Forest Stories: Media Reporting of Forest Policy 1985-2004

Abstract

In early post mortems of the coalition's 2004 federal election victory, the debate over proposals for Tasmania's old growth forests loomed large. Indeed some commentators saw it as one of the pivotal issues which swung the election decisively in the coalition's favour. Moreover, it was a contest that was largely fought in the media. Although magic bullet theories of media impact have long been replaced by more sophisticated understandings of the interrelationship between media content and voting behaviours, the way policies are represented in the media remains an important factor in shaping the way they are read by audiences. This paper looks at the way in which media practices and customary narratives combined to present voters with a particular frame for understanding the forest policies presented by the major parties in the lead up to the 2004 federal election.