Comparative Analysis: ABC News and Crikey on Gender Pay Gap

Mili Peniamina moved from manufacturing to construction, which has more than doubled her take-home pay. (ABC News: Patrick Rocca)

In the digital news environment, media not only provide information, but also need to attract readers through interactivity, multimedia presentation and user experience (Deuze, 2003).

This paper compares two news reports on the same social issue — the gender pay gap — from Australian mainstream media Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News) and digital-born media Crikey.

Both articles were published on March 3, 2026, including the ABC News report (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2026) and the Crikey report (Crikey, 2026).

Although both are based on the same data source, they show clear differences in writing style, online delivery and technical presentation.

This paper will analyse these two types of journalism by using concepts such as interactivity, scannability and user engagement.

These differences are not only reflected in the writing style, but also reveal how different media adapt to the changes in audience behavior in the digital age.

As more and more readers obtain news through mobile devices, the organization of information has become increasingly important.

How to quickly obtain information and efficiently complete the reading of information all need to be achieved through information processing on different media platforms.

Figure 1. Gender pay gap in Australia based on WGEA data

First, in terms of media background and production context:

ABC News belongs to Australia’s public broadcasting system and is funded by the government. It focuses on public service and journalistic objectivity (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2026). In the media system, it is a public service media organisation, and its main role is to provide accurate and balanced information to the public.

In contrast, Crikey is a digital-born news platform with a subscription-based business model. Its content is more critical and opinion-driven (Crikey, 2026). Digital-born media often focus more on expressing viewpoints and interacting with readers. This also reflects the shift in modern journalism towards more explanatory reporting (Pavlik, 2001).

Because of these differences, the two media show different news logic when reporting the same issue: ABC focuses more on explaining facts, while Crikey focuses more on interpreting meanings.This difference also affects how each organisation defines its role in society. ABC positions itself as a trusted information provider, while Crikey acts more like a platform for discussion and critique, especially on social and media-related issues.

Figure 2. Gender pay gap across different age groups in Australia

Second, in terms of user analysis:

ABC News targets a broad audience, including people from different age groups and social backgrounds. Therefore, its reporting style is usually clear and simple to understand. This “mass audience” approach also makes its content more neutral and objective.

Crikey’s audience is more specific, usually people with higher education levels and strong interest in social issues. These readers are more willing to engage with analytical content and open to media opinions. Therefore, the expectations of these audiences are also different. ABC readers may prioritise clarity and reliability, while Crikey readers may value insight and interpretation more than simple factual reporting. As a result, Crikey’s reporting is often more critical and interpretative (Hermida, 2010).

Third, in terms of writing and content production:

At the writing level, ABC News uses a typical “inverted pyramid” structure, which presents the key information at the beginning. For example, its report clearly states that the gender pay gap is narrowing, but job segregation still exists (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2026), and it also explains the difference between gender pay gap and equal pay. Then the article supports this idea with data explanation and case examples, such as women entering construction industries. This structure helps readers quickly understand the main idea. It also uses real-life examples to make the story more engaging while still keeping objectivity, and it matches the online reading habit of scanning.

However, although this structure helps to enhance clarity, it may not always be the most appealing presentation method for online readers. In the rapidly evolving digital environment, readers tend to prefer reading short content with a clear visual structure. While more authoritative and profound interpretations may be difficult to understand for readers who are quickly skimming through, they require repeated contemplation.

[embed]Video 1. Explanation of the gender pay gap by WGEA CEO Mary Wooldridge

In terms of sources, ABC News clearly uses data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and explains the scope of the data, including mentioning organisations that did not submit data. This makes the report more reliable. It also uses direct quotes to increase credibility, which follows traditional journalism’s reliance on authoritative sources.

In contrast, Crikey’s writing is closer to a commentary article. It starts with the idea that the media industry is going backwards and then develops the analysis step by step. Although it also uses WGEA data, the focus is on analysing gender pay differences within the media industry (Crikey, 2026). It pays more attention to why the problem exists and what it means, instead of only presenting facts. It also focuses more on trends and issues.

From the perspective of scannability, ABC’s article has longer paragraphs and higher information density. Readers need to focus more to fully understand the content. This makes it more suitable for reading in a quiet environment.

On the other hand, Crikey is more suitable for fast-paced reading. Its structure is more compact, and data is presented more directly, so readers can understand key points quickly. This reflects the advantage of digital-born media in adapting to mobile reading habits (Deuze, 2003).This reflects the growing importance of scannability in digital journalism, where readers prefer quick access to key information rather than long-form reading.

