In the so-called sharing economy, new technological platforms are exploiting regulatory gaps under the banner of progress. Corporate heads are taking advantage of this and good jobs are disappearing. We’ve seen a version of this experiment in the recent past. Before Uber, there were unpaid internships, layoffs and downsizing, and start-up agencies vying for a piece of the traditional journalism pie. Together, they transformed the industry in a process that continues today.
Media, media analysis
Illustration by Jessica Fortner
Illustration by Raymond Biesinger
When Marc Edge and Robert Hackett approached the CCPA about guest editing an issue of the Monitor on the media, the plan was to focus on the state of the news after the corporate convergence spell of the past decade.
This study focuses on the rise of the new media, in a mainly unregulated and undertaxed fashion, since about the mid- to late-2000s. Over-the-top service companies, such as Netflix and YouTube, with no physical presence in Canada enjoy an artificial advantage over their Canadian competitors in that they are not required to collect and remit value-added taxes (sales taxes), and frequently don’t pay income tax.
Under Canadian law, every citizen has the right to request information from federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments. Gaining access to tightly controlled government information is critical in promoting social justice.
A 2015 EKOS Research study found most Canadians see books as having strong social benefits in terms of quality of life, social cohesion and economic strength. If we want to tell our own stories and preserve our own history, government investment in publishing is essential. But over the past 10 years, the federal government has put our culture in jeopardy.
(Vancouver) A new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives looks at how the public responds to different kinds of news media stories about climate change.
“Our findings have implications for journalists and editors, as well as NGOs that are communicating about climate change,” says co-author Shane Gunster. “We saw clearly how news coverage can either increase cynicism or inspire action.”
How the news media cover climate change has a strong impact on how citizens understand and engage with the issue. This study identifies ways in which media either create “climate cynicism” or help build more positive public engagement.
Photo courtesy of Mountain Film