- 231 views
- 305 downloads
Examining Print Media Coverage Leading into New Zealand and British Columbia's Respective November 6, 1993 and May 12, 2009 Electoral Reform Referendums
-
- Author / Creator
- Alzubaidi, Abdullah S
-
This thesis examined whether the print media of New Zealand and British Columbia, in the immediate month campaign period leading into their respective November 6, 1993 and May 12, 2009 electoral reform referendums, provided a deliberative environment for citizens to make informed ballot choices. This is vital on such a vote. Grounded in theories of deliberative democracy, I evaluate the print media of NZ and B.C., specifically the New Zealand Herald, the Evening Post, the Vancouver Sun, and the Victoria Times Colonist broadsheets, against three indicators: quantity of coverage, balance of coverage, and presence and type of reasoning to support taken positions. Based on the gathered results, I conclude that both NZ and B.C.’s print media attempted to provide a deliberative environment so that citizens could make informed ballot decisions on competing electoral system options. However, New Zealand’s was stronger based on displaying a high quantity of coverage on their country’s referendum between FPTP and MMP, while British Columbia’s coverage was moderate on their province’s FPTP vs. STV vote.
-
- Subjects / Keywords
-
- Graduation date
- Fall 2018
-
- Type of Item
- Thesis
-
- Degree
- Master of Arts
-
- License
- Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.