ABSTRACT
The Manhattan and Polar Sea crises represent crucial incidents for Canadian Arctic sovereignty. This chapter provides the first detailed empirical account of print media coverage during these two episodes. The Canadian media was effective in setting the agenda during these two crises but this effect was dependent on the activism of other actors, political parties for the Manhattan crisis, civil society for the Polar Sea incident. Political messaging and crisis management strategy by key governmental officials can also explain the intensity of media coverage during each crisis. In 1969, improvisation and hesitation allowed the crises to make headlines for months while a quick governmental response limited media coverage during the 1985 crisis.
