Reports in the UK on Theresa May’s announcement that there will be a general election on June 8th has received rather different treatment in the UK than here in New Zealand.
UK newspapers and the BBC stress conflict. Whereas Stuff in New Zealand makes the point that the British Labour party supports the call for a snap general election. Incidentally the Stuff article is not on the front page. You find it fifth article in the “World” section. Discovery of a 3,000 year old tomb in Egypt was third!
Interestingly coverage of changes to rules for skilled immigration into New Zealand are the other way around.
The Guardian states the NZ government line in full, with just a short paragraph near the end to mention the Labour party opposition description of the changes as “tinkering”. The UK reader will probably miss the point that the NZ labour party is calling for more restrictions on immigration than are being proposed.
Meanwhile Stuff leads with Labour party opposition to the changes, calling it a “‘Callous attempt to hold power”.
Is there a tendency for news coverage, in New Zealand and the UK, to look for the sensational in their coverage of domestic stories?