Locating the "unthinkable" in Canadian poverty coverage : a discourse and content analysis of two mainstream dailies

In this thesis I argue that poverty is a keyword and that the meaning / meanings attached to it affect how we see the issue and what we choose to do or not do about it. I investigate how poverty coverage may be limiting popular discussion and action through a content analysis and discourse analysis of coverage in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. I conclude that as citizens we are not getting the information we need to consider how we as a society should go about eliminating poverty. I also conclude that the meaning of poverty is at present undergoing a transformation, and that contestations over the meaning of poverty are being played out in the news. I argue that we must be conscious of this shift in meaning and its implications, as it will significantly effect future policy and the structure of our society.