NEWSPAPER COVERAGE of the LEGISLATIVE OPENING in ONTARIO, 1900-2007 by James Irvin
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FROM SOCIAL CELEBRATION TO POLITICS AS USUAL: NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF THE LEGISLATIVE OPENING IN ONTARIO, 1900-2007 by James Irvine Cairns MA, University of Saskatchewan A dissertation presented to Ryerson University and York University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Ryerson University/York University Joint Graduate Programme in Communication and Culture Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2008 © James Cairns 2008 ISBN: 978-0-494-41375-3 Author's declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this dissertation. I authorize Ryerson University to lend this dissertation to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I further authorize Ryerson University to reproduce this dissertation by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. ii Abstract Author: James Cairns Dissertation title: From Social Celebration to Politics as Usual: Newspaper coverage of the legislative opening in Ontario, 1900-2007 Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Programme name: Joint Graduate Programme in Communication and Culture University details: Ryerson University/York University Date: 15 July 2008 This dissertation analyzes twentieth century changes in the representation of political authority in Ontario. It does so by conducting narrative analysis and framing analysis of newspaper coverage of the ceremonial Opening of the Legislature. In contrast to standard political science approaches to this key civic ritual, the dissertation builds upon cultural theory that views news as central to the social construction of reality and addresses three research questions: In what ways has the meaning of the legislative opening been represented in mainstream Ontario newspapers? How have mass mediated processes of ritualization changed over time? And what do answers to the first two questions suggest about the development of popular conceptions of political legitimacy in Ontario? Textual analysis demonstrates that social knowledge about the legislative opening has changed significantly between 1900 and 2007. During the first half of the twentieth century, journalists approached and described the Opening of the Legislature as a Social Celebration: a popular festival at Queen's Park that was also a break from routine policy discourse and partisan battle. By contrast, by the 1970s coverage was organized around the Speech from the Throne. Increasingly aggressive journalistic tones and techniques represented the ritual as a performance of rationality—a special iteration of Politics as Usual. Once a celebration of social order centred around Ontario High Society, the legislative opening is now depicted as a debate among competing interests in Ontario society. While remaining critical of the emergent ritual of liberal-pluralism for its part in normalizing systems of inequality, the dissertation argues that changes in newspaper coverage both reflect and reinforce the rise of what Smith calls “electoral democracy”, a conception of politics in which extra-parliamentary actors are legitimized as participants in government. iii At the level of scholarly practice, the study makes an original contribution to recent debates in media anthropology by using longitudinal textual analysis to study the ritualization of civic ritual; and shifts in news coverage are used to advocate further interdisciplinary studies of legislative politics in Canada. iv Acknowledgments It is rewarding to say thank you to the people and organizations who made it possible to write this dissertation. First, appreciation for my family. Whether signing forms on my behalf or providing the world's cutest baby-show, Simon, Teresa, and Kyla are thanked for supporting me in countless ways. Thank you to the family Nicols—Rhodea, Seann, Mal, and Casey—whose reinforcements have been powerful despite the many miles (then kilometres) they travel. Thank you to Mom and Wendy for their keen interest in my studies and for supervising retreats at The Meadow. All that I do is rooted in your way of being in the world. Thank you to Dad for nurturing my interest in the craft of writing and for strengthening my prose. Many of these sentences would have been riddled with commas if not for years of my studying your editing. You have always been a uniquely reliable, sensitive, and supportive friend, to say nothing of how you make me laugh, which is why it is so special to reflect upon the ways that our friendship continues to grow. Thank you to Beth, Emily, and Laura for your encouragement and for bringing such happiness to my editor. To sister Kate and the inimitable CJ: Your love and laughter make living fun. Kate, thank you for being so generous with your time and critical insight. You are the model of a good scholar and an interlocutor without match. This dissertation is filled with ideas that emerged and were refined during talks with you; I look forward to years of more talking. Peter Mitton symbolizes all those friends who are in fact family, and for whom I am eternally thankful. I am grateful to faculty and staff at the University of Toronto, University of Saskatchewan, York University, and Ryerson University. When thinking about how fortunate I have been to learn from so many thoughtful, engaging, and kind people, the following names leap forth: Barbara Crow, Bruce Elder, Colin Mooers, David Cameron, David E. Smith, Dennis Denisoff, Graham White, Jo Ann Mackie, Judy Rebick, Myles Ruggles, Rosemary Coombe. A special thank you to two Ryerson professors, Alan Sears and Neil Thomlinson, for their dedication to my professional and personal development, and to two professors elsewhere who have offered guidance despite not being officially connected to my studies: Daniel Robinson (University of Western Ontario) and Joanna Everitt (University of New Brunswick St. John). I would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for v supporting my dissertation with a three-year Canada Graduate Scholarship, and the Canadian Media Research Consortium for providing funds which made it possible to present preliminary research at two academic conferences. The staff at the Ontario Legislative Library is due thanks for sharing information about Throne Speeches and for leading me into and coaxing me out of numerous document-filled cages. Thanks to staff at the Toronto West End YMCA for providing an affordable and much-needed place to run around. I am thankful to the members of my dissertation committee not only for their role in developing the thesis, but for brightening my days as a doctoral student. My co-supervisors, Gene Allen and John Shields, and two committee advisors, Frederick Fletcher and Wendy Cukier, have given (and given cheerily, I must say) far more time and energy to my thoughts than any student could reasonably imagine. Although it is impossible to convey the depth of my appreciation for all that these professors have offered, a phrase from each is recorded here as a tribute to the power of their teachings. Thank you to Professor Shields, who encouraged me to conduct work at “the intersections of politics and culture;” to Professor Fletcher, who assessed different ideas about “how to make textual analysis work for this project;” to Professor Cukier, who explained the virtues of an “iterative research process;” and to Professor Allen, who helped develop new ways of thinking and writing about “the news as constitutive of politics.” I am grateful to this group for demonstrating how stimulating and productive it can be to mix inquisitiveness, hard work, and generosity. The admirable qualities of committee mentors were shared by the two external examiners at the oral defence. I would like to thank Professors Bryan Evans (Ryerson University) and Mary Vipond (Concordia University) for their insightful questions and commentary. Finally, the lovely Eroca: for you, a world of gratitude. I am a better thinker and a better person because of your friendship and love. Thank you for listening, for sharing, for dancing, for shrugging, for shining and making me want to shine every day. vi Contents Author's declaration ii Abstract iii Acknowledgments v Contents vii Figures and tables ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Introduction 1 Research problem: Standard political science interpretations of the legislative opening 4 The administration of parliament 5 A ceremonial function of the Crown 6 The government's (explicit and hidden) agenda 7 A media history approach to the legislative opening 8 Research questions, methodology, qualifications 11 Empirical findings and theoretical contributions 14 Chapter overview 19 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE AND RESEARCH METHODS 23 Social constructionism 23 News as culture 26 News produces stories 26 News produces publics 33 News and ritual/Ritual and news 38 The promise of media history 50 Research methods 53 Textual analysis as a way of learning about social knowledge 53 Corpus 56 Newspapers 56 Scope 58 Coding 60 Round one 60 Round two 62 Rounds three and four 67 Interviews 69 Conclusion 70 CHAPTER 3: THE ERA OF SOCIAL CELEBRATION, 1900-1940s 71 Introduction 71 A chronological account of the ritual's main events 74 vii Scene one: The crowd assembles 74 Scene two: Inside the Chamber 79 Scene three: Ritual tea-party 85 The embodiment of imperial power 89 Mapping Ontario's social hierarchy 97 Coverage of the Speech from the Throne in the era of Social Celebration 109 The special case of 1925 113 Conclusion