The thesis aims to demonstrate that in his early work as a professional journalist and broadcaster the late Nathan Cohen was already making a unique contribution to Canadian journalism, not only as a theatrical critic, but as a social critic as well.

Cohen, who is today primarily remembered as drama critic of the Toronto Star, in fact made his reputation as a critic long before he joined that paper.

Beginning as a university newspaper editor, and during a subsequent career as a labor journalist, Communist Party writer, freelance contributor to Jewish newspapers and broadcaster for the CBC, Cohen developed and polished the critical standards and national viewpoint which were to continue for his entire career in the media.

From the outset, Cohen insisted that the creation of indigenous works of art were essential to the development of a distinct Canadian cultural identity, that informed criticism itself was absolutely necessary to both Canadian artistic and political life, that critical audiences must be developed in Canada before the country could reach national maturity, and that higher standards of Canadian journalistic criticism than had prevailed were a necessity in assisting this national development.