The Media and Nationalism in Que´bec: a complex relationship

Abstract

The question of bias in Québec political journalism has often been the subject of fierce debate; francophone journalists in Québec have long been accused of separatist bias by both anglophone journalists and the federal government. Such accusations rest on two questionable assumptions: that the media are more influential than deeply rooted cultural and historical experience, and that in the reporting of Québec issues, objectivity means that journalists can consider only federalism as a viable option for Quebecers. This article argues that the development of nationalism came first, with Québec journalists being influenced by nationalist ideas: not the other way around. Moreover, although the Québec media's coverage is different, this does not necessarily imply bias. The article focuses on the findings of two key studies of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Societé Radio-Canada coverage, which failed to find any evidence of such bias, and concludes that the persistence of the view that the Québec media lack objectivity and are manipulating the public on the issue of sovereignty arises out of a tradition of elite democracy.