Leadership in the lands down under? A comparative print media analysis of the Morrison and Ardern government COVID-19 responses

During the first year of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Australia and New Zealand were the envy of the world for remaining relatively COVID-free. Both New Zealand Labor Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison received global praise for reducing case numbers, despite their differing approaches. How did each leader’s response fare in the media? This chapter will compare print media coverage of both leaders at three different stages of the pandemic: the initial shock of March 2020, the start of the vaccination rollout, and the rise of the Omicron variant. Through a Feminist Content Analysis and Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, I will examine the extent to which gendered bias is apparent at these various pivotal moments.