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A Content Media Analysis of the Montreal Olympic Games and the Soviet Union As Reported in the Montreal Gazette and the Globe and Mail

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A Content Media Analysis of the Montreal Olympic Games and the Soviet Union As Reported in the Montreal Gazette and the Globe and Mail Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 8-23-2013 12:00 AM What Canada Read/Red: A Content Media Analysis of the Montreal Olympic Games and the Soviet Union as Reported in the Montreal Gazette and The Globe and Mail Joshua F. Archer The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Janice Forsyth The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Kinesiology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Joshua F. Archer 2013 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Other History Commons Recommended Citation Archer, Joshua F., "What Canada Read/Red: A Content Media Analysis of the Montreal Olympic Games and the Soviet Union as Reported in the Montreal Gazette and The Globe and Mail" (2013). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1530. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1530 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. What Canada Read/Red: A Content Media Analysis of the Montreal Olympic Games and the Soviet Union as Reported in the Montreal Gazette and The Globe and Mail (Thesis format: Monograph) by Joshua Frederick Peter Archer Graduate Program in Kinesiology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Joshua Frederick Peter Archer 2013 Abstract This study describes the media coverage of the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympic Games. Two newspapers were used for the data collection: the Montreal Gazette and The Globe and Mail. A systematic, descriptive content analysis of the Olympic Games news coverage was completed using 966 articles. Five categories were constructed for the quantitative analysis: general themes, change over time, sport, gender, and national representation. Based on the findings from the quantitative analysis, a qualitative analysis that examined the way in which the Soviet Union was represented in both newspapers was completed. Three dominant constructions were found, including sport dominance, political victimization, and national growth. This study shows that media focused heavily on the sporting aspect of the Games, compared to the academic literature, which focuses on key issues related to the Games, such as economics, politics, and infrastructure. Keywords 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, Content Analysis, The Soviet Union, Canada, Gender, Sport, National Representation, General Quantitative Analysis, Media, The Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail, National Branding, Politics, Cold War. ii Acknowledgments There are a few people who need to be recognized for the help and support they provided me over the course of my graduate experience. I am truly indebted to these individuals for all they have done for me. I would like to acknowledge my chief advisor, Janice Forsyth, as well as my committee members, Don Morrow, Kevin Wamsley, Michael Heine, and Jacquie Burkell. Your guidance and insights have influenced and sharpened the way I analyze, interpret, and present my work, which are skills that will benefit me in the future. I am humbled by your intellect and am honoured to have worked with you all. I would also like to acknowledge Renee Mahoney, Brad Congelio, Toby Rider, Jacqui Saunders, Laura Misener, and Jim Dickey. Your advice and shared experiences proved to be extremely helpful over the course of my graduate work. For that, I am grateful. I would also like to thank my father, Dave Archer, for teaching me how to use database software to its full potential. Without this knowledge, the data analysis portion of this study would have been nearly impossible to navigate. To my fellow graduate students, friends, and family who supported me through this process, your continuous support and confidence in me has made this study possible. You know who you are. Thank you. iii Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................... ii! Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................iii! List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii! List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii! List of Plates ...................................................................................................................... ix! List of Appendices .............................................................................................................. x! Chapter 1............................................................................................................................. 1! 1.1! Introduction............................................................................................................. 1! 1.2! Purpose.................................................................................................................... 2! 1.3! Literature Review.................................................................................................... 4! 1.3.1! Academic Literature.................................................................................... 4! 1.3.2! Popular and Grey Literature........................................................................ 8! 1.4! The Montreal Olympics in Context: Expo ‘67 ....................................................... 9! 1.5! Theoretical Considerations ................................................................................... 10! 1.5.1! The Nature of Text.................................................................................... 10! 1.5.2! Media, Collective Memory and Historical Understanding....................... 11! 1.6! Methodology......................................................................................................... 15! 1.6.1! Time Frame............................................................................................... 15! 1.6.2! Identification of Primary Sources ............................................................. 15! 1.6.3! Article Sampling ....................................................................................... 16! 1.6.4! Analysis..................................................................................................... 17! 1.6.5! Delimitations............................................................................................. 20! 1.6.6! Limitations ................................................................................................ 20! 1.7! Endnotes................................................................................................................ 22! iv Chapter 2........................................................................................................................... 29! 2! Quantitative Thematic Media Analysis of the Montreal Gazette and The Globe and Mail .............................................................................................................................. 29! 2.1! Data Collection, Coding, and Query..................................................................... 29! 2.2! Analysis................................................................................................................. 33! 2.2.1! General Thematic Analysis....................................................................... 34! 2.2.2! Thematic Analysis by Week ..................................................................... 36! 2.2.3! General Sport Analysis ............................................................................. 38! 2.2.4! Sport Analysis by Gender ......................................................................... 41! 2.2.5! Country Analysis ...................................................................................... 50! 2.3! Next Steps ............................................................................................................. 52! 2.4! Endnotes................................................................................................................ 58! Chapter 3........................................................................................................................... 59! 3! Qualitative Analysis of the Soviet Union’s National Representation in the Canadian Media ........................................................................................................................... 59! 3.1! Introduction........................................................................................................... 59! 3.2! Canada and the Cold War, 1960s-1970s............................................................... 61! 3.3! Nationalism........................................................................................................... 64! 3.4! National Representation at the Montreal Olympic Games ................................... 68! 3.5! The Soviet Union and the Montreal Olympic News Coverage ............................ 68! 3.5.1! The Soviet Union and Sports in the Canadian Media............................... 68! 3.5.2! The Soviet Union and Cheating
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