How has the media framed the introduction of the supervised injecting room in Victoria? A comparison of editorials of The Age and Herald Sun 2017–2022
Journal article
Mendes, Philip, Taylor, Robert and Roche, Steven. (2024). How has the media framed the introduction of the supervised injecting room in Victoria? A comparison of editorials of The Age and Herald Sun 2017–2022. Australian Journal of Social Issues. 59(2), pp. 501-516. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.302
Authors | Mendes, Philip, Taylor, Robert and Roche, Steven |
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Abstract | Influenced by a harm reduction philosophy, the then Victorian Labor Government announced the establishment of the state's first medically supervised injecting room (MSIR) in North Richmond in late 2017. But, public and political opinion remains sharply divided as to the merits of the MSIR. One influence on policy development appears to be media commentary on the MSIR and the wider illicit drugs policy debate. This paper compares the official editorials of the two daily Melbourne newspapers, the Herald Sun and The Age regarding the MSIR, from November 2017 until November 2022. Based on 33 articles (Herald Sun, N = 28; The Age, N = 5), our findings identify philosophical differences between the two newspapers as reflected in their sources of information, language and highlighted issues. The Age was mostly supportive of both the introduction of the North Richmond MSIR and proposals for a second site. The Herald Sun's position was more ambiguous, ranging from qualified support for the North Richmond MSIR to strong opposition to further sites. |
Keywords | injecting drug use; mass media; social exclusion; social policy; supervised injecting room |
Year | 2024 |
Journal | Australian Journal of Social Issues |
Journal citation | 59 (2), pp. 501-516 |
Publisher | John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd |
ISSN | 0157-6321 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.302 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85179321428 |
Open access | Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access |
Page range | 501-516 |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 09 Dec 2023 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 18 Oct 2023 |
Deposited | 08 Apr 2025 |
Additional information | © 2023 The Authors. Australian Journal of Social Issues published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Social Policy Association. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/9198q/how-has-the-media-framed-the-introduction-of-the-supervised-injecting-room-in-victoria-a-comparison-of-editorials-of-the-age-and-herald-sun-2017-2022
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Publisher's version
OA_Mendes_2024_How_has_the_media_framed_the.pdf | |
License: CC BY 4.0 | |
File access level: Open |
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