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Public Interest in the Pandemic : a comparative framing analysis of COVID-19 public health interventions by the Victorian State Government and Australian digital news outlets

Thwaites, Joseph Peter LU (2021) MKVM13 20211
Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
Abstract
This thesis investigates the framing of COVID-19 public health interventions by the Victorian State Government, in daily press conferences, and Australian digital news outlets, in their reporting on the press conferences. A mixed-methods approach to framing analysis is used to comparatively analyse the framing by the two sources. The analysis revealed significant differences between the frames operationalised by the Victorian State Government and Australian digital news outlets. These differences were highly indicative of the practices, norms, and ethics of journalism and public health, and their competing definitions over what constitutes ‘public interest’. The findings indicated that while the majority of news articles in the sample... (More)
This thesis investigates the framing of COVID-19 public health interventions by the Victorian State Government, in daily press conferences, and Australian digital news outlets, in their reporting on the press conferences. A mixed-methods approach to framing analysis is used to comparatively analyse the framing by the two sources. The analysis revealed significant differences between the frames operationalised by the Victorian State Government and Australian digital news outlets. These differences were highly indicative of the practices, norms, and ethics of journalism and public health, and their competing definitions over what constitutes ‘public interest’. The findings indicated that while the majority of news articles in the sample replicated the ‘public health’ framing promoted by the State Government, a significant number of articles adopted a negative judgement on public health interventions, emphasising political blame and moral and economic risks. This latter framing predominated among News Corporation-owned tabloid news outlets, in which reporting was found to be more dramatized, sensationalised, and critical of state intervention. These findings prompted recommendations for increased funding and regulation to promote quality journalism and media diversity in Australia, arguing that it is the interests of both democracy and public health. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Thwaites, Joseph Peter LU
supervisor
organization
course
MKVM13 20211
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
COVID-19, frame analysis, Australian news media, journalism, public health, media representation, media diversity, public interest
language
English
id
9044295
date added to LUP
2021-07-19 08:33:09
date last changed
2021-07-19 08:33:09
@misc{9044295,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the framing of COVID-19 public health interventions by the Victorian State Government, in daily press conferences, and Australian digital news outlets, in their reporting on the press conferences. A mixed-methods approach to framing analysis is used to comparatively analyse the framing by the two sources. The analysis revealed significant differences between the frames operationalised by the Victorian State Government and Australian digital news outlets. These differences were highly indicative of the practices, norms, and ethics of journalism and public health, and their competing definitions over what constitutes ‘public interest’. The findings indicated that while the majority of news articles in the sample replicated the ‘public health’ framing promoted by the State Government, a significant number of articles adopted a negative judgement on public health interventions, emphasising political blame and moral and economic risks. This latter framing predominated among News Corporation-owned tabloid news outlets, in which reporting was found to be more dramatized, sensationalised, and critical of state intervention. These findings prompted recommendations for increased funding and regulation to promote quality journalism and media diversity in Australia, arguing that it is the interests of both democracy and public health.}},
  author       = {{Thwaites, Joseph Peter}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Public Interest in the Pandemic : a comparative framing analysis of COVID-19 public health interventions by the Victorian State Government and Australian digital news outlets}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}