British Columbia newspaper coverage of secondary manufacturing of wood products, 2000--2005

The history of the forest industry in British Columbia has undergone tremendous destabilization and restructuring over the last two decades in response to globalization trends and environmental concerns over forestry practices. Secondary manufacturing of wood products (SMWP), a sub-sector of the forest industry, holds promise as a site for economic diversification, adding significant value to resource extraction while reducing the impact on the environment. Preliminary research of media's impact on democratic participation and media's role in economic development led to research into B.C. newspaper coverage of the SMWP industry from 2000 to 2005. Mass communication theories and Herman and Chomsky's propaganda model form the theoretical underpinnings to the analysis of the findings. Innovation journalism's future orientation is proposed as an opportunity for current journalism practice to provide a broader diversity of perspectives and greater balance in reporting generally, and specifically on the development of the SMWP industry in British Columbia.