Our study analysed 1,366 media articles, examining the sentiment towards minority communities in them. We found that over a third of hard news stories contained negative sentiments towards minority communities, while more than half of the editorials and commentary pieces portrayed minority communities in a negative light.

There also needs to be a concerted effort to change the makeup of Australia’s newsrooms so that the leadership and journalists reflect the cultural diversity in Australia.

The sample included about 80% news stories, 4% features and 16% editorials and commentaries on selected events and issues during a six-month period.

 

via New research shows how Australia’s newsrooms are failing minority communities