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Does it lead if it bleeds? An analysis of Toronto newspapers and their coverage of trauma-related events

Title:

Does it lead if it bleeds? An analysis of Toronto newspapers and their coverage of trauma-related events

MacRae, Katherine (2016) Does it lead if it bleeds? An analysis of Toronto newspapers and their coverage of trauma-related events. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the ongoing perception of news media as an outlet that is fixated on sex, death and violence, through an analysis of three GTA newspapers. I argue that despite this consistent perception and the more recent push to online news media, trauma-related news stories do not dominate the news media landscape. A quantitative method was used to analyze the three newspapers to determine the actual percentage of trauma-related news stories in each of the newspapers and their online counterparts. Scholarship in the areas of news values, sensationalism and tabloidization, and the negativity bias also informed this thesis. The results of the research indicated that the percentage of trauma-related news stories was significantly lower than that of the percentage of overall news stories. However, secondary results indicate a difference in the types of trauma-related news stories between tabloid newspapers and broadsheet newspapers. The primary conclusion of this thesis is that the perception of news media needs to be reconsidered as the data does not support the existing perception.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Journalism
Item Type:Thesis (Masters)
Authors:MacRae, Katherine
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:Journalism Studies
Date:9 May 2016
Thesis Supervisor(s):Kay, Linda and Gabrial, Brian
ID Code:981383
Deposited By: KATHERINE MACRAE
Deposited On:07 Nov 2016 19:53
Last Modified:18 Jan 2018 17:53

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