1st Edition

Ties That Blind in Canadian/american Relations The Politics of News Discourse

By Richard L. Barton Copyright 1990
    186 Pages
    by Routledge

    186 Pages
    by Routledge

    This volume explores the political impact of journalistic discourse on international -- and especially Canadian/American -- relations. In so doing, it provides a comparative analysis of American and international press accounts of selected Canadian/American issues such as free trade, cruise missile testing, and acid rain. The intention of the book is to enhance understanding of the political significance of journalists' interpretations of Canadian/American affairs, although the communication perspective and method of news analysis of the book are appropriate for the study of the United States' news-mediated relations with other countries. This study also examines the way people negotiate news-mediated political discourse and how that communication process can influence international affairs.

    Contents: Part I:News Media and International Relations: Theory and Method. A Theoretical Framework. News Form and Audience Orientation: An Alternative Approach to the Analysis of International News. Part II:The Politics of American News in Canadian/American Relations. This Historical Context of Canadian/American Relations. The News Examples. A Formal Survey of American TV News Coverage of Canadian/American Affairs. Cruise Missiles Over Canada: A Comparison of American and International Press Accounts of Canadian Sovereignty. Free Trade: Dealing in Cultural Futures. Part III:Conclusions.

    Biography

    Richard L. Barton

    "...a top-notch example of the use of qualitative research for historians as well as those involved in international relations."
    American Journalism

    "...offers new insight into Canadian-American relations....An intriguing work....A must for any collection on Canada and/or Canadian-American relations."
    CHOICE

    "...accurate and insightful....a gloomy analysis. But it is right on target."
    Journal of Communication

    "...an interesting and provocative account of how the American news media reports Canadian affairs....Barton's book is as much a call for action as it is a work of scholarship....The book is commendable on both counts."
    Journalism Quarterly