Celebrity Advantage in Media Coverage: Novak Djokovic’s Campaign for Freedom.

Are celebrities able to bend rules due to increased representation in the media? Novak Djokovic. The number one ranked tennis player in the world right up until the end of January 2022[1]. Also, the man whose name has been in the news over the last month. On his arrival in Melbourne airport on January 5th, 2022, with his eyes set on competing in the Australian Open for the following weeks, Djokovic’s entry into the country was “rejected by border officials in the early hours of the following morning”[2]. The uproar that followed, whether defending Djokovic or agreeing with the decision made by the Australian border control, should be scrutinised for its representation in the media.

In the wait for Djokovic’s lawsuit to be discussed in the courtroom, he was detained in quarantine. During this time, “a group of around 200 people gathered outside the Carlton Park Hotel”, many protesting, chanting “Free Novak” and others insisted that “his vaccination status should not matter to people who have already received their shots.”[3] Furthermore, Djokovic’s wife released tweets on January 7th using the hashtags “#WeStandWithNovak” and “#WeStandWithDjokovic”[4]. The campaign to free Djokovic, and allow him to compete in the Australian Open despite not meeting the laws set in place by the Australian government provided fuel for misrepresentation in the media.

Australia’s border control enforcing the rules that were set out by the government when borders were reopened quickly turned into a human rights debate regarding vaccination status that flooded our TV screens on the news each night. Whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated and agree or disagree with Australia’s ruling on the matter, the real issue with this case has been missed by the media. In support or not, it is an official government law that “for travel into and out of Australia, travellers must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination”[5] and Novak Djokovic attempted to enter the country under an exemption based on his contraction of COVID-19 in December 2021, despite the vaccine being available to citizens from Serbia in 2020. [6] His exemption is arguably undermined by his refusal of the vaccine, since the absence of the contraction COVID-19 in December would have left Djokovic with no exemption for the tournament, and unable to enter the country. Of course, the receival of the any COVID-19 vaccination is mostly optional across the world meaning Djokovic was legally justifiable in his choice to refuse the vaccine. The unjustifiable element of the situation regarding his travel to Australia though, is the ignorance in the attempt to enter the country. Individuals without a celebrity status, and an estimated net worth of $200 million, attempting to enter the country under the same vaccination status and exemption as Djokovic would have been turned away and the matter considered no further.

Why does a tennis player that attempts to surpass a country’s laws receive a media indulged campaign for justice in a situation that promotes inequality between those with a celebrity status and a great net worth compared to non-famous individuals in the same situation? Vaccinated or unvaccinated, the real debate lies with the injustice that media coverage facilitates in the push for a good news story. A rule is a rule, whether we agree with the terms or not, one must be treated equally with others under this rule regardless of social status and wealth.

By Sammy Wilson.

References:

1. ATP Tour. 17.01.2022. ATP Rankings. [online] Available at: <https://www.atptour.com/en/rankings/singles> [Accessed 30 January 2022].

2. BBC News. 2022. Novak Djokovic: The twists and turns of his Australia mess. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59890943> [Accessed 30 January 2022].

3. Ray, S., 2022. ‘Free Novak’: Djokovic Supporters Gather Outside Melbourne Hotel Where He Is Being Detained. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/01/07/free-novak-djokovic-supporters-gather-outside-melbourne-hotel-where-he-is-being-detained/?sh=74a76d2e84c8> [Accessed 30 January 2022].

4. Jelena Djokovic, Twitter, 7 January 2022. https://twitter.com/jelenadjokovic/status/1479253523095298049?cxt=HHwWgoC5jb3ProcpAAAA [Accessed 30 January 2022].

5. Australian Government Department of Health. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/international-travel> [Accessed 30 January 2022].

6. Delauney, G., 2022. Covid: How Serbia soared ahead in vaccination campaign. [online] BBC News. Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55931864> [Accessed 30 January 2022].