History on the Run: The Media and the '79 Election

Warnings: Some swear words

Before watching the documentary, briefly research Canada in the late 1970s. What are some of the key issues (social, economic, political)? What causes are given for Pierre Trudeau’s election loss and Joe Clark’s victory in the 1979 election? Review the Concepts of Political Thinking. Select one point from each of the concepts and respond using this election as an example. Describe the different approaches to the election used by the reporters who were spotlighted in the documentary. Collect examples of how the media covered the election (e.g., “touch analysis”). This documentary overwhelmingly features the voices of white men; research the perspectives held by other people in Canada to this election. Compare and contrast this election coverage (featuring the television) and a more recent domestic or international election. Compare and contrast the role of the television and the newspaper in the election coverage featured in this documentary.