| dc.description.abstract | The main objective of this thesis is to examine how the local radio news media in
Thunder Bay construct local culture. Two paradigms are used to explain this process:
instrumentalism and structuralism. Although other theories can better explain how audiences
interpret messages, this study was not intended for that purpose. The goal was to determine how
local culture was constructed by the media despite their organizational limitations. Since this
study looks more at the internal structure of these radio news media, it is necessary to review
their history and to analyse the governmental policies that influence the creation of ‘local news’.
Two hundred and four newscasts were recorded and transcribed from local radio stations
CBQT, CKPR, CJLB, and CJSD. Each story was classified geographically and thematically
indicating trends and differences between publically and privately owned media. Many themes
rank similarly between the public and privately owned media, however, there is greater
duplication of stories on the privately owned radio stations, raising questions about governmental
policies that attempt to maintain diversity in the news. To address these issues, there is an in-depth
historical analysis: (1) to review policies concerning the stations’ commitment to local
news content, and (2) to provide a context for understanding how the governing body has
contributed to a monopolistic media setting in this region. This research concludes that
journalists appear to construct local culture based on a predetermined set of stereotypes. The
media construct local culture as a predominantly white, heterosexual population that beholds a
‘pioneering’ spirit towards the region. | |
