Sophie Bond – The Conversation

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May 8, 2023

The end of offshore oil and gas exploration in NZ was hard won – but it remains politically fragile

Amanda Thomas, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Gradon Diprose, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, and Sophie Bond, University of Otago

Over a decade of protest led to the banning of fuel exploration in New Zealand waters. As this extract from a new book explains, that ‘win’ is still precarious and may depend on the election result.

Research found that media largely frame debate about oil and gas developments in New Zealand around how drilling should take place, rather than whether it should happen at all. Garry Knight/flickr

February 22, 2018

How media framing limits public debate about oil exploration

Sophie Bond, University of Otago; Amanda Thomas, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Gradon Diprose

Researchers find that mainstream media in New Zealand tend to present fossil fuel development as positive for the economy, while framing opponents as irrational and extremist.

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