Borderlands Dramatism: Pandemic Media Narratives of an American/Canadian Exclave

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic took a significant toll on borderlands communities in the United States and Canada. Point Roberts, Washington, a US exclave that exists geographically apart from the Washington State mainland, was no exception. During the US–Canada border lockdown that limited the movement of residents during the pandemic, media coverage oscillated between narratives of paradise and dystopia. National media outlets focused on the community’s low COVID-19 transmission rate but also its isolation and jurisdictional dysfunction. Despite these larger narratives that served national audiences with otherwise fleeting interest, media coverage also reshaped the way communities in the US–Canada borderlands are understood at a more granular level. This dynamic emphasized the agency of civic institutions and individuals during a global crisis. Through the lens of Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad, an overview of Point Roberts’ media coverage during the pandemic is provided to understand the saga’s cross-border and binational implications.