Paule Beaugrand-Champagne Télé-Québec
Candis Callison Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson Governor General of Canada
Terence Corcoran The Financial Post
Christopher Dornan Carleton University
Gordon Fisher CanWest Global Communications Corp.
Thierry Giasson Université de Montréal
Kenneth Goldstein Communications Management Inc.
Noreen Golfman Memorial University of Newfoundland
Russell Mills Harvard University
Lawrence Surtees IDC Canada Ltd.
$5.95
on display until September 25, 2003 disponible jusqu’au 25 septembre 2003 OCTOBER 24-26, 2003 PRESENCE OF THE Past
A NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TEACHING, LEARNING AND COMMUNICATING THE HISTORY OF CANADA Holiday Inn Halifax – Harbour View Dartmouth Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Building upon two successful conferences – Giving the Future a Past (2001) CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Giving the Past a Future (1999) in Montreal, Quebec, Presence of the Past will look at the ways in which the history of • Learning Exposition featuring: The Historica Foundation, Canada’s National Canada can be most effectively taught, as well as at the presence and rele- History Society, the National Archives and Library of Canada, the National Film vance of history in our daily lives. This national conference will examine Board, Chinook Multimedia, the Ministry of Education (Government of Nova different approaches to teaching history, with new choices in curricula and Scotia), the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Museums Association, new tools and techniques for teachers, and will explore how the teaching of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada / Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations history has evolved in the context of a broader social reality. Chiefs, Canadian Historical Micro-Reproductions and many other organizations. • Welcoming cocktail reception at Pier 21 Over one thousand participants attended the first two national history conferences. Once again, many of Canada’s leading academics, teachers and • Special Saturday night banquet with activities marking the 400 anniversary of researchers, as well as organizations disseminating information about Champlain’s arrival in New France Canada’s history, will be present in Halifax, as will those who are bringing • Workshops and panel sessions featuring Canada’s leading historians and innovative tools and technology in this field into the classroom. professors Presence of the Past will also feature special plenary sessions with professors • Special keynote speakers, excursions and interactive sessions who teach contemporary and historical Canada in classrooms abroad, thus • Plenary sessions featuring leading Canadian and international authors, academics, providing participants with a unique and interesting perspective on the subject. journalists, teachers and government officials This gathering in Halifax will be the only national conference to bring together • Interactive professional development seminars with educational resource such a diverse group of individuals involved in communicating and teaching developers demonstrating hands-on, computer-based and relevant take-home the history of Canada for the purpose of sharing information and resources. materials to give educators a more in depth look at the potential for these Teachers, students, professionals and others involved in the field of Canadian resources as classroom tools history are invited to participate. • Sessions and activities to aid educators to effectively incorporate media, The conference will feature over 45 sessions – featuring individuals and museums, archives, multimedia/internet and other non-textbook information in organizations from local, regional, national and international perspectives – as their classrooms well as a number of excursions and events. Many sessions will focus on • Off-site sessions and activities involving elementary, secondary and university Canadian history from conventional means of teaching to the latest innovative students methods, while others will address several important issues in Canadian history. • Special events and activities sponsored by organizations dedicated to the Of special interest will be a Learning Exhibition featuring over 20 organizations – advancement of the teaching and learning of the history of Canada representing museums, television, film, multimedia, governments and a variety of educational and non-profit organizations – displaying their latest resources.
WWW.ACS-AEC.CA August 2003 Août
5 Opening Remarks Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson Governor General of Canada
8 The Proprietors: Do Too Few Control Too Much? Kenneth J. Goldstein, Communication Management Inc.
10 Have the Journalists Lost Control? Gordon Fisher, CanWest Global Communications Corp. Russel Mills, Harvard University Lawrence Surtees, IDC Canada Ltd.
