News Corp Australia’s Conservative Advocacy Against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Abstract

Studies of contemporary conservative media suggest that outlets like Murdoch-owned Fox News are challenging the normative standards of the liberal media model by producing content that is closer to propaganda than to news. This article builds on such scholarship by describing how News Corp Australia’s coverage of the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum constituted conservative advocacy: They intervened in the debate as a participant speaking on behalf of powerful conservative interests, purposely marginalizing less powerful voices like those of Australian Indigenous activists. By analyzing the 7 elements of News Corp Australia’s Voice coverage that characterize conservative advocacy, this article helps to classify Western conservative news media and theorizes about its influence on democracy.