4.9 Editorials
4% of articles analysed were editorials.
In this study, the editorials were slightly more likely to be positive than the rest of the articles. 23% were of editorials were positive compared to 15% in the entire sample. They also tended to be less negative than the commentary. (See below).
Coders observed that it was often more difficult to classify the editorials than other articles. Some newspapers were broadly supportive of the policy and climate change action but were very critical of the Gillard government’s particular policy. This applied to several editorials in The Australian that we coded as neutral. Some editors held open the possibility of approval of the policy earlier in the year but became more negative as details were released.
| Newspaper | Negative | Neutral | Positive | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Daily Telegraph | 18 100% | 0 0% | 0 0% | 18 100% |
| Herald Sun | 14 78% | 4 22% | 0 0% | 18 100% |
| The Australian | 18 53% | 14 41% | 2 6% | 34 100% |
| The West Australian | 8 50% | 8 50% | 0 0% | 16 100% |
| The Courier Mail | 6 50% | 4 33% | 2 17% | 12 100% |
| The Advertiser | 4 44% | 4 44% | 1 11% | 9 100% |
| The Mercury | 1 25% | 2 50% | 1 25% | 4 100% |
| The Age | 1 4% | 3 13% | 19 83% | 23 100% |
| The Sydney Morning Herald | 0 0% | 8 44% | 10 56% | 18 100% |
| Total | 70 46% | 47 31% | 35 23% | 152 100% |
The SMH and The Age editorialists supported the policy. The SMH’s editorial line was more positive than its overall coverage. Editorialists at The Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun were very negative about the policy. Other News Ltd papers and The West Australian appeared less negative. The Australian’s editorialists mentioned on several occasions that the newspaper was in favor of putting a price on carbon, although not necessarily in advance of other countries. They were nevertheless negative about Gillard, the Greens and aspects of the policy.
The small number of editorials in The Mercury revealed a balanced approach towards the policy, perhaps reflecting the substantial Green constituency in Hobart.
Note: This analysis of editorials does not include those on climate science, which are included in Part 2 of ‘A Sceptical Climate’. The Herald Sun on February 2, 2011 for instance, published an editorial, which unlike much of its commentary supported the scientific consensus position on climate change.