Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/50908

This paper expands initial theory building focusing on borders in North America. While arriving at a complete theory is still challenging, this paper provides another building block towards its construction by adding the role and influence of the media. Sharing borders with the United States requires unique frames of interaction from Canada and Mexico and that generates different models of interface. Despite being friendly neighbors, the three North American countries engage in complex and interdependent activities that go beyond institutional and official contexts such as trade, energy, environment and security; in fact, the richness of the interaction is due to the intensity of social, cultural and familial relations as constantly presented by the media. As power is shaped and reshaped in North America, this paper examines and adds the role of the media to the next level of theory construction in order to understand its influence on border communities and national governments.