The role of Sir Clifford Sifton in the formulation of the editorial policy of the Manitoba Free Press, 1916 to 1921

Abstract

Some attention has been given to the politics of John W. Dafoe and of the Manitoba Free Press, but there has hitherto been no thorough consideration of the influence which the owner of the paper, Sir Clifford Sifton, exerted on its editor and thereby on its editorial policy. This thesis is an attempt to fill this void. This has been done by comparing Sifton's views with those expressed privately by Dafoe and publicly by the Free Press in regard to federal politics, and especially the federal political parties, in the period 1916 to 1921. From this study it has been found that Sifton, by his advice, political analyses and occasional ultimatums, did in fact influence Dafoe, and thus kept the paper's editorial policy within the bounds of which he approved.