Last drink lessons: How media debate influences health policy

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-09-23 03:00

Australia; NSW

Photo by Alexander Popov on Unsplash

Unbalanced coverage of Sydney's 'last drinks' laws may have contributed to a loss of public support and their eventual partial repeal, according to Australian researchers. The researchers analysed hundreds of news articles about the policy as an example of how news media coverage interacts with public opinion and policy decisions in controversial topics. They say in six years of discussion of the laws, 57 per cent of people quoted were openly against the laws compared to 25 per cent in favour. The researchers say this, along with the diversity of reasons given by those against the law, could have contributed to a shift in both public and political opinion away from the policy.

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Journal/
conference: Drug and Alcohol Review

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Sydney, Sax Institute

Funder: The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre is funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Centre Grant Scheme (Grant ID: GNT9100003) with the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Government Department of Health, NSW Health, ACT Health, Cancer Council Australia, South Australian Department for Health and Wellbeing, Tasmanian Department of Health and VicHealth. The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre is administered by the Sax Institute.

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