Media Representation of Forestry and Soil Issues in the Australian Urban Press, 1990–1991

Newspaper content analysis is used to identify the relative priorities given to forestry and soil degradation in four ‘quality’ Australian newspapers; The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Financial Review and The Melbourne Age, from September 1990 to August 1991. The difference in priorities given to deforestation and soil degradation is discussed as an outcome from the process of news production. News production is argued to be the outcome of a socialisation process in which journalists learn from their employing organisation what items are regarded as newsworthy material as well as their relative priorities.