17 What Are the Limits of Government Control? Terence Corcoran, The Financial Post
19 Qui contrôle l’avenir de la radio-diffusion publique ? Paule Beaugrand-Champagne, Télé-Québec
22 Who Controls the Future of Public Broadcasting? Noreen Golfman, Memorial University of Newfoundland
25 Technology: Will Everyone be in Control? Candis Callison, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
28 Les médias exercent-ils une influence exagérée sur la vie civique ? Thierry Giasson, Université de Montréal
30 What Have We Learned? Christopher Dornan, Carleton University
32 In Memoriam Canadian Issues is published by This magazine has been published in partnership with Thèmes canadiens est publié par Ce magazine a été publié en partenariat avec
McGill Institute for the Study of Canada L'institut d'études canadiennes de McGill www.misc-iecm.mcgill.ca
PRESIDENT / PRÉSIDENT Hector Mackenzie INCOMING PRESIDENT AND FRENCH LANGUAGE SECRETARY / PRÉSIDENTE DÉSIGNÉE ET SECRÉTAIRE DE LANGUE FRANÇAISE Marie-Hélène Giroux, Université de Montréal ENGLISH LANGUAGE SECRETARY / SECRÉTAIRE DE LANGUE ANGLAISE Gerald Gall, University of Alberta CITC is a bimonthly publication of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). It is ATLANTIC PROVINCE REPRESENTATIVE / REPRÉSENTANTE DE L’ATLANTIQUE distributed free of charge to individual and institutional members of the Association. Penny Bryden, Mount Allison University CITC is a bilingual publication. All material prepared by the ACS is published in both QUEBEC REPRESENTATIVE / REPRÉSENTANT DU QUÉBEC Christopher Manfredi, McGill University French and English. All other articles are published in the language in which they are ONTARIO REPRESENTATIVE / REPRÉSENTANT DE L’ONTARIO written. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessar- Chad Gaffield, University of Ottawa ily reflect the opinion of the ACS. The Association for Canadian Studies is a volun- PRAIRIE PROVINCES AND NORTHWEST TERRITORIES REPRESENTATIVE / tary non-profit organization. It seeks to expand and disseminate knowledge about REPRÉSENTANT DES PRAIRIES ET DES TERRITOIRES DU NORD-OUEST Raymond Blake, Saskatchewan Institute for Public Policy Canada through teaching, research and publications. The ACS is a scholarly society BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE YUKON REPRESENTATIVE / and a member of the Humanities and Social Science Federation of Canada. The ACS REPRÉSENTANTE DE LA COLOMBIE-BRITANIQUE ET DU YUKON Minelle Mahtani, University of British Columbia is also a founding member of the International Council for Canadian Studies. STUDENTS REPRESENTATIVE / REPRÉSENTANTE DES ÉTUDIANTS Becky Mosher CITC est une publication bi-mensuelle de l’Association d’études canadiennes (AEC). EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ACS / DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL DE L’AEC It est distribué gratuitement aux membres de l’Association. CITC est une publication Jack Jedwab bilingue. Tous les textes émanant de l’Association sont publiés en français et en DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS / DIRECTEUR D’ÉVÉNEMENTS SPÉCIAUX anglais. Tous les autres textes sont publiés dans la langue d’origine. Les collaborateurs James Ondrick et collaboratrices de CITC sont entièrement responsables des idées et opinions exprimées dans leurs articles. L’Association d’études canadiennes est un organisme pan-canadien à but non lucratif dont l’objectif est de promouvoir l’enseignement, la recherche et les publications sur le Canada. L’AEC est une société savante, membre de la Fédération canadienne des sciences humaines et sociales. Elle est également mem- bre fondateur du Conseil international d’études canadiennes.
