Pests in the Spotlight:

Join an investigation into how biosecurity is reported in Aotearoa New Zealand’s media, examining potential biases towards specific organisms, sectors, or ecosystems. The project will also explore whether headlines carry a positive or negative sentiment and how these elements vary across different media outlets.

Project Background

Few issues are as critical to safeguarding the environmental heritage and economic growth of Aotearoa New Zealand as biosecurity.  The cost in lost production due to pests, weeds and diseases and the amount spent on their control, add up billions of dollars every year, even without considering their impacts on our unique wildlife and landscapes.

For this reason, people from Aotearoa New Zealand have had to become world leaders in the prevention, control and eradication of pests, weeds and diseases. Yet it remains unclear just how biosecurity issues are perceived in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Project Overview

There is growing interest in the use and utility of news media content analysis to capture the perceptions of the public on key policy issues but as yet this has not been widely applied to issues of biosecurity.

Biosecurity issues are frequently raised in the general news media of Aotearoa New Zealand, often in relation to an incursion or suspected threat.

The future of biosecurity requires a steep change in how pathogen, pest, and weed incursions are managed. Yet to achieve this goal requires us to understand how such threats are perceived by the public.

Project Aims

This project aims to be the first to explore these media articles to assess how they portray biosecurity. It will address this by looking at how biosecurity is reported in Aotearoa New Zealand’s media to examine any biases towards certain types of organisms, sectors, or ecosystems and if the overall sentiment of headlines is positive or negative.

Additionally, it will analyse whether the overall sentiment of headlines is positive or negative and how these elements vary across different media outlets.

Opportunities for learning

Training will be provided in relation to database searching, creation and management of databases, sentiment analysis, and statistical analysis.

This project provides an outstanding opportunity to upskill in media analysis and biosecurity research and would be an excellent background for anyone wishing to pursue a career in science communication, journalism, or postgraduate research in a biosecurity themed project.

Scholarship Amount

A total of $7000 tax free is available for each scholarship. Fortnightly payments will be made for the duration of the scholarship, with the final payment of $1000 on receipt of the approved student project report.

Application Process

Please download and complete the BA Summer scholar student application form 2024 (Word doc).  Send your completed application form, along with a CV and a Cover Letter detailing why you feel you would be suitable for this position.

Email applications to [email protected] before the closing date 29 September 2024.