Newspaper Framing of Food Poverty and Insecurity on the Island of Ireland

Given that news media play key roles in shaping public and policy responses to food poverty and insecurity, this study analysed how newspapers frame these issues across the island of Ireland, comparing coverage between jurisdictions (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) and newspaper types (national versus regional/local). Using LexisNexis and Irish Newspaper Archives, we searched for articles containing 'food poverty' or 'food insecurity' published between January 2018 and January 2023. We used Entman's framing theory to code articles for problem definitions, causal interpretations, solutions, moral evaluations, and social actors. Analysis of 80 articles from 14 newspapers revealed coverage peaked during school holiday periods (December and Summer), reinforcing episodic attention to 'holiday hunger'. Although structural causes appeared in 66% of articles-including inadequate income, living costs, and welfare failures-proposed solutions were predominantly charitable (79%) rather than structural (39%), with food banks cited most frequently. National newspapers more frequently discussed structural causes and policy solutions, while regional publications focused on charitable responses. Articles predominantly featured voices from charities (88%) and government officials (50%), while only 10% incorporated voices from those experiencing food poverty and insecurity. This disconnect between acknowledged structural causes and proposed charitable solutions perpetuates normalization of food poverty and insecurity, obscuring state responsibility for ensuring the right to adequate food. Such framing impedes recognition that this issue in wealthy nations results from political choices requiring systemic reform, not charitable intervention.