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Item What is news? : an exploration of news consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand comparing older and younger audiences using a uses and gratifications lens : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Communication at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2025-03-11) Anderson, Kirsty J.Technological and societal developments, including digital news, use of mobile devices, and the shared connections of social media, have impacted how and why audiences consume news. This study examined news consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand using a uses and gratifications lens, with a focus on the habits of those aged under 26 years of age and those over 26 years of age. The study produced three articles based on insights from focus groups to examine what audiences use for news, what they think is news, and what they do as a result of news. The articles indicated differences in habits between the two age cohorts, particularly in the use of social media and new media forms. Together, the articles offer three findings towards the overall research question of understanding the factors affecting news consumption and the divergence in news consumption habits between older and younger audiences. Uses and gratifications theory is still relevant for understanding news choices, as needs drive media behaviours and desired gratifications. Although news values are a useful categorisation of the characteristics of news that resonate with audiences, they need to be re-examined in the current media environment. Finally, veracity is proposed as an emerging news value as audiences have more news choice, and it is a key factor determining what news audiences consume and why. This study proposes a new theoretical model for news consumption that includes uses and gratifications theory and news values framework to understand the factors involved in news consumption. This model is explored as a case study using audiences’ responses to the media coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.Item The nation imagined : a critical study of nationhood and identity through the cover art of Indian speculative literature : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Media Studies at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-11-26) Krishnamurthy, NikiteOver the past decade (2013–2023), India, the largest democracy in the world, has experienced a pronounced rise in religious nationalism, marked by its entrenchment in mainstream media, visual culture, and political rhetoric. This thesis examines the role of popular visual culture in shaping ideas of nationhood by focusing on the book cover art of Indian Speculative and Fantasy Fiction (ISFF). It argues that ISFF genre art functions as a visual discourse that not only mirrors but actively constructs and contests dominant narratives of Indian identity. Drawing upon Jacques Rancière’s aesthetics of politics and Roland Barthes’ semiotics, this study demonstrates how ISFF book covers encode visual themes—such as hyper-masculine portrayals of Hindu warrior-heroes, mythological iconography, and saffronised aesthetics—that reinforce nationalist myths of a unified, Hindu-centric “imagined community”. Through detailed visual analysis, the thesis reveals the ideological significance of these representations, exposing how they contribute to exclusionary conceptions of Indianness while simultaneously providing a platform to challenge hegemonic narratives. Specifically, it identifies tensions between religious nationalism, caste hierarchies, and the commodification of mythology in India’s contemporary political landscape. By situating these visual motifs within India’s broader visual and political history, the research highlights their capacity to naturalise historical revisionism and propagate militant masculinities tied to Hindu nationalist ideologies. This thesis makes an original contribution to the interdisciplinary study of visual culture and politics by elucidating how genre-specific visual discourse in ISFF reflects, mediates, and complicates contemporary identity politics in India. It offers a critical lens through which to understand how popular culture operates as an ideological apparatus that negotiates complex socio-political narratives within a globalising and increasingly polarised society.Item Framing the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria : an analysis of Nigerian media : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication and Journalism at Massey University, Wellington Campus, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024-11-27) Sadiq, MohammedVaccine hesitancy is one stumbling block in managing the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak globally. Documented evidence shows vaccine hesitancy has existed for more than 100 years, with unnecessary mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases than otherwise might have happened. This is true in Nigeria; where the COVID-19 vaccination campaign suffered major setbacks, due to misinformation, fake news, and a lack of trust and suspicion of the vaccine’s safety. Against this background, the influence of news framing came to the forefront as soon as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign was rolled out in Nigeria and the health authorities began urging citizens to get vaccinated. The media framing of the COVID-19 vaccine has arguably contributed to the rising COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and the 39% vaccination rate (as of March 2024). Stiff-anti-vaccination sentiment, building on prior assumptions among the lay publics, coalesced into hesitancy against the COVID-19 vaccination among many Nigerians. Therefore, this study seeks to examine how Nigerian media framed the COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Identifying the factors that shape/influence the media's framing of the COVID-19 vaccination discussion in Nigeria. Examine the reported barriers to the COVID-19 vaccination adoption in Nigeria. The study adopts mixed methods, content analysis and natural language processing using sentiment analysis to explore data from YouTube videos and Nigerian online newspapers. The research applies the theory of planned behaviour and framing theory as the theoretical foundations to understand how the media (YouTube and Online Newspapers) frame the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Nigeria.Item Making the headlines : news media discourse on terrorism in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Stanbury, Brendan Andrew UsherFollowing the Christchurch terrorist attack in March 2019, the New Zealand Government published protocols governing news media reporting during terrorist and national security events (The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2021). By establishing these protocols, the New Zealand Government acknowledged the role news media play in the wake of a national security event, including acts of terror. While most the New Zealand research relating to media coverage of contemporary terrorism