Dead Today, Gone Tomorrow: The Framing of Workplace Injury in Canadian Newspapers, 2009-2014

Abstract

Media framing influences how society sees and responds to the issue of workplace injury. This study uses frame analysis to examine how Canadian English-language newspapers portrayed workplace injuries between 2009 and 2014. Three frames emerge: Under Investigation, Human Tragedy, and Before the Courts. There is also a meta-frame casting injuries and fatalities as isolated events happening to “others” with no cause, thus the public ought not be concerned about workplace safety. Interviews with journalists validated this analysis. Media frames obscure issues of cause and fault, thereby denying workers a full understanding of why injuries happen in the workplace.