Gentrification is an ongoing process that seemingly has no beginning or end. The phenomenon of gentrification impacts many societies, mostly influencing lower-income communities that do not have the means to fight against those in power to stop gentrification. This is especially seen in Puerto Rico, an island that has been wrecked by natural disasters time and time again. Paired with the heightened tax haven on the island, Puerto Rico is slowly getting gentrified, pushing out native residents and inviting wealthy investors. This influx in gentrification can be partly attributed to the media’s way of portraying the island. Liberal and conservative sources can have opposing points of view, which creates an interesting dynamic when analyzing how these two opposing sides discuss the topic of gentrification through news sources. This project aims to answer the following research question: What is the effect of political bias on gentrification rhetoric in Puerto Rico among news sources published from 2012 to 2023? Both liberal and conservative sources depict Puerto Rico negatively, focusing on poverty and vulnerability. However, they differ in emphasis: conservative outlets highlight economic benefits and downplay humanitarian crises, presenting Puerto Rico as a tax haven, while liberal sources prioritize aid and environmental resilience. This disparity underscores how ideological perspectives shape gentrification narratives in Puerto Rico.
The project methodology involved analyzing news sources from 2012 to 2023, focusing on Puerto Rico’s discourse on gentrification following Acts 20 and 22. Allsides.org was used to categorize political biases. Purposive sampling ensured data relevance, while basic and interpretive content analysis uncovered nuanced perspectives, offering a comprehensive understanding of gentrification discourse across political spectrums in Puerto Rico.
Breaking the Silence on Puerto Rico’s Crisis by Joe Piette from Flickr.CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The analysis of news sources from both liberal and conservative perspectives regarding gentrification in Puerto Rico reveals several key findings. Firstly, there is a notable convergence in portraying Puerto Rico and its residents in a negative light, with approximately 75% of conservative and 85% of liberal articles depicting the island as impoverished and constantly in need. However, how this narrative is conveyed differs significantly between the two ideologies. Conservative articles tend to adopt a critical tone and lack empathetic engagement with the experiences of Puerto Ricans, while liberal sources often incorporate poignant quotes and emphasize the human dimension of the issue.
Moreover, the inclusion of images alongside news articles plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions of Puerto Rico and gentrification. Liberal sources predominantly feature images portraying the island’s struggles, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Maria in 2017, evoking emotions of anger and despair. This, and the works of Sui and Paul (2017) and Llorèns (2018), found that Puerto Ricans are constantly being negatively portrayed with the narrative of “powerless people” continuously being used. In contrast, conservative sources showcase images depicting Puerto Rico as an idealized destination for relocation, emphasizing its economic benefits and promoting feelings of happiness and contentment.
The coverage of Hurricane Maria’s impact highlights significant differences between liberal and conservative sources. While liberal outlets prioritize humanitarian concerns and environmental issues, conservative sources focus more on the economic benefits of Puerto Rico, overshadowing discussions of the humanitarian crisis. This disparity in coverage underscores the two priorities and narratives surrounding the aftermath of the hurricane. When talking about mitigating humanitarian concerns, the lack of aid that FEMA provided (Ficek 2018) comes into play, further exacerbating the humanitarian concern that the liberal sources expand on. This contributes to a complex portrayal of gentrification in Puerto Rico that is shaped by ideological perspectives.