Date of Award
2002
Publication Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Communication Studies
Keywords
Mass Communications.
Supervisor
Hildebrandt, K.
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
In the literature on media coverage of elections one aspect has been largely ignored in Canada, namely the extent and direction of media coverage of elections at the local level. This thesis attempts to fill that research gap by focusing on the role of newspapers and television news in Windsor, Ontario in the context of the 1995 provincial election. Coverage in the Windsor Star, on the local CBC newscasts, as well as regional newscasts on CTV and Global network are examined for differences on local versus provincial foci in election reporting with respect to parties, leaders, and issues. Overall, local coverage of local aspects of the provincial election formed a small proportion of provincial election coverage, as the coverage of issues and leaders overshadowed local issues and concerns. As expected, coverage of local aspects of the provincial election was fragmentary, while non-local coverage of the election was extensive. In this context the local paper, the Windsor Star, did a better job covering the local side of the election than did the local or provincial TV newscasts. Issues dominated election coverage in 1995, with issues of substance prevailing over those related to campaign strategy. Issue coverage was followed in importance by coverage of the leaders. The change in poll standings that occurred when Mike Harris took the lead from Lynn McLeod also influenced coverage. The PC's seemed to benefit from Harris' lead in the polls, but a leader's decline did not automatically signal a decline of coverage for the party involved.Dept. of Communication Studies. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2002 .A77. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 41-04, page: 0878. Adviser: Kai Hildebrandt. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2002.
Recommended Citation
Armstrong, Johnna Christie., "How well do media cover local candidates and local issues? The 1995 Ontario election as reported by media in Windsor." (2002). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2326.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/2326