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EDITOR / RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF CITC bénéficie de l’appui financier du Gouvernement du Canada par le biais du Robert Israel Programme d’études canadiennes du ministère du Patrimoine canadien et Le Fonds EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS / ASSISTANTES ÉDITORIAUX Natalie Ouimet, Catherine Lachance du Canada pour les magazines pour ce projet. DESIGN / GRAPHISME Bang! Marketing (514) 849-2264 – 1-888-942-BANG [email protected] ADVERTISING / PUBLICITÉ [email protected] 514-987-7784 DISTRIBUTION Gordon and Gotch Periodicals Inc. LETTERS/LETTRES 110 Jardin Drive, Unit 11 Comments on this edition of Canadian Issues? Concord Ontario L4K 4R4 We want to hear from you. CITC/ACS STREET ADDRESS / ADRESSE CIVIQUE CITC/AEC Write to Canadian Issues – Letters, ACS, a/s UQAM, V-5140, P.O. Box 8888, 209 St. Catherine E., V-5140, UQAM, Montréal (Que) H3C 3P8 Tel/Tél: (514) 987-7784 – Fax: (514) 987-3481 succ. Centre-ville, Montreal (Quebec) Canada, H3C 3P8. Or e-mail us at E-mail/Courriel: [email protected]
A Crucial Role, Some Critical Questions Un rôle critique, des questions vitales For the past eight years, the McGill Institute for the Study Depuis les huit dernières années, l’Institut d’études of Canada has hosted large-scale annual conferences that foster canadiennes de McGill a été l’hôte de nombreuses conférences informed and non-partisan discussions on a variety of public annuelles de grande échelle privilégiant des discussions policy issues that affect Canadians. This year, the Institute engagées et non-partisanes sur plusieurs questions de politique decided to tackle the vital issues facing one of the pillars publique qui touchent les Canadiens. Cette année, l’Institut a of Canadian society, the media. An exploration of the media décidé d’aborder un sujet vital exposant l’un des piliers de in Canada is directly relevant to the Institute’s mission to la société canadienne, les médias. Une exploration des médias encourage learning about Canada and to develop a better au Canada est pertinente à la mission de l’Institut qui est understanding of Canada’s social, political and economic d’encourager l’apprentissage sur le Canada et de développer future. The media play a crucial role in telling Canadians’ une meilleure compréhension de l’avenir social, politique et stories, and the goal of our conference was to educate and économique du Canada. Les médias jouent un rôle crucial inform Canadians about the medium through which they en racontant des histoires canadiennes et le but de notre themselves receive their information. conférence était d’éduquer et informer les Canadiens sur le At our February conference, we asked a provocative and moyen par lequel ils reçoivent leur information. timely question, “Who Controls Canada’s Media?” This ques- Lors de notre conférence qui a eu lieu en février dernier, tion helped frame two days of lively debate and discussion at a nous nous sommes posé une question agressive et à propos : conference that brought together different voices and players, «Qui contrôle les médias au Canada ?» À partir de cette ques- as it sought to break down disciplinary boundaries and to tion, nous avons pu assister à deux journées vives en débats et engage a wide range of individuals in a balanced and open discussions lors de cette conférence qui réunissait différents exchange of ideas. joueurs et voix cherchant à éliminer les frontières disciplinaires As the following excerpts in Canadian Issues reveal, the et à impliquer une grande variété d’individus dans un échange theme of ‘control’ is not limited to discussions of concentration d’idées ouvert et équilibré. of ownership, but also embraces the role of government, Tel que révélé dans les extraits suivants dans Thèmes the impact of new technologies, the effects of globalization canadiens, le thème de contrôle n’est pas limité aux discussions and the changing expectations of Canadian audiences in a de concentration de propriété, mais englobe aussi le rôle du hyper-media age. gouvernement, l’impact des nouvelles technologies, les effets The media play a critical role in Canadian society and de la globalisation et les attentes changeantes des auditoires politics and in particular are the primary conduit between the canadiens à une époque où les médias dominent. public and policy-makers. The media are influential in infor- Les médias jouent un rôle critique dans la société ming the public about contemporary policy issues and debates canadienne et les politiques, plus particulièrement dans la and at the same time policy-makers often use the media as a canalisation entre le public et ceux qui forment les politiques. proxy for understanding public preferences and concerns in Les médias peuvent influencer le public sur les questions et their design of public policies. In both roles, the media may not débats politiques contemporains. De la même manière, les be neutral actors. They may also filter, shape, and distort the dirigeants politiques utilisent souvent les médias afin de dissemination of information. The critical role that the media comprendre les préférences et inquiétudes du public lors can play consequently gives rise to a series of vital questions: To de l’établissement des politiques. Dans les deux cas, les what extent have the media contributed to civic disengagement médias ne sont pas nécessairement neutres. Ils peuvent filtrer, and malaise about political institutions and processes? Exactly transformer et déformer la propagation d’information. Le rôle what role do the media play in policy debates? Does media critique que les médias peuvent jouer soulève conséquemment ownership have an effect on news content? Should Canadians une série de questions vitales : «Jusqu’à quel point les médias be concerned about foreign ownership of our media? ont-ils contribué au désengagement et malaise sur les institu- Although questions about the media, politics and society tions politiques et procédés ?» «Quel rôle joue exactement les have long been part of the Canadian experience, the issues of médias dans les débats politiques ?» «Est-ce que les proprié- the day are now leading us through uncharted waters. We hope taires ont un effet sur le contenu des nouvelles ?» «Est-ce que the reflections in this volume will help to provide a better les Canadiens devraient s’inquiéter des propriétaires étrangères understanding and appreciation of how the media works des medias canadiens ?» and of the influences affecting the media’s capacity to tell our Bien que les médias, la politique et la société aient long- stories and shape the news in today’s complex world. temps fait partie de l’expérience canadienne, les questions du jour nous amènent maintenant vers des terres inexplorées. Antonia Maioni Nous espérons que les réflexions faites dans ce volume aideront Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada à fournir une meilleure compréhension et appréciation de la manière dont les médias fonctionnent et aussi de l’influence affectant la capacité des médias à raconter des histoires et trans- former les nouvelles dans le monde complexe d’aujourd’hui.
