TORONTO, May 24, 2013 /CNW/ - A recent study of global media coverage of Toronto indicates that the latest crisis involving Mayor Rob Ford has had little impact on the city's reputation. The study of 29 major newspapers from North America, Europe and Asia ranks the Rob Ford video story ninth among events in Toronto that have attracted global media attention over the last year, and the Mayor is mentioned in only one per cent of the city's total profile.
"There's no question that the Rob Ford video story has attracted international media attention, but it's a stretch to claim, as some have, that Toronto's reputation has been seriously hurt by it," argues Dr. Andrew Laing, director of Cormex Research's MediaLAB project and author of the study. "Many Canadians don't realize the extent that Toronto is in the news globally every day," Dr. Laing added, "and in terms of impact, the Rob Ford scandal is neither the city's biggest story, nor its most negative story."
The study measured results based on the number of people likely to have viewed a news story about Toronto in the last twelve months, concluding that the Toronto International Film Festival was, by far, the city's biggest source of global exposure, generating almost 30% of the city's media profile, followed by the University of Toronto. The most negative story for the city in the past year was the VIA Rail train terrorist plot. Almost 75% of the coverage of the city was favourable, compared to only 13% negative.
"Mostly what people see about Toronto is pretty good, with its arts scene and universities leading the way," Dr. Laing added, noting that 46% of Toronto's coverage involves arts and entertainment, while a further 15% concerns research and education.
The study is among the first issued by Cormex MediaLAB, a public, nonpartisan project that conducts research into how the media cover top-of-mind issues. Some of its recent reports include a global review of the language used to describe of Canada's bitumen sands resource in other countries, and a report on the return of the term "Trudeaumania" used by some members of the Canadian media to frame the new federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
A link to the full study, Measuring the Global Media Profile of Toronto, can be found at www.cormex.com/medialab_reports/MAY2013_TORONTO.PDF.
For more information about MediaLAB, visit the website at www.cormex.com/medialab.
Cormex Research is Canada's leading media content measurement and analysis firm, serving the country's top private, public and non-profit organizations since 1989.
PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2013/05/24/20130524_C9927_DOC_EN_27045.pdf
SOURCE: Cormex Research
Andrew Laing
+1 416 504-8236 x2001
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