The rollercoaster of emotion: Media portrayal of the horticultural industry in New Zealand

Abstract

The study investigated the media portrayal of the horticultural industry in New Zealand. It compares content presented in two media outlets, a newspaper targeting the wider public and one dedicated to horticultural professionals. The study builds on media framing theory and emotional anchoring. Newspapers articles from both outlets were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results show how the use of emotion shape news and how these emotions are anchored to content, and therefore are likely to influence the perception of the sector in different manners according to the specific news outlet. All emotion found in the media portrayal of both outlets reflected values of New Zealand’s culture in a positive or negative manner. To counteract the partially biased public perception of the sector, horticultural marketers and communicators should put their attention towards the genuine and positive portrayal of the sector and its contribution to society.