| This thesis is an ideological analysis of the news discourse surrounding the ban on publication on the proceedings of the Karla Teale manslaughter trial. This study assumes a critical stance in the analysis of the news coverage of the ban, and relies upon insights and theory offered by such thinkers as Stuart Hall and Todd Gitlin. In this critical vein, the present study incorporates an in-depth analysis of the news text themselves and an examination of their political, legal, economic and social influences. Upon analysis, this study concludes that the news discourse assumes a position of opposition towards the decision to ban publication on the proceedings of the Karla Teale trial, and that this oppositional position is rooted in and hence promotes the liberal ideal. The liberal ideology is maintained throughout by the discourse's defence of the right to a free press and its assumption that with the current onslaught of new communication technologies, any nationally-imposed restrictions on reporting are futile. By assuming a liberally inspired position towards the ban, the news discourse reproduces the terms and conditions of the ideological status quo. However, it is the contention of this thesis that the media's representation of the publication ban is problematic, since it fails to address fully the Canadian legal tradition, which allows for the banning of publication under certain circumstances. The news discourse also falsely portrays the American tradition of the First Amendment as guaranteeing freedom of the press in absolute terms. Finally, the news discourse is misleading because it assumes the rhetoric of globalization, without critically assessing whether the ban truly represents an instance of globalization or not. |
