News Coverage of Landcare in The Age since the National Heritage Trust

Recognised as a long-standing symbol of environmentally sustainable land management practices, the organisation Landcare receives considerable publicity in mainstream Australian newspapers and features prominently among programs funded by the Howard Government's new environmental budget. Contextualised within a socio-political context, this research applies critical qualitative analysis to all substantive news articles on Landcare published in The Age between 1997-2006. Findings reveal an increasingly negative portrayal of Landcare by the public and media while federal spending continues. Via sociological media analysis, we argue Landcare's growing association with political 'pork barrelling' and unfavourable media coverage necessitates Landcare adopt new social imagery and practices if it wishes to disassociate itself from political agenda setting, maintain prominence as a trusted Australian environmental organisation, and reverse its floundering membership.