The Mass Media, Cultural Identity and Perceptions of National Character

Abstract

This article analyzes US and Canadian newspaper coverage of the debates about audiovisual materials' status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Its goal is to explore how the frames of news media can imply characterizations of nations and definitions of the mass media's place in a nation's cultural identity. Four different frames are identified, an economic frame, an arts frame, a political frame and an ideological frame. The volume of coverage, the establishment of agency and generalization are explored as framing devices that contribute to the characterization of nations and to the definition of culture. Differences in coverage across and among the newspapers from the US and Canada are discussed and avenues for future research are explored.