Written by Dr. Paul Boin, Campaign for Democratic Media
Wednesday, 04 March 2009
The CRTC recently adopted a new policy regarding media cross-ownership. Unfortunately for citizens, this policy is totally inadequate and in no way addresses the problem of access to a diversity of quality news and information.
By adopting a new code of journalistic independence, the CRTC is effectively encouraging, if not accelerating, the consolidation of newsrooms under a single owner. The absence in this code of any conditions requiring autonomous newsgathering activities is deplorable and dangerous.
The concentration of media ownership in Canada, one of
the highest among the industrialized nations, remains disturbing. A few
conglomerates now effectively control our news and information, creating a
situation in which programming and the public interest take a back seat to the
commercial and political interests of large news corporations.
Today, four conglomerates control 70% of the country’s daily papers,
three corporations broadcast most of the televised news and two companies own
the majority of radio stations.
The large media groups use the same information for all of their media
platforms, resulting in centralized news production and dissemination. We are
witnessing a reduction in the number of journalists paid to report the news,
which is contributing directly to the homogenity of the information we receive.
Regions far from urban centres suffer most from this phenomenon, which
became even more acute in 2007. Regional broadcasts and newspapers are inundated
with “network” information and the communities they are supposed to serve do
not see themselves reflected.
A problem acknowledged but not
resolved
The quality of our democratic life is intimately linked to the quality
and diversity of voices in information. Our civic life benefits directly from
access to a plurality of media sources that present ideas, enrich our knowledge
and provoke debate.
Media concentration is a serious issue that has concerned a number of
observers for decades. In Canada, several studies have examined
the issue, notably the Davey Report in 1970, the Kent Commission in 1981, the
Lincoln Report in 2003, and the Fraser Report in 2006. Each of these issued
warnings about the harmful consequences of the concentration of media ownership.
They also made recommendations for tougher regulations to prevent convergence of
information.
Despite the numerous warnings, none of our successive governments has
enacted measures guaranteeing the plurality of ownership of our news sources,
nor has the CRTC.
The health of our democracy demands that the Broadcasting Act be amended to protect
and promote the diversity of voices in programming and news.
We need to ensure that political parties and their candidates adopt the
position that programming and information must serve the public interest rather
than financial interests.
Media empires are eliminating the critical mass of journalists we have
counted on to cover issues in our communities and around the world, and to
report back information vital to the health of our democracy.
But the government is doing nothing to remedy this situation. We are
therefore committing to this important reform to ensure a diversity of voices
and to protect our fundamental rights.
To call for quality information and a true plurality of media sources,
CLICK &
SIGN THIS MANIFESTO.
Dr. Paul Boin () is an assistant professor of communication
studies at the University
of Windsor, founder of
the Media
Justice Project and a
member of the Campaign
for Democratic Media. His
forthcoming book “Media for the Public Mind: Creating a Democratic and
Informative News Media” will be published by Fernwood Publishing in the Fall
of 2009.
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