Canadian Political Science Review Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015, 28-40 The Importance of Context: The Effect of the Market on the Framing of Elections at the Subnational Level in Canada Shannon Sampert Department of Political Science, University of Winnipeg (on leave) Perspectives and Politics, Editor, Winnipeg Free Press– Email Address: [email protected] Adelina Petit-Vouriot Department of Political Science, University of Toronto – Email address: [email protected] Abstract: In Canadian media studies, very little research has been done on how elections at the subnational level are covered by newspapers. This paper analyzes the way major newspapers in six Canadian capitals covered provincial elections between 2011 and 2012. The findings were interesting in that they underscored the importance of context in news coverage. Rather than a formulaic game frame focus, with an adherence to who’s winning and who’s losing, our study determined that each newspaper had a distinct voice and focus in their news coverage. This adds a new and interesting dimension to the study of election coverage in Canada. Keywords: Election studies, media analysis, content analysis, framing, game frame, agenda setting. Résumé: Dans les études de media canadiennes, très peu de recherches ont été effectués sur les élections au niveau régional qui sont couvertes par les journaux. Ce document analyse comment les journaux régionaux de six capitales canadiennes on couverts les élections provinciales entre les années 2011 et 2012. Les résultats étaient intéressants, ils insistaient sur l’importance du contexte pour la diffusion des actualités. Plutôt qu’un jeu stéréotypé, avec un gagnant et perdant, notre étude a déterminé que chaque journal avait une présentations et diffusion particulière. Cela ajoute une dimension nouvelle et intéressante aux études des élections régionales au Canada.. Mots-clés: étude d’élections, étude de media, étude du contenue, formulation, formulation du jeu, ordre du jour 28 Canadian Political Science Review Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015, 28-40 Theoretical Framework (Strömbäck et al. 2012, 720). Landerer notes that the normative logic of media The literature on election media deals with concerns about what “they coverage in Canada tends to focus on should do in order to contribute to the national elections, overlooking the democratic process” (2013, 245). This possibility of comparative election clashes with market logic and is analysis at the subnational level. Based subordinated to concerns about the on the existing federal-level research, “maximization of audience… in order to media outlets have received considerable generate profit” (2013, 244). criticism for their increased adherence to Election coverage in Canada framing elections as “games” – contests in clearly illustrates this conundrum. For which the focus is on winners and losers, journalists working on elections, their polls, strategies and campaign gaffes. “public service function suggests they With that type of framing, the concern is should focus on issues and policies to guide voters through a myriad of that news consumers are not provided promises. Yet elections are horse-races. adequate information about policies and The story of who is winning and who is issues; as a result, their ability to make losing often overshadows the issues” (Cox informed decisions at the ballot box is 2010, 97). stunted. This chapter expands on the The ubiquity of a contest frame current literature by evaluating election fulfills the market side of media logic coverage at the subnational level using which news media rely on in order “to be local newspapers. We are interested in competitive in the ongoing struggle to further examining the concepts of capture people’s attention” (Strömbäck, mediatization and media logic – the news 2008, 233). As Cox writes, “money values and story telling techniques used determines everything” (2010, 105) and to capture media audiences (Strömbäck, the need to entertain is seen as necessary 2008; Strömbäck and Dimitrova, 2011). to maintain audiences and attract readers. Is there a standard format to news While issues “are supposed to be at the coverage of elections or does the market core of any debate over choosing a in which the newspaper is located have government… who will win and how is the an effect on how the election is story” (Cox 2010, 101, emphasis added). portrayed? Covering elections is expensive. Not every event that happens Newspaper election coverage does not becomes a news story (Bain 1994). provide revenues for newspapers but Mediatization literature holds that story instead creates an added expense, with selection relies on a number of different papers having to pay for reporters to factors that are both normative – relating travel alongside political leaders (Cox to format and news values – and market 2010, 107). Media-sponsored polls during oriented – relating to market and elections are also very expensive (Adams audience competition (Landerer 2013, 2010 162). Canada’s newspapers 243). The more competitive