I decided to follow up the David Hicks story, looking at the latest developments about when he is expected to arrive back in Australia. Unsuprisingly, the Australian papers such as the Sydney Morning Herald, the Adelaide Advertiser, the Age and the Brisbane Times, all had articles suggesting the time of his departure and his arrival back in Adelaide.  

SMH (19 May) titled “Hicks expected home Sunday” was the leading article in the online paper. SMH offers a additional angle to the story and also inlcuded Terry Hicks’ (David’s father) perspective on the situation

Hicks’s father Terry said the federal government was likely to wash its hands of the case once his son returns to Australia.

Mr Hicks, who is waiting for a call from the Australian consulate to say his son is back in Australia, said he believed the government would say the Hicks matter was now a state government concern.

“I don’t think it is, I still believe it is the Commonwealth government’s (responsibility),” Mr Hicks told reporters at an anti-war forum in Sydney today.

“The federal government are the ones who should be taking a belting in the backside for how they’ve handled all this.”

Mr Hicks does not expect to see his son for up to a week.

“Once he’s in the (prison) system we can get a meeting with the jail to find out visitation rights, what we can take in to him and what we can bring away for him and that sort of thing,” he said.

He is angry about the secrecy of the transfer and said the federal government was maintaining that his son was a security risk.

“Look at his charges,” Mr Hicks said.

“How can he be a security risk guarding a tank that doesn’t work.”

He said there was a real possibility his son would be placed under control orders, rather than undergoing meaningful rehabilitation, once he is released from prison in December.

Hicks was also under the catergory of ‘top stories’ in the Adelaide Advertiser. This paper however featured more stories on the subject, inlcuding a full spread on Terry’s reactions and feelings. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21760482-5006301,00.html and another extensive story about the Greens reaction to John Howards arrangement to have Hicks brought home on a private jet. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21758667-5006301,00.html. I didnt find this suprising however because Hicks is a local boy to Adelaide so it makes sense that Adelaide Advertiser has more information on the topic – this is a perfect example of the news value Proximity.

The Hicks story is also a leading headline in The Age – but this article is pretty brief – it doesnt mention the controversy about Terry or the Greens opinions.

I found it interesting that the story isnt featured in the major headlines in the Brisbane Times, but is the exact story published on The Age’s newspage. They are both fair fax digital news stories which makes it understandable that they are the same story, however i just find it interesting that they both place different importance on the story – I’m assuming this is because of the Proximity news value once again.

The New York Times had nothing in their online publication about Hicks being released. The latest story i could track down about Hick was written at the beginning of April. I tried finding an article in the Los Angeles Times but the closest seach was about two gay men trying to have a baby…The Washington Times also didnt feature the story – this is surprsing to me becasue America had a great to do with his arrest so I thought they would have some interest in his departure?

The News Values present in this story is currency as the David Hicks saga has been ongoing for years.

Timeliness is also apparent because each news organisation is trying to be the first organisation to get the news about when Hicks will arrive back in Aus, consequently they are publishing stories that are predicting when he will get home.

Proximity is a huge news values, as seen by the Australian papers placing more importance on the story, and the Adelaide Advertiser taking all different angles on the story.

I suppose David Hicks can be seen as a prominent figure - but definately for the wrong reasons – he is an important subject, but in a very negative spotlight.

The Terry Hicks angle of the story can be taken as Human Interest as it goes simply beyond the facts of the story and includes an emotional aspect.  

The Australian Government is working hard to being David Hicks back to Australia after he pleaded guilty to providing material support for terrorism earlier in the year. The plan is to bring Hicks back to his home town of Adelaide where he can serve out his 7 year prison sentence, instead of staying in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

there was speculation in the media that Hicks would be returning home a week from the 8th of May, “Confessed terrorism supporter David Hicks could return to Australia in a week” (SMH, May 8th)  

however it was revealed by Alexander Downer on the 13th that this was not the case “No exact time for his return has been determined yet,” Mr Downer told journalists in the Adelaide Hills town of Stirling.

