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Analysing Australia’s higher education landscape in 2025
A deep dive into how global audiences perceive Australian higher education and the university sector with a spotlight on the SEA region.
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September 15, 2025When education policy becomes political battleground in the media
Government policy can ignite a national conversation. The recent decision in New Zealand regarding Te Reo Māori in early-reader books is one such case, generating media coverage that creates a complex media landscape for the issue.
Understanding the architecture of this kind of coverage is key. It requires looking beyond the daily headlines to the underlying narrative the media is building. An in-depth analysis of this entire dataset reveals the story behind the story, exposing a clear hierarchy of themes, voices, and platforms that defined the national conversation.
The Narrative is a political story, not an education story
While the topic is education, the data reveals the media narrative is a political conflict. The theme of “Political & Policy Debate” dominated the coverage, a volume nearly 2.4 times greater than mentions of “Cultural Significance. This quantitative gap shows the media’s focus was firmly on the political horse-race, the clash between parties and ideologies rather than the substance of the policy itself.
This focus is further clarified by the key voices driving the narrative. The ideological architects of the policy, David Seymour and Winston Peters, received 6 times more media attention than the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford (however peak media moments were sparked due to Stanford). This disparity in media real estate underscores that the story being told was one of political strategy, not educational implementation.
The arena for debate is radio, not television
It’s easy to assume online news and social media are the primary arenas for debate. The data, however, points to a more traditional battleground.
Online news emerged as a dominant force, nearly matching radio. In a surprising contrast, TV coverage was minimal. For a complex, politically charged issue, the long-form, talk-based format of radio proved to be a more influential medium than visual broadcast. The narrative was shaped more on the airwaves than on the screen.
The big picture
Without a deep analysis of the data, the media landscape can be deceptive. The loudest arguments don’t always reflect the most covered theme, and the most visible platforms aren’t always the most influential. This analysis reveals a clear narrative structure: a political conflict, led by ideological voices, playing out primarily on radio and online. It’s a powerful insight into how the media constructs a story, prioritising political contest over policy substance and demonstrating that in a complex debate, the oldest mediums can still have the newest things to say.
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Loren is an experienced marketing professional who translates data and insights using Isentia solutions into trends and research, bringing clients closer to the benefits of audience intelligence. Loren thrives on introducing the groundbreaking ways in which data and insights can help a brand or organisation, enabling them to exceed their strategic objectives and goals.
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