Antonia Maioni Directrice, L’Institut d’études canadiennes de McGill
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McGill-Queen’s University Press OPENING REMARKS Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson Governor General of Canada
A leading figure in Canada’s cultural life, Adrienne Clarkson has had a rich and distinguished career in broad- casting, journalism, the arts and public service. From 1982 to 1987, Clarkson served as the first Agent-General for Ontario in Paris, promoting Ontario’s business and cultural interests in France, Italy and Spain. She was the President and Publisher of McClelland & Stewart from 1987 to 1988. From 1965 to 1982, Clarkson worked as host, writer and producer of several influential programs on CBC Television, including Take Thirty, Adrienne at Large and the Fifth Estate. A noted writer, she also contributed numerous articles to major newspapers and magazines in Canada and wrote three books. In 1988, she assumed responsibilities as Executive Producer, Host and Writer for the programs Adrienne Clarkson’s Summer Festival and Adrienne Clarkson Presents for a period of 11 years. She also wrote and directed several films. Her work in television has garnered her dozens of TV awards in Canada and the U.S.
ince its inception, the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada has contributed a great deal to the analysis and our understanding of Canada today. First Desmond Morton and now Antonia Maioni, Shave led the way in making it possible for us to have a disinterested, intellectually sound, constantly questioning view of ourselves. The work the McGill Institute is doing is essential to a country that prides itself on its democratic traditions. We must be able to reflect on our history, our institutions, our way of life, if we are to make speculative contributions to the future. The conference in February was completely in the spirit of this Institute. The economist Robert Picard observed that debates on media ownership are often confused. No distinction is made between concentration in a strictly economic and legal sense and concentration in its cultural and political aspects. This is an important distinction. I am focusing here on the latter sense of media concentration – that is, its effect on the quality and the diversity of the information presented to the public. For this will have a consequent effect on democracy and the pluralism on which democracy is based. I hope that what I’m going to say helps to clarify some ideas about the public whom the media should serve and the way in which that public is changing.
