AustraliaBusinessOverlooked from the right5 days ago

‘Judgment dressed up as journalism’: Media’s obsession with childless women misses the point on birth rates

Crikey critiques The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for their framing of declining birth rates in Australia, particularly their use of terms like 'tombstone suburbs' and 'demographic winter.' The article argues that such language sensationalizes the issue and overlooks broader social and economic factors affecting fertility rates. It also highlights concerns raised by Catherine D'Ignazio, co-author of 'Data Feminism,' regarding the media's focus on childless women and its potential implications.

The SMH and The Age published a series of maps showing Australia’s ‘tombstone suburbs’ suffering a ‘demographic winter’. As so often happens, these maps are intensely political.

Jun 16, 2026

5 min read

The Nine papers' reporting on rates of childbirth in Melbourne suburbs (Image: Crikey/Zennie)

“Where have all the babies gone?”, asks The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in a series tackling Australia’s so-called “baby drought”.

The question is big. Worse, it is misleading, as if a horde of Australian infants — fed up with the dwindling birth rate — have hoisted their nappy bags up over their shoulders and crawled away from the country’s major cities, never to be seen again. “Are we expected to mourn children who were never born?”, Catherine D’Ignazio, co-author of Data Feminism , puts to Crikey when asked to reflect on the newspapers’ choice of words.

Read the full article at Crikey →

Source document: Catherine D'Ignazio, co-author of Data Feminism

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CrikeyIndependentLeft5 days ago

‘Judgment dressed up as journalism’: Media’s obsession with childless women misses the point on birth rates

Bias read (Left): The article criticizes the media's framing of demographic trends using emotionally charged language ('tombstone suburbs,' 'demographic winter') and questions the emphasis on childless women, suggesting a gendered perspective. This critique implies a left-leaning stance by highlighting potential bias

Official sources cited

statement Catherine D'Ignazio, co-author of Data Feminism

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The official sources this coverage is built on. Read them directly to bypass framing.

statementCatherine D'Ignazio, co-author of Data Feminism