Figure 3. Different online news reading environments: focused reading vs fast mobile browsing

In terms of data and visualisation:

ABC first presents data and then explains it clearly, sometimes with charts to support understanding. This makes the report more authoritative, but readers still need time to read and understand the data.

Crikey, however, uses direct data comparison to highlight changes. It organises information in a structured way. Through listing and comparing data, it reduces the difficulty for readers to understand the issue and allows them to “visually understand” the problem in a fast-paced life. In this report, Crikey also uses bar charts and colour contrast to improve visual attractiveness. Compared with ABC’s more text-based data explanation, Crikey’s presentation is easier to read and more eye-catching.This kind of presentation reduces cognitive effort for readers, allowing them to quickly recognise patterns and differences without reading long explanations. It also shows how visual storytelling can play an important role in modern digital journalism.

Figure 4. Visual data presentation compared with text-heavy reporting

Fourth, in terms of online delivery:

Both media provide basic sharing functions, allowing readers to share news on social media. However, there are clear differences in interactivity.

ABC News usually does not have a comment section. This helps maintain authority, but it also limits user participation. This model is closer to traditional one-way communication.

In contrast, Crikey focuses more on reader participation. Its content is more likely to create discussion and shows some characteristics of participatory journalism (Hermida, 2010). Readers are not only receivers but can also become part of the discussion. This shift from passive reading to active participation reflects an important change in the online news field: the audience is no longer merely consumers of news; they are also participants in the news environment, and even operators.

In addition, for hyperlinks, ABC tends to provide background information to help readers understand context, while Crikey uses links more to support arguments or extend discussion. This shows different ways of organising information.

Finally, in terms of technical delivery:

ABC News has a clear page structure, with strong usability and navigation. The article is well divided into sections, and headings are clear, making it suitable for mobile reading. This improves reading efficiency and user experience.

Crikey’s design is relatively simple, but some paragraphs are long, which is not ideal for quick browsing. However, this is also related to its audience, who are more willing to read in depth.

From the above analysis, it can be seen that the differences between ABC News and Crikey reflect two different journalism models. ABC focuses on accuracy and authority, with clear structure but higher reading difficulty. Crikey focuses more on interpretation and participation, using data comparison and structured information to improve readability and engagement.

From the perspective of scannability, Crikey is more suitable for mobile reading. From credibility, ABC is stronger. From interactivity, Crikey is more engaging (Deuze, 2003).

Overall, ABC News performs better in accuracy and structure, and it is more suitable for readers who want to deeply understand complex social issues. However, its high information density and long text make it less suitable for fast-paced reading.

In contrast, Crikey better fits the trend of digital journalism. Through data comparison, structured presentation and more visually attractive design, it helps readers understand issues quickly and improves reading experience.

Therefore, if the standard is accuracy, ABC News is better. But if the standard is user experience and engagement, Crikey is more effective and more suitable for the digital media environment (Pavlik, 2001).

In addition, the comparison between ABC News and Crikey also reflects a broader shift in digital journalism. Traditional media still prioritise accuracy and authority, while digital-born platforms increasingly focus on user experience and engagement. This suggests that future journalism may need to balance these two approaches to remain effective. This comparison highlights that there is no single “best” model of journalism. Instead, different media serve different purposes and audiences. The challenge for future journalism is to combine credibility with accessibility, so that information can reach a wider audience without losing its reliability.

References

Australian Broadcasting Corporation. (2026, March 3). Gender pay gap narrows but segregation persists, WGEA finds.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-03/australia-gender-pay-gap-narrows-segregation-persists-wgea-finds/106370434

Crikey. (2026, March 3). Media gender pay equality figures reveal mixed progress across industry.

https://www.crikey.com.au/2026/03/03/media-gender-pay-equality-figures-sbs-nine-news-corp/

Deuze, M. (2003). The web and its journalisms: Considering the consequences of different types of newsmedia online. New Media & Society, 5(2), 203–230.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444803005002004

Pavlik, J. V. (2001). Journalism and new media. Columbia University Press.

Hermida, A. (2010). Twittering the news: The emergence of ambient journalism. Journalism Practice, 4(3), 297–308.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17512781003640703

Australian Government Workplace Gender Equality Agency. (2026). Gender pay gap statistics.

https://www.wgea.gov.au