This study examines writer emotivity embedded in lexical items as well as the possible framing of the surrounding context. The data comprises selected opinion articles from Australian and overseas online newspapers written in response to Julia Gillard's so-called “misogyny speech” held in the Australian Parliament in October 2011. The findings show that writer emotivity was present in almost all articles, the Australian journalists were almost universally condemning of the then Prime Minister and her speech while overseas counterparts almost universally praised both. While Australian journalists painted Gillard as an embattled failure, overseas journalists lauded her. One event has resulted in two diametrically opposed views. The different perspectives taken illustrate the importance of context and effect of ideology in shaping and constructing realities. The study concludes with pedagogical considerations for a critical approach to language studies in the classroom.