has focused on the role social media plays, particularly in terms of online radicalization, the relationship between commercial news media and terrorism is underrepresented in the New Zealand context. Through a qualitative examination of three New Zealand case studies – the 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, the 2019 Christchurch attack, and the 2021 LynnMall attack - this research examines how New Zealand news media responded during these events. Using a hybrid thematic analysis approach that initially drew on inductive and then deductive thematic processes, the research identified and examined three key factors common to each of the case studies: how the news media represented the act of terrorism; how it represented the attacker(s); and the role the news media played in shaping the State’s response. It found that while the news media is generally considered to be an impartial actor in the reporting of terrorist attacks, it is neither neutral nor passive in these instances, providing a potential platform to amplify both the terrorist’s and State’s objectives. While causation is difficult to determine, this research concludes that New Zealand news media’s engagement with terrorism has changed over time. Given the prominence of the media as one of the main conduits for public information, the media now plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions of terrorism in New Zealand, reinforcing the official Government narrative, and providing the means for the Government to generate the social licence needed to introduce reforms. By implication, news media should remain live to the political drivers at play behind official determinations of terrorism so as to remain impartial and report objectively as possible during times of high stress.Item Ipurangi : Māori, the internet and implications for tikanga Māori : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Turitea, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2024) Warren, Krystal Te Rina FainAs the world incorporates technology and the internet, new developments provide challenges and opportunities for Māori engaging in these spaces. By developing and applying īWhakaaro (Kaupapa Māori Internet Theories) and īRanghau (Kaupapa Māori cyber ethnography) this research explores the overall question: what are the implications of Māori engaging online for tikanga Māori? And explores, how are tikanga Māori (Māori values, customs and protocols) maintained or transgressed through the use of the internet by Māori? Ipurangi, this research thesis, is framed around the cosmo-genealogical narrative of Tāwhaki who ascends through the heavens to obtain new knowledge. Just like the journey of Tāwhaki, Māori engaging online are presented with opportunities for great potential as well as obstacles that pose a threat to tikanga Māori. A new theoretical approach, īWhakaaro and a new methodological approach īRangahau, was used to analyse literature and identify themes that emerged from interviews with expert Māori who lead the use of the internet and apply tikanga Māori. eColonialism and Kaupapa Māori theory are applied to analyse how colonisation takes place online, and to develop a new theoretical position - īTāmi. This research makes three major contributions to research: first, a new lexicon for Māori engaging in the online space; second, new theoretical and methodological approaches for Kaupapa Māori research; and third, ipuRangi - a framework to guide Māori engagement with the internet.Item 'She imported Tommy Tanna' : an evaluation of media representations of the deportation of Pacific peoples from Australia in New Zealand and British newspapers c. 1880-1910 : a Master's thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts in History, Massey University(Massey University, 2023) Wirunrat, TaleiThe Pacific Island Labour Trade, most commonly called the “Blackbirding Trade” has been extensively studied both in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. However, little research has been conducted on how New Zealand, British and Fijian newspapers discussed the 1901 Pacific Island Labourers Act, which was enacted by the Australian Government to deport those Pacific Islanders that came over during the “Blackbirding” era. This thesis examines what people were told about the deportation of Pacific Islanders from Queensland, their expulsion from sugar plantations and what happened to them during this time using newspaper articles published during the period under review. It argues that newspaper coverage of the deportations was generally positive because it was seen as a 'solution' on how to deal with non-white labour, an issue which was then topical in a number of colonies in the British Empire. It identifies three key themes in newspaper coverage. First, with regard to economic motivations it argues that to the extent there was criticism of the deportations, it related to concerns that it would compromise the economic development of Australia. These concerns, however, were countered by arguments that white labour could now work in sugar plantations and that improved technology had made Pacific Island labour unnecessary. With regard to humanitarian arguments against the deportations, it identifies a range of opinion among Churches. Some opposed the deportations on the grounds of the harm it may cause deportees, but other Church leaders argued deportees could be safely accommodated and that the deportation process may also aid the Christianisation of the Islands. Finally, it argues with regard to race that the deportations were framed as a desirable measure to uphold the position of white workers and that they were framed as one part of a wider 'coloured labour' issue in the British Empire.Item A systematic literature review of unhealthy food and beverage sport sponsorships in New Zealand : examining what existing discourse can tell us about the future : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Stevenson, Sumithrie SashaBackground: Obesity and its related diseases are trending upward in New Zealand exacerbated by unhealthy food environments, overconsumption of unhealthy food and beverages, and pervasive marketing that promotes unhealthy food and drinks. Such marketing is frequently sought in the form of sport sponsorship and marketing through sport. Aim: This systematic literature review investigated the discourse in academic and grey literature from 1997-2022 regarding unhealthy food and beverage companies' sport sponsorships in New Zealand. Methodology: Literature searches were conducted in Google, Google Scholar, Discover, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Newztext, Factiva, Radio New Zealand, 1News, The New Zealand Herald, Stuff, Sport New Zealand, National Sport Organizations, New Zealand Legislation, the Advertising Standards Authority, and various websites using key search terms. Identified literature was documented according to those containing sport sponsorship (and associated) terms. The literature was analyzed and synthesized. Results: Sport sponsorships offered by unhealthy food and beverage companies are exacerbating the rising obesity rates