This research looks at the way Australia is portrayed in the Western
European press, particularly in the light of Australia's recent emphasis on
being a clever country, within the Asia Pacific region.
The research is based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of all articles
explicitly referring to Australia, in seven newspapers from Belgium (2),
France (2), Germany (1) and the United Kingdom (2), over a 6 month period.
The main hypothesis was that those newspapers without Australian based
correspondents or stringers picture Australia in a stereotypical way and that
"news" in those papers, instead of giving "news", reinforces existing ideas
and images held of Australia. My research supports the hypothesis, but also
uncovers the very important role played by editors at home. They decide
what is important, what is news and their choice will go to consonant
"news".
The research shows that newspapers in Europe largely portray Australia's
older images, with its kangaroos, koalas and beaches peopled by sportsmen.
Australia is largely portrayed as an almost untouched country inhabited by
animals to be found nowhere else, and by people (mainly white Anglo-
Saxon males) reputed for their friendliness, as well as for their laziness and
sometimes their strangeness. "Newer" images of Australia promoted by the
Australian government (e.g. Australia as a clever country and part of the
Asia-Pacific region) get relatively little coverage in the Western European
press.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219415 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | van der Mensbrugghe-Ingles, Joelle, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Communication, Media & Tourism |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Joelle van der Mensbrugghe-Ingles |
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