Performing compassion: John Curtin and journalists, 1941-1945©

Paper

Coatney, Caryn. 2021. "Performing compassion: John Curtin and journalists, 1941-1945©." 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference: Engaging the Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice. Washington, United States 27 - 31 May 2021 Washington DC, United States.
Paper/Presentation Title

Performing compassion: John Curtin and journalists, 1941-1945©

Presentation TypePaper
Authors
AuthorCoatney, Caryn
Journal or Proceedings TitleProceedings of the 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference
Number of Pages10
Year2021
Place of PublicationWashington DC, United States
Web Address (URL) of Paperhttps://www.icahdq.org/page/ICA2021
Conference/Event71st Annual International Communication Association Conference: Engaging the Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice
Event Details
71st Annual International Communication Association Conference: Engaging the Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice
Delivery
Online
Event Date
27 to end of 31 May 2021
Event Location
Washington, United States
Abstract

Australian prime minister John Curtin, a formerly hard-hitting, labour-oriented reporter, deliberately elevated journalists’ roles to convey public appearances of being a caring leader, good neighbour and citizens’ friend during World War II (Alexander, 1971; Rodgers, 1971).
Curtin’s journalism-oriented ethos was forgotten as post-war leaders developed the technique of delivering impersonal, unidirectional news conferences to the largely undifferentiated mass media (Craig, 2016). Scholarly interest has recently resurged into
leaders’ emotive performances as they increasingly use digitised communications to deliver
personalised messages to audiences (Wahl-Jorgensen, 2020). This study seeks to answer:
• Which strategies of compassionate communication did Curtin develop to elicit journalists’ support?
• Which factors influenced journalists in portraying his compassionate ethos?
This study finds that he interacted more frequently with journalists than other major Allied leaders from 1941 to 1945 (Coatney, 2016; King, 1893-1950; Perloff, 1998; Tait, 2008). This paper conducts a rare analysis of Curtin’s confidential news briefings and film rehearsals that delve behind the scenes of his portrayal of his ethos during his extensive interactions with
journalists from Australia, Canada and the United States (Alexander, 1833-1957; 1971; King, 1893-1950; Rodgers, 1971; ScreenSound Australia, 1944). The paper sets out to recover Curtin’s journalism-oriented ethos to influence the news portrayal of his intimate, compassionate prime ministership. This conception of ethos is useful for the study of journalism’s role in portraying leaders’ expressions of compassion, trust and friendship.©

Keywordsjournalism; compassion; John Curtin; Australia; government-media relations; World War II
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020470105. Journalism studies
Public Notes

Permanent restricted access to Published version, in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Humanities and Communication
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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