A Critical Discourse Analysis of Haiti Earthquake Recovery in New York Times articles: Implications for Social Welfare Policies, Practices and Education

The social constructions of the media after the 2010 Haiti earthquake arguably influenced disaster recovery, especially how and what projects were conceived, implemented, and evaluated. In this study of New York Times articles, we sought to learn how Haitians and foreign actors who are engaged in recovery are portrayed in print media. Our findings suggest the presence of hegemonic, disempowering discourse through themes that emphasize the expertise of outsiders and the proliferation of disaster capitalism. A counter-hegemonic, empowering discourse is evident through the acknowledgement of post-colonialist realities and the participation of Haitians in recovery. We discuss the meaning of these findings for social welfare policies, such as those set forth by the United States Agency on International Development (USAID), as well as social work practice and education