5 CITC and quality sources of information inorder information to make sensenot sourcesand quality of But peopleneeddiverse but alsoadvertising. and theInternet, radio television, includenotonlynewspapers, “information”I And by you know how. if medium, information in any kindof off. orsimplyturns grumbles thepublic isnotsatisfied, thatlonging If events really signify. andwhat islike, whatoursociety whatlifeaboutusislike, of to make theability sense of because itgives usthebeginnings isthere, longing That andtobe informed know more. to forthelonging information thesources of of distrust own Yetrecently indicated inasurvey. we shouldn’t substitute our astheInstitute has torial isbecoming increasing blurred, Thelinebetween newsandedi- by cheapening thecoinage. there- and whetherwe shouldtake itaspure entertainment, we’re information really gettingfrom themedia what kindof don’t they express it. even if knowledge, aware for andthirsty intelligent, is thatCanadiansare highly I’ve thethings hadconfirmed forme Oneof me many things. tell think–andthey Iaskthemwhatthey except questions. them– Canadian publicknows thatIdon’t askanything of The askingthemforanything. without and thinking, whatCanadiansare doing of uniqueview a Ibelieve, gained, –I’ve towns andhamletsthatIvisit villages, eighty-to-ninety the peoplethatImeet, thethousandsof Governor General, htkn fmessageisactuallybeingdelivered by thatcar What kindof goingover airplanes fighter it. hundreds andhundreds of It endsupina fieldwith tions inshotslastingonesecond. different situa- through anumber desire of gliding object of attention forcommercialnews andgrab purposes? the what hasbeencarefully constructed to of fitinto part to discern between whatisreally happeninginthenewsand making itdeliberately more difficultorless for them Are we information. to piece together apatchwork quiltof whoare struggling thepopulation, of world forthemajority But itmay notbeaparallel tising creates world. aparallel Remember thatMcLuhan years agothatadver- told usthirty forthepublicnow. thatisimportant information aspect of I mentionedadvertising asan ly whatisreally happening. there thatmakes difficultforpeopleto itvery discern exact- standards. we expect themto aspire possibleprofessional to thehighest It’s whatwe meanwhen Thatisaprofessional struggle. freely. which to gives communicate themtheprivilege to others thought actuallyhavewhether ornotthey thefreedom of shouldexamine themselves andthinkabout therefore, list, Every journa- speech ascompensation. settle forfreedom of they thought, freedom of inplace of the freedom have; they would youon earth wantahappy journalist? Why do. atwhatthey even superb, makes themcompetent, thinkthat’s I that’s precisely what so, If piness anddiscontent. and editors andbroadcasters andpublishersowners. thejournalists And thisisthejobof information. full deckof ourcitizens are notdealta we have if to worry therefore, ty, As asocie- theircommunity. butalsoof lives, theirown only of Propaganda, ideology andbiasare easyto promote very ideology Propaganda, cynicismabout My senseisthatthere isagreat dealof events thatIdoayear as From thehundreds of A recent automobile adfeatures alittleautomobile out information There isnow apatchwork quiltof Kierkegaard saidthatpeoplehardly ever make useof unhap- It’s share beensaidthatjournalists avocation of 6 fimgat rmErp,alo whomcould beexpected all of from Europe, immigrants of Can iteven continue to dosoatthatlevel? well. but ithas worked onthewholequite flaws inoursystem, We have many immigrants. fully andefficientlyintegrated several centuries andinto which we have upto now success- government thathave uswell forthelast served akind of life, We way a of have asociety, population onan base. Aboriginal multi-faith immigrant year 2003andwe are amulti-racial, life. our way of of includingourcriticism life, ourway of absolute basicsof needsto begiven the needsto beinformed, needs attention, we are really lookingfortoday isdifferent –anaudience that Theaudience that years Canada twenty ago. the audience of and magazines. oreven amonthlater inCanadiannewspapers week, a days, fromprograms abroad thatoften – information arrives afew publicationsoron inforeign articles rely websites, onforeign we have to And whenwe search we need, fortheinformation frequently dismissive. isglib, world country outsideourown the ourunderstandingof As aresult, ties really standfor. orwhatthosepar- seatsgainedby any party particular ber of We are rarely given hard asto information thenum- or lost. we’re always told whowon an electioninaforeign country, in For instance, itneeds. it isnotgettingalltheinformation power. floodsorloseselectrical into flame, mainlyinterestedthough intheoutsideworld whenitbursts to As know peoplecurious aboutday-to-day events, ing. school- as peoplewhohave someeducationinourkindsof We seetheaudience more orlesscommitted to astatusquo. more orlessaffluent, ourselves, ence imageof inourown we basicallyseetheaudi- In otherwords, taken forgranted. It system isaCanadawhere astabledemocratic is guages. theofficiallan- seen asfullyfunctioninginatleastoneof andaCanada memory, somehistorical middle-class values, aCanadaof It isbasedonanideaof Canada. an oldideaof we get–andhow by itispurveyed themedia–isbasedupon listening. watching, and thinkwhoisactuallyreading, But healthy itisstillvery to try tosaying allthings allpeople.” “Well think?Thoseinthemediacansay, do they we can’t be thepublic?How the audience come from? From of whatparts Where does exactly how peopleinCanadahave now evolved. to understand Imeanthatwe must try makeup. demographic the audience. considering themakeup without could of notbedealtwith theMontreal conference were considered onthetopics of Becauseallthequestionsthat becomes extremely important. to information create enough thought. of the gathering and thanfactualinformation rather theday, be theorder of misunderstandingcan Confusion, terror blandlyaccepted. itcould beanimageof orFrenching eitherEnglish well, very othersnotunderstand- minds, But to others’ force. military onfourwheelsandthepower of between andmight luxury To usitmay beanamusing juxtaposition that newmodel. ad? It to say isdesigned stop thatwe atnothingto will have Our original, so-called multi-cultural society wasbuilt society so-calledmulti-cultural Our original, We live inthe inCanada. society We have anew kindof audience asitis–was –asill-served But that “original” But even audience doesexist. “original” thatkindof