News to make a difference : the environment and The 4th estate, 1969-1977

Abstract

This thesis is the first lengthy study of The 4th ESTATE, an alternative newspaper published in Halifax, Nova Scotia 1969-1977. It covers the work of journalists in both the alternative and the daily press in the 1960s and 1970s. An examination of print media in the years 2006-2008 puts the thesis into context.

The editors of The 4th ESTATE thought of themselves as a new voice in Halifax and the Maritimes, covering such themes as environmentalism (which is covered in detail in the thesis), poverty, women's rights, the Black movement, mental health, and sexual orientation. The editors contended that Halifax needed a new newspaper in town, one that would be truthful and also activist in its approach. The paper became well known for giving a voice to the underdogs of society.

The thesis also covers politics in Nova Scotia during the time that The 4th ESTATE was published.