“It’s unlikely it will be on Sunday but it’s likely it will be in the next 10 days or so beyond the end of this week.” (SMH may 13)

The Age(May 8) tells the same story as SMH, with ambiguity about when Hicks will return home

Secrecy surrounds the details of Hicks’ return to Australia with the federal government refusing to reveal how the 31-year-old Muslim convert will be returned to Adelaide to serve the remainder of his nine-month jail sentence.

The Australian Associated Press General News(May 15) features an interesting story about Hicks, in a quite entertaining writing style, although it is still regarding hicks’s departure from Guantanamo Bay

David Hicks arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from Afghanistan more than five years ago on a US military plane handcuffed and strapped into his seat.

For the 13,000km flight his sight was blinded by a face mask and goggles, his hearing was blocked by ear muffs and gloves covered his hands.

A needle containing a mystery substance was jabbed into his thigh just before the plane landed, making him drowsy.

When Hicks leaves Guantanamo for Adelaide, most likely next week, he will travel in the style of a billionaire or Hollywood celebrity.

A private jet will be chartered by the Australian government at an estimated cost of around $A500,000.

The flight will likely include a stopover in Tahiti or Fiji.

If Hicks has a window seat the view will be spectacular as the jet speeds down the Guantanamo runway, leaves the ground and makes a steep turn to avoid flying into off-limit Cuban airspace.

The article then takes a more serious tone, stating the important and top secret process of bringing Hicks home

Hicks’ departure is a closely guarded secret.

The Pentagon has said it will announce the details once his plane’s wheels have left the Guantanamo runway.

Some Australian officials say the first the public will know about Hicks’ flight back to Australia will be when he lands in Adelaide.

The seriousness of escorting Hicks home is captured by the personnel who will accompany him – four security officers, two Australian officials and a doctor. 

The article then back tracks to the prison where Hicks has been staying and employs a sympathetic tone

Hicks’ cell was a sparse 7.4 square metre room with no window to the outside world and a concrete slab for a bed, lined with a thin foam mat.

Lights remained on in the cell day and night, guards checked his cell once every three minutes and he was given three meals a day.

The Herald Sun posted a story about an hour ago (3.30pm Tues 15th May)

CONFESSED al-Qaida foot soldier David Hicks is preparing to sign the transfer papers that will see him returned home to Adelaide probably by early next week.

“David is fully committed to complying with any requests made of him by the South Australian government or Commonwealth government upon his release from prison at the end of this year” said Major Michael Mori

Once the paperwork is signed, it is only the logistical arrangements of flying Hicks’ home that need to be finalised, Major Mori said.
 

Major Mori said: “David is looking forward to being able to see his family regularly in a South Australian prison. He hopes to take advantage of any educational opportunities in the prison.”

Hicks is likely to arrive at South Australia’s Edinburgh RAAF base in a chartered plane.

It was interesting that the Chicago Tribune did not have any articles written on David Hicks and the most recent article about Hicks from the New York Timeswas written on the April 5th. Also the earliest article i found by the UK Independent was back in March and was about Hicks initial plea bargaining.

This lack of stories can be attributed to proximity as David Hicks is an Australian so it does make sense that Australian newspapers would be following the story more closely.

The news values evident here are proximity as the Australian newspapers cover the story adequately and overseas newspapers have less importance placed on the story. Currency is also a significant news values as the David Hicks story has been circulating in the media for some years now. The Sun Herald in particular has been keeping a close eye on proceedings and has published 4 articles on Hicks as the story has been developing. Human interest- slightly used by  The Press General News as the story was quite in depth, descriptive and less formal than other news stories.

March 27

Hicks was formally charged with ”material support to terrorism” on march 27 – however previous charges of attemped murder, conspiracy and aiding the enemy were dropped.

He denied having an contribution to the Sept 11 attacks.

Promise by the US govt that is Hicks pleads guilty, he will be able to serve the rest of his sentence in Aus.