Brexit-related food issues in the UK print media: setting the agenda for post-Brexit food policy

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how Brexit-related food issues are being presented in the UK print media.Design/methodology/approachUsing the news database Nexis UK, relevant articles were identified based on key search terms, “Brexit” and “Food” or “Farm!” or “Agriculture!”. The search criteria were set to include articles with three or more mentions of these terms. The search period was 6 April to 5 July 2018.FindingsThe quality newspaper genre, and remain-supporting newspaper, The Guardian, in particular, dominated food Brexit coverage. In total, 17 distinct food Brexit issues were covered, with food security and subsidies receiving the most coverage in leave-supporting publications and agriculture, trade and labour receiving the most coverage in remain-supporting publications. Dominant narratives and frames can be identified in the reporting, illustrating newspapers' tendency to promote certain viewpoints in support of their own standpoint on Brexit. In all publication types, political voices feature far more prominently than any other stakeholder group, highlighting the significant potential for this group to influence public opinion and the post-Brexit food policy agenda.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors only examined newspapers over a limited period. Reporting in other media and at different stages in the Brexit negotiation process may differ.Practical implicationsMedia reporting on food Brexit issues has the potential to influence post-Brexit food policy.Originality/valueThis is the first study to look at reporting on food Brexit in the UK media.

Food shortages, stockpiling and panic buying ahead of Brexit as reported by the British media: a mixed methods content analysis

“…Media articles cited information from government sources (50% of articles) more frequently than information attributed to food sector representatives (42% of articles), academics and other experts (22%) or opposition party politicians (6% of articles). While previous studies have criticised the media’s disproportionate representation of politicians initially involved in shaping the Brexit campaign [ 26 , 27 ], it is well recognised that politicians use the media as a tool for communicating with the public and a way to influence public opinion [ 28 ], and these findings support previous research which also found political voices to feature more prominently than other stakeholder groups [ 7 ].…”

“…For the general population, an important source of information on food supply chain disruption and food shortages was the mass media [ 7 ]. The nature of information conveyed through the media, including what gets reported, can have a powerful effect on public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours [ 8 – 10 ].…”

“…The mass media often oversimplified Brexit, avoiding the complexity of debates on topics such as the economy, immigration and trade [ 11 – 13 ]. Previous research exploring how the media reported on food, farming and agriculture found media outlets to select and promote issues that reinforced their own political agenda [ 7 ], a process known as ‘agenda setting’ [ 14 ]. This research, however, only focused on a three-month period in 2018 and did not explore how the media communicated risks associated with supply chain disruption and food shortages.…”

Food shortages, stockpiling and panic buying ahead of Brexit as reported by the British media: a mixed methods content analysis

“…This assumption is supported by a previous media analysis of Brexit-related food issues, which identified political voices to feature more prominently than other stakeholder groups, highlighting the significant potential for this group to influence public opinion. 9 Warnings from the food sector were generally supported by what is known about the UK food system. In 2016 / 2017, the food sector warned of a shortage of migrant farm workers from the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit, with approximately 75,000 seasonal workers entering the UK each year.…”

“…8 Previous research exploring how the media report on food, farming and agriculture, in the context of Brexit, found media outlets to select and promote issues that reinforce their own political agenda. 9 This research, however, only focused on a three-month period in 2018 and did not consider the role of the media in promoting reassurance or anxiety on the issue of food shortages. This is of particular importance given the vulnerabilities in the UK food system highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic 10 and the increased likelihood of a no-deal Brexit.…”