Gaza and Ukraine framed in opposite ways by Australian outlets
Israeli frames appeared in 49% of Gaza coverage versus 32% Palestinian; Ukraine coverage was 67% Western-Ukrainian narratives with almost no Russian perspectives.
Australian media outlets covered the Gaza conflict in shifting ways as events changed. The Australian, ABC, 9News, and Guardian all initially focused on Israeli viewpoints after the October 2023 Hamas attack.
As Palestinian deaths grew and aid concerns rose, three outlets gave more weight to Palestinian suffering. Only The Australian kept a steady focus on Israeli security and safety across all events.
It used Israeli frames in 71% of articles while Palestinian views appeared in just 3%. Coverage of Russia's war on Ukraine was starkly different.
Western and Ukrainian views dominated 67% of articles across all four outlets. Russian perspectives received almost no standing in the reporting.
When mentioned, they were mostly criticised. The research examined how journalists choose what to include, leave out, and emphasise.
These choices shape which stories readers see as most important.
- 71% Israeli frames, 3% Palestinian frames
- The Australian's tilt
- 2023 to 2026, across four outlets
- Study period
Why it mattersHow outlets frame conflicts shapes what audiences believe about each one. Asymmetric framing erodes trust when people perceive bias.
AustraliaAustralian readers were exposed to very different narrative priorities depending on which outlet they trusted, with significant gaps between how Gaza and Ukraine were presented despite similar geopolitical tensions.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 41 min ago
