Counter-Hegemony and Environmental Justice in California Newspapers: Source Use Patterns in Stories About Pesticides and Farm Workers

Abstract

Articles from four California newspapers focusing on pesticide use and farm workers were content analyzed to track inclusion of pro- and anti-pesticide sources, along with neutral sources. The authors applied hegemony theory to news content and historical, socioeconomic, and demographic data. Results indicate that in all newspapers, “counter-hegemonic” anti-pesticide sources were the most-often quoted. Analysis suggests that newspapers, themselves part of the ruling hegemony, nevertheless do sometimes provide significant space for opposing voices on environmental justice issues, especially when the sources become professional challengers, such as the United Farm Workers Union, highly legitimized by their routine use in the press.