The quality of referendum debate: The UK's electoral system referendum in the print media

This paper analyses the quality of debate surrounding the UK's 2011 electoral reform referendum as represented in the print media. It first considers how debate quality in the context of a referendum campaign may best be conceptualized. It then uses content analysis of media coverage to investigate three aspects of that debate: its quantity; the balance between Yes and No arguments; and the quality of reason-giving. It finds that the quantity of debate was comparable to other recent electoral reform referendums. Coverage was predominantly, but not overwhelmingly, hostile to change. The different indicators of the quality of reason-giving present a mixed picture. The paper concludes by considering how the analysis could be extended through further comparison with other cases.

► We analyse the quality of debate around the UK's 2011 electoral reform referendum. ► The quantity of coverage was comparable to other electoral reform referendums. ► Coverage was predominantly, but not overwhelmingly, hostile to change. ► Few claims were grounded in reasons and backed by either evidence or logic. ► A quarter of the reasons given were incompatible with established knowledge.