A star is born: the roller coaster ride of Pauline Hanson in the news

Australia's most recent controversial political figure is Independent MP Pauline Hanson. As the media event of the year, her press coverage has eclipsed that even of Prime Minister John Howard. She founded her own party, One Nation, amid speculation that she intends running for Senate. This article analyses the role of the media in her dramatic escalation as a political figure, arguing that the controversial nature of her politics helps give the story legs. We focus on how her media coverage is shaped by the contradiction which she embodies as a woman politician whose message is at variance with conventional gender stereotypes about what political women should advocate.