Born in Toronto on August 21, 1938, Donald Gutstein grew up in Toronto, arrived in British Columbia in 1966 and received his Master's degree in architecture from UBC in 1972.

His first book of investigative journalism, Vancouver Ltd. (James Lorimer, 1975), examined the corporate structure of Vancouver. In The New Landlords (Porcepic Books, 1990) he probed the climate for Asian investment in Canadian real estate.

Gutstein specializes in news analysis and criticism and writes a media column for The Tyee on the internet, and has regularly contributed to the Georgia Straight. His critique of the internet is E.Con: How the Internet Undermines Democracy (Stoddart, 1999).

While teaching in the fields of journalism studies, documentary research and information policy at SFU, Gutstein researched the role of think tanks and the media in disseminating right-wing propaganda. This work led him to publish Not A Conspiracy Theory: How Business Propaganda Hijacks Democracy (Toronto: Key Porter, 2009). The book has a national and international focus, but there is a strong B.C. component in which he traces the origins of the Fraser Institute and its role in the historic 1983 "tough guy" election and budget.

Not A Conspiracy Theory was written after Gutstein became an adjunct professor in the School of Communication at SFU. Gutstein has also become co-director of NewsWatch Canada, a media-monitoring project.

Harperism: How Stephen Harper and his think tank colleagues have transformed Canada (Lorimer $22.95) examines the change in Canadian politics wrought by Stephen Harper much the same way Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher transformed political life in the United States and Britain respectively.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Harperism: How Stephen Harper and his think tank colleagues have transformed Canada (Lorimer, 2014) 978-1-4594-0663-6

Not A Conspiracy Theory: How Business Propaganda Hijacks Democracy (Toronto: Key Porter, 2009)

1999. e.con: How the Internet Undermines Democracy. Stoddart.

1991. The New Landlords. Porcepic Books.

1976. Vancouver Ltd. James Lorimer.

[BCBW 2014]

Review of the author's work by BC Studies:
Vancouver Ltd.