The multiculturalism debate in Canadian newspapers: The harbinger of a political storm?

Abstract

A contentious debate in Canadian newspapers preceded the enactment of the country’s Multiculturalism Act. This article traces the varying cultural perspectives of journalists writing in five Canadian newspapers from 1980 to 1988. Whereas this period is generally viewed as being one of growth for official multiculturalism in Canada, the press criticism against it seems to have been a harbinger of the political opposition to the policy that attained prominence in the early 1990s. Consequently, the bureaucratic structures established to support the multiculturalism policy were reduced significantly. However, the legislation remains intact.