because he really was getting older anyway. That was the grain of truth that strengthened the lie. Besides Fudge was leaning on the Daily fishwrap to suppress and discredit all allegations of the rise of LV. QUOTE *What do you make of Rita Skeeter' statement that 'The Daily Prophet only exists to sell itself'? What do you think of the Quibbler as an 'alternative paper'? What does Rita Skeeter and her comments about 'spin' tell us about modern day journalism, and its impartial reporting of the news? Rita Skeeter's remark is pretty much the truth. Sensationalise everything and everyone around and people will buy the newspapers. The point of the Quibbler might be that it is so far-out it makes the Daily Prophet look mainstream and respectable by contrast. What it needs is more gossip, and less crumpled-horn snorkacks. I think that the portrayal of the Daily Prophet's reporting is very like what I suspect happens in real life, like all these stars getting gossiped about. --------------------  |
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Jun 21 2009, 08:00 PM
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Knight Bus Driver in Training Posts: 594 Joined: 10:05pm August 1, 2007 Location: Having a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks |
Just like to say this if my first post in a loooooooooong time!
I think the press in the OOTP is supposed to represent the press today. It's all negative and they could make us believe almost anything, no matter how far it is from the truth. It's really amazing how many parallels there are between Harry Potter and the real world. -------------------- LUPIN FAN FOR LIFE
Harry- "Death's got an invisibility cloak?" Ron - "So he can sneak up on people. He gets bored of running at them, flapping his arms and shrieking." |
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Jun 22 2009, 07:37 PM
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Cauldron Bottom Measurer Posts: 110 Joined: 11:52am January 31, 2009 Location: Sandston Va |
Yap. You can go back over 100 years and see the same old thing. The media even then did not report the news or facts only what they wanted you
to hear. Considering that most people are sheep. They do as they are told at work. Have dinner and watch the so called news. If you see something enough you begin to think its the truth. So it was with Harry and Dumbledore. Even a lie becomes the truth when you say it enough. Of course when the truth was found out the paper was the first to say they were ok, and told the truth but did not bother to say they had been wrong all along. The gulf war is nothing like the news says. Have you ever heard that 400,000 troops are in the hospital because of impacts they are taking when their Bradly or hummer is blasted into the air. With all your armor you live but the human body is not built to with stand that it causes brain damage that many will not recover from? The economy well much power in fewer hands we all run like chicken little. We allow gas prices to just go up because the oil companies even with huge stockpiles that they can't sell do not care, the price goes up. We are acting just like the people did in the Book . Their are but few wolves but yet they devouter the many sheep;us.  horas1 
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Jun 28 2009, 08:57 PM
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 13 Joined: 2:43pm February 2, 2009 |
Your text
Completely censored. Whenever there is a war (most of the time) the press only shows what they want a.k.a. PROPAGANDA 
-------------------- "Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey--hey you lot! Midgets!"
"Ron!" "Well they are, they're titchy...." OOTP Pg. 215 Hermione, Ron, and Ginny almost sprinted to the door with him. As it swung closed behind them, they heard Mrs. Weasley shriek, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?" OOTP Pg. 507 |
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