Dr. Natalie Snow, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at Niagara University Ontario, recently published the article “#JusticeforCindy: a content analysis of legacy and social media” in the Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice.
The study examines the portrayal of Cindy Gladue on X (formerly Twitter) and in legacy news media, linking her case to the broader framing of violence against Indigenous women in Canada’s criminal justice system. Gladue, a 36-year-old Indigenous woman, died in 2011, and her murderers’ case, R v Barton, reached the Supreme Court of Canada. Using media analysis, the research reviewed press coverage via ProQuest Newstream and posts under four hashtags (MMIW, JusticeforCindy, SCC, MMIW). Content analysis revealed four key themes: sexual violence, justice-seeking, system failures, and positive portrayals of Gladue, highlighting colonialism’s ongoing impact and medium differences.
“We chose this case due to the sensationalism of the details of the case, the lack of the application of Canadian rape shield laws, and the injustice experienced by Indigenous women as victims of violence,” Dr. Snow said. “Based on our findings, there should be consideration of policy changes as it relates to rape shield laws and its application for Indigenous women.”
Dr. Snow earned her bachelor of social science degree in criminal justice from Humber College, her master of science in criminal justice administration from Niagara University, and her Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Arkansas.