Comparative analysis of Dutch Reformed communities’ coverage in Canadian mainstream and Reformed mass media

Abstract

This paper is a comparative study of how Dutch Reformed communities self-represent themselves in their printed media and the ways these communities are covered in Canadian daily newspapers. The cases are chosen from 2005 until 2016. This research demonstrates that mainstream media forms a positive image of Dutch Reformed groups, although it seems dated because the majority of publications refer to the communities’ experience of post-war immigration and memories about World War II. Also, mainstream newspapers do not provide the reader with clear comprehension of the social role that Dutch Reformed communities play today. However, Reformed magazines give a deeper understanding of Canadian Reformed communities’ worldview, but their target audience is narrower, and, as a result, they cannot transform public perception of these religious groups.