Curmudgeons and dragon? A content analysis of the Australian print media’s portrayal of the information profession 2000 to 2004

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Australian print media’s portrayal of information professionals was different from the real personae of Australian staff. This was tested by content analysis of media images of information personnel in newspapers during the five-year period 2000 to 2004 and subsequent comparison of data to worker profiles and to stereotypes. The findings indicated that the majority of the Australian print media’s reporting of the information sphere does not involve the use of clichés, thus contradicting industry opinion and the existing literature on this subject.