Framing Healthcare and Federalism: Media Portrayals of Canadian Intergovernmental Relations

Healthcare funding in Canada operates within the complexities of Canadian federalism, a system characterized by overlapping jurisdiction and negotiated responsibilities between federal and provincial governments. Media coverage plays a pivotal role in shaping public understanding of these intergovernmental relations by framing narratives around cooperation, conflict, power, and accountability. This essay conducts a comparative media analysis of two national newspapers, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, focusing on their early 2025 coverage of federal-provincial pharmacare negotiations and subsequent articles addressing healthcare governance. This analysis explores how each outlet frames federalism and healthcare policy, revealing institutional biases and shifts in editorial focus that influence public perceptions of federal-provincial dynamics.