Dr. Kathy Dobson

Biography

Kathy Dobson is a journalist with twenty years of experience, having written for various national newspapers and magazines in Canada. She has worked with the CBC, producing news stories and documentaries. Dobson's research interests focus on the datafication of social assistance programs, media framing of marginalized communities, and the political economy of news. Her dissertation, which was awarded the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, examined welfare fraud detection programs that support misleading narratives about 'welfare cheats.' She is a researcher and member of the ALiGN Media Lab, founded by Dr. Merlyna Lim, where she collaborates with marginalized communities and groups to challenge dominant narratives. Dobson is the author of the book 'Closed Fist: Growing Canada’s Toughest Neighborhood' (Véhicule Press, 2011), which received multiple awards, including the National Post Readers Choice Award and the Literary Press Group Canada Staff Pick 2012 Award. Her subsequent book, 'Punching Kicking: Leaving Canada’s Toughest Neighbourhood,' was published in 2018. Additionally, Dobson is a founding member and serves on the board of directors for LGBTQ Rainbow Umbrella Montréal.

Research Interests