C-18 would harm trust in Canadian media: former CRTC chair; secrecy of deals harms trust: Tyee publisher

As the House of Commons Heritage committee Tuesday continued its study of the government's plan to force tech giant platforms to pay Canadian news organizations for their content, MPs heard diametrically opposing views about the impact the bill would have on Canadians' trust in journalism. Former CRTC commissioner and newspaper publisher Peter Menzies told MPs that the bill "is as likely to kill journalism in Canada as it is to save it." "The very prospect of it is already perverting news coverage and undermining trust, the commodity upon which the industry most depends," he said. Menzies argued that news organizations will develop what he called a dependency on "the good graces of politicians and the ability of off-shore quasi-monopoly tech companies." C-18, Menzies said, "might keep the wolves from the door of a few legacy companies for a few more years, but it won't save journalism. And while the amount of money involved may keep some from starving, it will still leave most hungry, needy, and assumed to be grateful." But for Jeanette Ageson, publisher of The Tyee and speaking to the committee on behalf of the Independent Online News Publishers of Canada, the threat to trust in the journalism industry lies in the secrecy of the deals done with publishers by Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Meta Inc. "If these deals between big tech and publishers are allowed to remain confidential, it will make it harder for small publishers to negotiate fair deals and make worse Canadians' mistrust in the media," Ageson said. "Canadians need to know who is funding the news they receive, and on what terms," she said, calling for an increased level of transparency to be inserted into C-18, while conditionally supporting the passage of the bill. Ageson also called for a universal funding formula to be applied consistently to all qualifying news organizations, "based on how much each organization spends on editorial costs." Another supporter of the bill, CEO of Digital Content Next Jason Kint, disagreed with the notion of establishing rates for content. The market-based approach of the bill as written, Kint told MPs, allows "for diverse publishers to seek deal terms specifically tailored to their business needs." "Some startup publishers may want to forego revenue in favor of audience reach, while established publishers may want to ensure maximum return for their high value brands," Kint said. "Thus, we do not support a government role in setting rates for content." Digital Content Next is a trade association representing a number of high profile publishers in the United States and Canada. APTN CEO Monika Ille told MPs that the bill needs stronger support specifically for Indigenous media. "To the extent that we have a concern, it is to ensure that Indigenous news media is properly reflected in the bill," she said, pointing to a section of the bill which allows tech platforms to sign deals with news organizations that will exempt them from final offer arbitration through the CRTC. "Intentionally or not, it creates a kind of hierarchy of Canadian news services, and diverse news outlets, including those serving Indigenous communities, are last," Ille said "I suggest we need language in the bill ensuring that any agreements with digital news intermediaries involve a significant portion of Indigenous news outlets, and meaningfully support their sustainability." — Reporting by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca.

C-18 would harm trust in Canadian media: former CRTC chair; secrecy of deals harms trust: Tyee publisher

Broadcast | September 27, 2022

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C-18 would harm trust in Canadian media: former CRTC chair; secrecy of deals harms trust: Tyee publisher

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