The Wire

In 2001 with the “children overboard” scandal and the sinking of the SIEV X boat, the Australian mainstream media faced some heavy criticisms about its coverage of asylum seekers trying to come to the country by boat. Now, eight years on, another surge in the number of people risking the seas to come to Australia, has attracted intense media focus. The Wire’s Laura McDowell asks refugee researchers and activists what they think of the coverage, and whether journalists have learnt from past mistakes.