Yes, theinformation Why? BecauseIbelieve thatmuch of race or theaudience Idon’t meangender, By makeup of whotheaudience is And thisiswhere thequestionof within a relatively short time – half a generation – to achieve In order to be part of this country, you have to be a fully an economic and social status which would be on a par with functioning citizen. Citizenship has its responsibilities as well other Canadians. But, as Carol Goar of the Toronto Star as its rights. As an immigrant myself, I feel very strongly pointed out in an article reporting on a conference on immi- about this. And as Governor General, I am firmly convinced grants in Toronto, our new immigrants are different. They it is the only way in which our nation can continue to live come from countries where war, strife, destitution have been according to its beliefs, to its traditions, its history and its the norm. They come from different religious traditions. often hard-won democratic processes. What I believe is that, Many of them have been subjected to scenes and actions of by assuming citizenship, the new citizen of Canada takes on horror and terror and have come here to escape. These are the entire history of the country. the people who need information so badly about how they So as a new Canadian you can be very proud of the can truly participate and become Canadian. sacrifices Canada made in the First and Second World Wars. All information media must play its part in helping But you also have to acknowledge, and accept the shame and that process to happen. I don’t mean that they project good tragedy of, the residential schools or the dislocation of news stories only or teach citizenship lessons subliminally. Japanese-Canadians sixty years ago. We cannot continue to But I think that, by excellent journalism, people learn things, have a country if the huge numbers of people we involve in by osmosis. And, as everybody is watch- becoming citizens slough off any respon- ing hours and hours of TV a day, that par- sibility for what the country has done ticular medium has a special obligation to before they got there. these newcomers and their children. Many of the immigrants whom we Even such a small thing as the are now bringing to this country fully weather report can have a deep effect on I believe that much understand what it is to have a complex, newcomers. I have noticed a growing often tortured history. And they have cho- tendency within the last twenty-five years of the information sen to leave it and take up life in Canada. of calling snow “bad weather”, when in we get – and how By remaking them as citizens of our coun- fact it is normal weather for Canada. This it is purveyed by try, they must learn to understand what may seem like a tiny detail, but why we as a country have gone through in our should we deny our climate in this way? the media – is evolution to now. Citizenship is not sim- Why should we pass on that kind of valu- based upon an old ply a buffet table of rights, privileges and ation of it to people who are coming perhaps some inconveniences. If a coun- here from countries where the average idea of Canada. try is to have a continuous history, then it temperature is 40 degrees. must have a history that all members of it The “old immigration” from Europe comprehend and in which all members had trades or could farm or had strong feel implicated. survival skills in western culture. The peo- I remember somebody once watch- ple we now receive need different educa- ing me singing the National Anthem in tion, different acculturation and certainly different French and asking me afterwards, in a fairly polite way, how approaches to information. I couldn’t help but think about I could sing the line “Land of our ancestors ”. And I replied what that ad about the little car and the dozens of fighter that I really meant it. Canada is the country of my ancestors, planes would mean to somebody who has left from a border my now adopted ancestors, the ones who struggled to create area in Southeast Asia or from bloody civil strife in Africa. the kind of country which I was able to come to, of which I An ad shown as part of a newscast is part of the newscast. became a citizen, and of which I am now Governor General. And the better the advertising is, the more likely that it will My ancestors fought in 1837. They’re the ancestors who crea- have an effect. Remember what Steven Leacock said about ted Confederation. All of that belongs to me and to each and advertising – that it was the science of arresting the human everyone one of us when we are citizens of Canada. intelligence long enough to get money from it. For those of us who are immigrants, it doesn’t mean We’ve said as a country that we are going to bring over that we forget where we came from, or what the food tasted 200,000 immigrants a year to Canada. What we’ve done in like, or when the festivals are. It means only that we have a fact is invited these people to come and take part in our socie- different kind of complexity in our individual circumstances ty and become citizens. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, to as citizens. But it is this kind of complex person that your think about what we do to help them “catch up” to other cit- journalism must reach. They may be new arrivals now, but izens who’ve been here for decades. their impact is over generations, and you can bet that they I believe that all the media are absolutely critical in this will be actively involved in creating the Canadian society of respect. They play a crucial role in building the new Canada the future. and in the acculturation of those who have come here to It is they to whom you in the world of media and infor- make Canada their home. In fact, I believe that what jour- mation must be responsible – if you truly believe in freedom nalists do is as important and critical as public education is of thought. They are the people who are your audience and in helping our new kind of immigrants to understand and they are the people whom you must affect. And this is where become a really functioning part of our society. And remem- the freedom should be operating. This is where that freedom ber, public education is provincial and regional – many of can give keys to worlds for other people. And this is where those in media have national audiences. This is a responsibi- your discontent and your unhappiness could create justice lity; not just a greater market. for others.
