Media coverage of commercial industry activities impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, 2018–2022

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the extent and nature of Australian news media coverage of commercial industry activities that explicitly speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts. We undertook content and framing analysis of Australian newspaper and online media articles published between January 2018 and March 2022 that included terms related to ‘Indigenous’, ‘commercial’ and ‘health’. Analysis focused on the nature of coverage, framing of responsibility, patterns over time and stakeholder representation. Forty-six media articles were included in the analysis. Half of these articles related to the actions of three companies (Woolworths, WAM Clothing and Rio Tinto). Most articles described negative health and well-being impacts of commercial activity, while four described positive impacts. The most common voice represented in media articles was from industry (n = 25). Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander voices were represented in 21 articles. This analysis highlights how commercial activities in Australia are reported to negatively influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being, and that industry voices are more commonly represented in the media related to these issues.