Today, about one-third to one-half of news and editorial content found in Canadian newspapers comes from news agencies, wire services or press associations. Canadian Press (CP) is the main wire service in Canada, although United Press International, a U.S.-based private maintains a small subscriber list and staff in Canada. Stories from the news services of large U.S. newspapers are also circulated in Canada and some international services have exchange agreements with CP.
The relevant summary and issue of media centralization and consolidation:
While the Committee recognizes the importance of sustainable news media organizations, it does not agree that the unfettered free market is as optimal or benign as its proponents sometimes argue. Consolidation, that is, the centralization of some activities, is different from concentration and the Committee has seen evidence that there are news media organizations with excessively dominant positions within individual Canadian markets. Such concentration of ownership could have negative consequences for the public interest. The lack of appropriate regulation has led to the present situation.
It continues to produce a list of the main issue:
1. Many regions and markets are characterized by high levels of concentration in news media ownership and/or cross-ownership.
2. Canada’s national public broadcaster, an important complement to the private sector, seems in danger of losing its way.
3. There is no recognized mechanism that allows the public interest in these issues to be discussed and reviewed in an open, transparent and democratic manner.
4. Many current rules and programs discourage or inhibit new voices and organizations from entering the news media industry.
What’s wrong with centralization?
In short, some witnesses were worried that a continued stress on centralization by Canadian media groups would lessen the diversity of news and information in Canada. Few dispute that some degree of centralized service can be an advantage. The question is: how far should centralization go? Centralization may threaten both the media owner and consumers as the resulting loss of local coverage may reduce both demand for the franchise’s products and the diversity of news and information available to Canadians.
Example, please?
Professor John Miller of the School of Journalism at Ryerson University studied the situation of minorities in 96 mainstream newspapers and presented his findings to the Committee. Professor Miller found that: “Approximately 59 per cent of the papers that responded to the survey have entirely white staffs.” Aboriginal journalists were the most underrepresented; of 2,000 employees at the papers surveyed, just one was Aboriginal.
Since 1994 there has been some progress, but “mostly in the part-time area more than in the full-time area,” Professor Miller said. Patrick Hunter of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation agreed that some progress was being made, but:
The question is, are they [minority journalists] getting absorbed into the process and being allowed to develop, to train, and to be mentored. I am not sure. I do not want to say categorically that they are not given the same attention, but it is a difficult thing, when the news organization is trying to trim, and they do not have enough time and personnel to be mentors as well to people coming in.
Wow. What else?
…the 2004 decision involving Transcontinental Inc. and Optipress Inc. left Transcontinental with control of every daily and weekly paper in Newfoundland.
As you can see, people pointing out the issues of media consolidation in Canada isn’t new – there’s not much I need to say, this Commission says it all for me.
***
There was also some stuff on CBC, thought it was worthy of a view.
On the national public broadcaster. The Committee heard that all is not well with Canada’s national public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).Inadequate funding, an unclear role and mandate, and the Corporation’s reduced coverage of local and regional news were the most common concerns raised by witnesses.
Canada’s national public broadcaster, an important complement to the private sector, seems in danger of losing its way.
Remember, this was back in 2006. Long before the Conservative have been severely cutting it. I think this speaks for itself.
