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Images of Prostitution: The Prostitute and Print Media

NCJ Number
181690
Journal
Women and Criminal Justice Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: 1999 Pages: 47-72
Author(s)
Erin G. Van Brunschot; Rosalind A. Sydie; Catherine Krull
Date Published
1999
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study examined articles from major Canadian newspapers representing five urban centers to determine the most frequent themes in reporting on prostitution.
Abstract
Articles listed by the Canadian News Index under the heading "prostitution" for 1981-1995 were selected for inclusion in the study. This period was selected for analysis because of the flurry of legal changes and challenges to Canada's Federal laws concerning prostitution during this period. From 1981 through 1995, the newspapers ran a variety of stories on both the legal challenges and changes as well as on the nature and the problem of prostitution in Canada, especially in the major cities. The findings of the content analysis show that although the legal contexts and concerns changed over the time period, the depiction of the street prostitute and her/his work remained consistent, with often remarkable homogeneity in the media coverage irrespective of the political leanings of the various newspapers. There were four themes that were most prevalent in the years under review: nuisance, child abuse, violence, and non-Western prostitution. This article presents examples of each theme and discusses the implications of such images of prostitution. 1 figure, 32 notes, and 27 references

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