Newspapers take different stands

While our research suggests that journalists tend to mirror Canadians’ scepticism about privatization, not all Canada’s newspapers reflect that view.

One in particular, the National Post, consistently offers more positive than negative stories about privatization, and generally covers the issue more than other papers.

An independent agency conducted a content analysis for CUPE on media coverage of privatization from October 1998 to September 1999. Issues, messages and sources were analysed in a sampling of 953 articles from 28 media outlets.

The Globe and Mail and Southam papers taken as a whole were slightly more likely to publish articles critical of privatization than messages supporting it. The Toronto Star most consistently raised red flags around privatization.

Letters to the editor, editorials and news coverage tend to be more critical of privatization, citing concerns about user fees, cost and quality. Columnists, on the other hand, were more inclined to support privatization.

Media coverage was most critical of privatization in corrections, parks, energy and health; most supportive in the area of financial services.