Framing Migrant Drownings in Australia: News Media Representations Through the Lens of Critical Discourse

Media reporting of migrant drowning deaths can serve multiple purposes, including advocacy, improving data, and supporting inclusive policy development. However, such drownings remain underexamined in both public discourse and academic research. This study investigates how migrants are portrayed in Australian newspaper coverage of drowning between 2020 and 2025, and how these portrayals shape public understanding, reinforce or challenge systemic inequities, and align with the equity goals of the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030.

A total of 82 articles from Australia's six highest-readership newspapers were analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis guided by Mullet's General Analytical Framework, alongside Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis to identify patterns of power, ideology, and representation. Media language was manually coded, and keyword frequencies were tallied to explore how responsibility and risk are framed.

Coverage consistently portrayed migrants as at-risk 'newcomers', with official voices represented by lifesaving bodies, councils, and aquatic educators, shaping responses. Drowning risk was often individualised, while structural determinants such as access to lessons or facilities were inconsistently reported. Parallel narratives positioned aquatic participation as a marker of 'Australian' identity, implicitly othering migrants. At the same time, some reports highlighted multilingual programs, subsidised lessons, and infrastructure investment, pointing to systemic interventions. These representations both reinforced individual responsibility and underscored structural inequities.

Australian news media shape public understanding of drowning risk, but coverage tends to emphasise individual adaptation over structural causes. Greater consistency in reporting systemic barriers and prevention initiatives is needed to support equity-oriented water safety strategies. SO WHAT?: Aligning media representation with the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 requires greater inclusion of migrant voices, consistent reporting of systemic barriers, and framing prevention in equity-oriented terms. Collaboration between journalists and water safety agencies could help shift coverage from episodic tragedy to sustained public health communication.