Homeless and Newsworthy: A Content Analysis of Oklahoma’s First Magazine Produced by the Homeless Population

• In Event: 127 - Section on Inequality, Poverty and Mobility Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Paper Session: Table 10. Housing and Inequality

Abstract

This project investigates Oklahoma’s first and only street paper titled, The Curbside Chronicle, produced for and by the homeless population. Homeless street papers serve the purpose of employing and empowering the homeless by giving them a product to sell. Street papers also encourage this population to leave panhandling behind and provide their voice by writing for the publication. There are approximately 40 homeless street papers in the United States, but there is limited research on the content of these newspaper and magazine publications. There is, however, significant research determining the method of homeless discourse in other types of news media. Street papers are working tirelessly to redirect the discussion of homelessness to ultimately remove stigma and stereotyping for the population, and research on street papers is fundamental in solidifying these types of shifts. This project is intended to fill the gaps in homeless street paper research and inspire others to further investigate homelessness discourse. Through content analysis of four issues of The Curbside Chronicle I show the unique manner in which this publication discusses the homeless population. Preliminary results show that the discourses represented in The Curbside Chronicle reflect both humanization and empowerment for the homeless population.

Author

• Sheyda Zakerion, University of Oklahoma