the media struggling with falling circulation rates market, the “more the media have to take and advertising revenues, particularly in into consideration what audience saturated media environments, must segments advertisers are interested in make decisions about what to cover and reaching and what kind of news these how to do so in order to maintain or build audience segments are interested in” audiences while preserving the budgetary 29 Canadian Political Science Review Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015, 28-40 bottom line. Previous studies in Canada the media to select and frame election focused on the news selection and stories in this way (2009). framing of election coverage in The use of the contest frame and newspapers, yet none have examined the the reliance on polling information to context of the market logic used by media drive election coverage appears to be organizations during election coverage increasing at the federal level. Pétry and and none have examined the impact of Bastien found that in the 2008 federal market factors in how elections are election, media outlets sponsored over covered. This chapter seeks to do this by 200 national surveys on voter intentions providing a comparison of election over a 37-day period. This compares to coverage through a variety of newspapers just 22 national polls reported over a 51- and provinces, positing that the market day period in the media in 1988 (2013, 1). context and political environment in A more general analysis of the 2004 and which the papers operates influences the 2006 federal elections in seven daily type of coverage provided. Canadian newspapers determined that The specific critique of the role of the contest focus was featured in more the media in framing elections concerns than half of the newspaper coverage in its potential effects on democracy. 2004 (55%), up from 45% in 2006 Studies in North America and Europe (Soroka and Andrew 2010, 116). In their have determined that media tend to study of the headlines in Canada’s two frame elections as contests and with national newspapers (The Globe and Mail limited substantive discussion regarding and the National Post), Trimble and policy or policy outcomes (see for Sampert determined that the contest example Capella and Jamison, 1997). frame was frequently used in the Framing is a necessary story telling coverage of the 2001 federal election. technique and a way “of processing and Anderson studied the election coverage of packaging information so it can be quickly the 1997 federal election in eleven conveyed by reports and easily Canadian daily newspapers and three interpreted by the audience” (Trimble television networks and found that and Sampert 2004, 52). Contest coverage polling information and the horse-race refers to the framing of elections as “a frame dominated news coverage at the political contest between political actors expense of information about political with limited attention for the issues at issues (Anderson 2000, 294). There are stake” (Takens et al. 2013, 280). Inherent concerns that the use of the contest frame in that construct is an emphasis on the is a “continuing obsession” for news game, a “strategic meta-narrative” that organizations and that the creation of relies on horse-racing, sports or stories which are “easy to report” allows battlefield metaphors (Trimble and news organizations to appear neutral and Sampert 2004, 53) and is enhanced by the authoritative and absolve them of the responsibility to probe more deeply, use of campaign polls and poll reporting explore issues more thoroughly, and in the media. As Strömbäck and Esser describe the consequences of party point out, the emphasis on the “game” or positions for the country (Taras and the contest frame in election coverage Waddell 2012, 75). points to the market logic of media because it is competitiveness that drives Pétry and Bastien are very critical of the use of polling information, calling 30 Canadian Political Science Review Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015, 28-40 the reliance on pollsters “a threat to McFadyen offered a new vision for the democracy” because the inaccuracy of province after twelve years of NDP rule. polling results coverage “deceives more In Ontario, Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals than it informs voters” (2013, 20-21). were lagging in popular support. Indeed, Indeed, as McGrane points out in this a Toronto Star poll released in June of edited collection, polling accuracy is of 2011 suggested that McGuinty was one of considerable concern particularly in Canada’s most unpopular premiers pollsters ability to accurately forecast (Benzie 07 June 2011). The other three election outcomes. provinces in our study, however, could An additional component to the also view the election as a game, mediatization literature outlining market particularly with a focus on potential logic is an emphasis on opinion writing changes in the number of seats being held and columns. As Sampert et al. by each party in the provincial determined in their analysis of the legislatures.