On Reckoning and Renewal: A Discourse Analysis of Migrant Farm Worker Coverage in Alternative News Media

Abstract

This Major Research Paper seeks to assess alternative media coverage of migrant farm workers in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Extending upon what Callison and Young (2020) call a “digital reckoning” taking place in Canadian journalism, I employ the theoretical framework of political economy of communication (PEC) to interpret the organizational practices and funding models of the shifting mediascape. Following in the tradition of PEC, I ask how alternative media in Canada are covering migrant farm workers and worker programs during a pandemic, and to what extent these publications are addressing larger systemic issues in their coverage. A critical discourse analysis of two print magazines and four digital media outlets finds common themes surrounding precarious work, exploitation and the need for migrant workers to access a pathway to citizenship, but relatively less context into systemic issues. A broader assessment of the journalism industry encourages future scholarship of alternative media in Canada.