Feature Article Coverage of Australian Out-of-Home Care: Portrayals and Policy Reform

Abstract

What effects do print media feature articles have upon policy development in the troubled environment of child protection, particularly out-of-home care? What sorts of stories are in feature articles? How are the complex issues and outcomes that bedevil these systems portrayed? And which stakeholder's voices are privileged or marginalized? These were the questions that drove our study of coverage of child abuse and neglect in 10 major Australian newspapers during 2008-2009, a period of significant national and state policy transformation. In essence, we were interested in identifying the areas receiving primary attention in this highly contested policy arena, in particular the portrayals in feature articles.