The issue of socio-economic inequality has after many decades of benign neglect, in both the academy and journalism, become an increasingly important question. The economic crisis, beginning in 2008 followed by years of austerity has exasperated class and regional division. There have been numerous socio-economic and political outcomes from this; not least the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald Trump, both unimaginable a decade ago.  

The role of journalism and the wider media in the production and reproduction of inequality therefore is an increasingly important issue. Has journalism treated the issue of inequality in a satisfactory fashion? Has journalism challenged powerful interests, or has journalism played an ideological role in the reproduction of structures of inequality themselves? How do the increasingly poor working conditions of journalists impact on the coverage of inequality? 

This panel presented five papers concerned with socio economic inequality and media treatment. Papers included an investigation of the treatment of socio-economic inequality in the Austrian and Irish press, the coverage of the public sector in the early days of the crisis in the Irish press. The coverage of the Carrickmines tragedy in the press and the treatment of the Apple tax EU ruling on Irish radio and finally an important and timely study into the conditions of journalists themselves in the age of precarity.