Sky News Australia

• The “yes” and “no” campaigns for a Voice to Parliament are about to be supercharged as both sides begin a six-week countdown to voting day.
• This includes the key messages that are getting the most public attention – in the news, social media, online ads and opinion polls.
• To win, “yes” needs to get a majority of voters in a majority of states.

What’s happening in the news?

• This week it is averaging 7,184 mentions, showing how attention to the debate is slowly building since the start of the year.
• To date, public engagement through media and social media posts is more likely to be piqued by criticism of the Voice than support for it.

What’s trending on social media?

• When we look at who and what is getting public attention on Facebook and X, it is most often conservative figures and politicians sharing Sky News reports critical of the Voice.
• In the past three months, the top five items that have had the most interactions - tens of thousands of shares each and reaching more than 6 million viewers collectively - on X and Facebook, are:


These snapshots are concerning because some stories contain misleading information such as Pitt linking the Voice to state laws. But they also show the power of negative stories to attract attention, and the reach of Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News TV stories beyond its paywall.

What’s happening in online advertising?

• About 14% of ad spending is reserved for elsewhere, namely South Australia ($73,528) and Tasmania ($26,739).
• However, Yes23’s core messages are more disparate than the “no” ads paid for by Advance Australia for the “Fair Australia” campaign.
• The “no” ad spend focuses on its stronghold states in Queensland ($33,652) and Western Australia ($27,234), and the possible flip-state South Australia ($16,6712).

How are the polls looking?

• In looking at the key messages, the ad spend, and the polls, we can provide a snapshot of the state of the two campaigns so far.
• As with any voting campaign, much can change as public attention sharpens as polling day looms.
• He is an affiliate of the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE), and member of the Electoral Integrity Project‘s International Advisory Board.