The Newspaper and The Growth Machine: The Case of the Boston Olympics Bid

• In Event: 444 - Section on Political Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 15. Attitudes and Public Opinion in Political Sociology

Abstract

While literature on the urban growth machine establishes that newspapers are part of pro-growth coalitions, how the newspaper contributes to the growth machine is understudied. Through a case study of Boston’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, this article argues that a mega-event bid creates an urban development context that effects the newspaper’s function as a growth booster, suggesting the newspaper remains a key player in urban development politics. Conducting a qualitative content analysis of the Boston Globe’s coverage of the bid from its earliest phase to the day the bid was defeated in the face of public opposition, I find the newspaper plays multiple roles throughout the life of a bid, serving as an agenda-setter, convener of the public sphere, platform for dissent, and growth booster. This finding suggests the need for further research into how the specific conditions created by mega-event bids allow the newspaper to assume these roles.

Author

• Alex Natasha Press, Northeastern University