AANZCA 2024

Mapping News Media Polarisation during the Voice to Parliament Referendum

Katharina Esau, Axel Bruns, Michelle Riedlinger, Samantha Vilkins, and Laura Vodden

• 26 Nov. 2024 – AANZCA 2024 conference, Melbourne

Presentation Slides

Abstract

Understanding the role of news in shaping public opinion and social cohesion is crucial, especially during the polycrisis. While the potential for partisan news reporting is recognised, there is a pressing need to define, conceptualise, and measure news media polarisation. Previous research mostly used audiences’ political leanings as indicators of the medium's political slant. However, this approach lacks direct insight into the diversity of viewpoints within individual news pieces, media outlets, and at the macro level for entire media landscapes.

In Australia, there is a widely shared perception that news has become increasingly polarised. However, the specifics of this polarisation remain unclear. Is the Australian media polarised, and what constitutes the poles? While News Corporation is often presumed to be on one side, identifying the counterpole(s)—whether it be the ABC or others—requires empirical analysis.

This study addresses these gaps by developing a new approach to assess news media polarisation beyond the traditional left-right dichotomy. Through manual content analysis, we examined the actors, positions, claims, justifications, emotions, and values in news. We applied this framework to the coverage of the Voice to Parliament referendum, analysing the extent of polarisation within the Australian media landscape from April to December 2023. By manually analysing a sample of 850 news articles from 20 major print outlets, the findings offer practical insights for journalists and media practitioners to reflect on, fostering a much-needed public debate about the state of Australia’s news media on one of the most divisive issues of the past year.