Ontario’s Right-Wing Populism “Will Cost You”: A Propaganda Analysis of Ford’s Sticker Act and Canadian Journalism’s Response

Abstract

Background: Political environments shaped by ascendant populism and growing anxieties over globalization have been compared to the early twentieth century, including concerns about the power of state-sponsored propaganda. The revisiting of propaganda analysis as a tool for analyzing government campaigns is thus warranted. Analysis: This article applies propaganda analysis to populist Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Federal Carbon Tax Transparency Act. Canadian journalism’s response is then measured through a comparative frequency analysis alongside the premier’s sensationalized “buck-a-beer” campaign. Conclusion and implications: The applicability of a reinstated propaganda analysis is solidified in the current Canadian context, and journalism prioritizing profit over democracy is discussed.