From 'cheats' to 'victims': How did Australian media cover Robodebt?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-07-07 03:00

Australia; NSW

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

Coverage on the Australian government's Robodebt scheme changed drastically from the scheme's inception to its coverage in hindsight, according to an analysis of 42 news articles in 2016 and 2023. From 2016 to 2019, the government issued an estimated $1 billion in automated debt notices to welfare recipients, most of which were inaccurate. The researchers say in 2016, media reporting predominantly framed the welfare recipients receiving the debts as 'cheats' and 'frauds' taking advantage of the system. By 2023 however, they say those impacted by the scheme were framed as 'victims' and 'vulnerable' and were much more likely to be quoted in stories about their experience. The researchers say this change highlights the importance of advocacy and getting lived experience voices into the media to challenge stereotypes and ultimately influence policy.