in New Zealand. Opposition to unhealthy food and beverage company advertising, and sport sponsorships has increased in the last 25 years. New Zealand’s neoliberal government opposed marketing regulations favoring nutrition education, physical activity promotion, and unhealthy food and beverage company self-regulation via the Advertising Standards Authority voluntary codes. Studies found government and food and beverage companies’ anti-obesity measures ineffective and inadequate to curb unhealthy food and beverage marketing, including sponsorships. Such sport sponsorships normalize and promote unhealthy food and beverage consumption leading public health experts to recommend the regulation of these sponsorships. Conclusion: A multi-focused approach which includes government regulation of unhealthy food and beverage advertising, marketing and sport sponsorships is recommended. In the absence of such regulations, sport sponsorships seem likely to continue promoting unhealthy food and beverage consumption contributing to obesity in New Zealand.Item Chinese social media representation of Taiwanese legalisation of same-sex marriage : a queer analysis of the Weibo discussion : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication and Journalism at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2023) Xiao, FeiTaiwanese Judicial Ruling on Same-sex Marriage which announced prohibition of same-sex marriage unconstitutional on 24th, May 2017 has caused interesting responses on social media in Mainland China. This research investigates how legalisation of same-sex marriage legalisation as well as gender and sexual identities were both represented on Chinese Mainland’s social media in the event of Taiwanese legalisation of same-sex marriage from a queer-theory-based perspective with attention to the complexities of sexual citizenship rights as well as exclusions in globalisation. Previous scholarship in non-Western social media public spheres and in LGBT and queer representation often left out such local complexities and global disparity. User generated content on Weibo during this time when Taiwanese attempted to achieve marriage equality was collected by a computer programme. A mixed-method research design was applied. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis as well as semi-structured interviews were conducted. The research contributed to the knowledge about social media representations of gender and sexual identities and of same-sex marriage in relation to global and local complexities in a non-Western Chinese Mainland context. The limitations in the Mainland social media public spheres led to a mostly one-sided supportive opinion expressions about Taiwanese legalisation of same-sex marriage. Identities were analysed at their intersections. The heteronormative stereotyping and assumptions as well as homonormative depoliticisation were found in the representations of gender and sexual identities. The findings show the influences of globalisation, especially the global LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) movement. Also, the studied Weibo discussion found to reflect the Chinese Mainland context in locally concerned issues such as marriage, identities’ disclosure and queer visibility. The study suggests the universalised content of sexual citizenship has harmed local persons’ agency in collective innovation of localised activism on social media public spheres in non-Western context. Future communication studies can confront and examine heteronormativity more directly by investigating the heteronormativity and its manifestations including family ideals across cultures, especially in non-Western contexts, to help the development of localised strategies for inclusion.Item Key trends in news coverage of the 501 deportees from Australia in prominent Australian and New Zealand news media outlets : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Health Science in Psychology at Massey University, New Zealand(Massey University, 2022) Mahadurage, DinekaThe Australian government introduced Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958 in December 2014, which has resulted in thousands of New Zealand citizens living in Australia on Special Category Visas being deported back to New Zealand. These deportations have become one of the most controversial migration issues between these countries; a controversy that has been played out across media outlets in both Australia and New Zealand. As news media still play a major role in public deliberations regarding contentious issues, there is a need to explore the exercise of symbolic power in how media frame this controversy in both countries. News coverage of the issue from 2015 to 2021 in Australia and New Zealand was collected to gain a sense of how the dominant narrative in each country developed over time, who the main stakeholders or characters afforded the right of appearance were, and what roles these characters played in various plotlines. A mixed method approach encompassing quantitative and qualitative content analyses was deployed to discern common trends in coverage for 2015 and 2021. The quantitative analysis identified percentages relating to stakeholders' representation and how 501 deportees and section 501 processes were portrayed as a percentage in the media. Using the qualitative method, the thesis also looked at key major events and overall evolving narratives related to the research topic. This then led to an examination on how 501 deportees were being positioned in news items as 'strangers' (in the George Simmel sense of the term) who did not belong in either Australia or New Zealand. Key findings demonstrate that the majority of news items were dominated by the voices of elites such as government officials, and the exercise of symbolic power promoted the perspectives of political leaders, who tended towards positioning 501 deportees outside the scope of justice. This thesis contributes to a growing body of literature demonstrating how migrant groups are often depicted in a negative light in countries such as Australia and New Zealand and increases understanding of discriminative practices in news media coverage.Item South Auckland's Pacific Island communities : a snapshot of how Pacific peoples have been represented during New Zealand's COVID-19 news coverage : Master of Communication research report (154.855), Massey University(Massey University, 2022) Wandstraat, Valley VaimaugaThis research report explores the portrayal of New Zealand’s Pacific Island communities in New Zealand’s media during the New Zealand Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the research takes a detailed look at seven case studies indicating how these communities have been portrayed in mainstream and non-mainstream media during the government’s response to COVID-19. The selected case studies focus on reporting about the effects of COVID-19 on the Pacific Island community, especially during the second outbreak and Auckland region lockdown in 2020, where media attention on community transmitted cases put South Auckland at the centre of the largest outbreak in the country.