An examination of Australian news coverage of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

This thesis examines Australian news coverage of Papua New Guinea, a country with which Australia shares geographic proximity and strong historical ties. Specifically, this study examines the coverage of PNG by The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald newspapers from January 01 until June 30, 2010. This work aims to demonstrate that PNG is a neglected news region. This neglect – in terms of quality reporting – has produced a limited and fragmentary portrayal of PNG in the Australian media. In this context, this study observes that the majority of news stories about PNG tend to lack analysis and contextual background. By examining the process of news framing and news values, this thesis suggests that the disproportionate emphasis on events associated with crime, chaos, disaster, and corruption has constructed PNG as a fragile, suffering and dependent society. The key methodologies used in this thesis are content analysis, and indepth interviews with a selected number of Australian journalists currently or previously based in PNG. The thesis forms part of a much broader examination of the changing trends in international news coverage of developing countries, particularly the Asia-Pacific.