From Man to Monster: A case study of The Mercury's news framing of Martin Bryant and the Port Arthur massacre

This thesis seeks to explore a framing analysis of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre with specific emphasis on the identity constructions of its perpetrator, Martin Bryant. It will do this with a framing analysis in order to examine how the local Tasmanian newspaper, The Mercury, framed Martin Bryant from the moment reporting of the massacre began on 29 April, up until Martin Bryant's conviction on 23 November, 1996. This thesis demonstrates that Martin Bryant was subjectively framed in The Mercury's news reports as a consequence of being labelled as a violent, mentally ill mass murderer, which may have had potential 'framing effects' on public perceptions of the Port Arthur massacre, its perpetrator and the concepts of 'mental illness' and 'criminality'.