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

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.