Cartoons, memes and videos

In this chapter I examine how the satirical mosaic of cartoons, memes and videos circulating throughout the 2019 federal election responded to and illuminated the key themes and events, and to what extent the imagery presented a reliable gauge of the public mood heading into the polls. In determining what images among the extensive volume of material should be included in the sample, I have preferenced content with a broad public reach. Current newspaper readership and viewing figures validate the inclusion here of all cartoons published in the editorial pages of the nation’s metropolitan daily newspapers and video content broadcast or streamed on network media platforms. The memes that featured in the mainstream news media were sourced almost exclusively from a pool of 618 memes mediated by the six Facebook groups featured in this chapter.