The Centre for Research in Communication and Culture at Loughborough University have published their second report on UK news coverage of the 2016 EU Referendum.
The report examines trends in coverage across two sample periods (6 May – 18 May & 19 May – 1 June) and includes TV news (BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, and Sky) and newspapers (Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Guardian, The I, Mirror, Times, Star and Sun).
Executive summary
- The implications of the referendum vote for the economy still remains the most prominent substantive issue in press and TV reporting.
- However, coverage of immigration issues has increased over the second period, both in proportionate and actual terms.
- There has been some fluctuation in the politicians most frequently featured. David Cameron was most widely reported in the second sample period, overtaking Boris Johnson (who gained most coverage in the first sample period).
- The views of citizens and the direction of public opinion has been the subject of increasing commentary in the second sample period. Attention to this matter has been appreciably greater in TV than press coverage.
- Nicola Sturgeon and Priti Patel made their first appearance in the top ten list and there has been a modest increase in the relative prominence of women across all coverage during the second sample period. Nevertheless, women remain significantly marginalised, as politicians, business representatives and experts.
- Concerns expressed by some about the failure of the Labour leadership to communicate a ‘Labour agenda’ in the campaign gain resonance in this analysis of media reporting. The issue agenda has remained tightly focused around the economy and immigration, marginalising discussion of workers’ rights, the environment and social security (which have all been flagged as important matters in Labour’s case for remaining in the EU). Business sources have commanded far greater prominence than trade unions. Labour’s overall presence has reduced and Jeremy Corbyn disappeared from the top ten most reported individuals in the second sample period.
The full report examines findings in four areas:
- Issue Balance – what topics received most coverage?
- Stopwatch Balance – which individuals or institutions featured most frequently?
- Gender Balance – what is the proportional coverage of women and men in coverage?
- Directional Balance – did news coverage tend to favour proponents or opponents of continued UK membership of the European Union?
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