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CITC
Communications Management Inc. Management Communications Kenneth Goldstein is President of of President is Goldstein Kenneth bevd r ato whatcontrols whatthemedia are doingtoday. of are part observed, the economic forces he more accurately, or, SoInnis, mediaoutletshadinthepast. shares thatsingle thosere-aggregated rarely achieve theaudience fragments However, scale. to maintaineconomies of andwhy newspaperslook atcontent-sharing initiatives. grows inradio, why syndication lower-cost responds with television to programs balance thehigher-cost shows, scripted in andacross media. thevarious ted talkshows of the consumers. In the emerging digital environment,theimplicationsformediacompaniesareenormous. digital of theconsumers.Inemerging productsarefindingtheirwayintothehands production anddistributionofinformationentertainment Technology isrewritingtheworldofmedia.For thefirsttimeinhistory, onamassscale,themeansof are fundamentalandoverwhelming working forces within thatare themediabusiness. changing us But allof proprietors orcorporate executives. You may have beenhopingIwould nameacouple of Harold Innis… andyour teenage sonordaughter. It’s actuallytwo people: controls themediainCanada. And I’m goingto explain why Ifeelthatway by revealing whoreally and non-productive exercise. therecent asasterile debate aboutso-called “concentration” much we of shouldview the mediainCanada, T he oueo channels hasan impact oncontent: sheer volume of you canseehow the thewords inthequote from Innis, andreplacing By some of simplymodifying tent. or con- And thatisalready –programming, puttingpressure onthestaplethosechannels carry channels. low-cost volumes. staplesinhigh carrying to transportation modern incost, also high thestaples were We moved thatcould from onlybejustifiedif limited and high-cost transportation ted. thestaplesthatwere beingtranspor- andthevalueof transportation a relationship between thecost of Innis saw In otherwords, modities emergedasstaples–precious metals…timber…andfinallywheat…” lessvaluablecom- navigation declined, “As thecosts of theNorth continent: American development of h rpitr:Do Too FewControl Too Much? The Proprietors: oltm tt tteote ht fwe are really interested inthecontrolling factors inthefuture of if So letmestate attheoutsetthat, We which issimplyto re-aggregate thefragments canalsounderstand better why mediaconsolidate, we canunderstandbetter why putspressureOnce we understandthatfragmentation onunit costs, canbeseenasaphenomenonbothwith- becausefragmentation All mediaare facingthispressure, n15,inhisbook In 1950, “As thecosts of “transporting” Technology now allows usto lower thecost of There isalessonhere forthemedia. nently featured inboth. promi- theword with “control” to besure, Few Control –two provocative Too questions, Much?” DoToo he Montreal conference and asked Proprietors: “The “Who Controls Canada’s Media?” … andfinally channels Empire andCommunications, reality-based shows reality-based eln,lessvaluable decline, 8 ABSTRACT …” programs Innis made this observation abouttheeconomic Innis madethisobservation emerge asstaples– BY KENNETH J.GOLDSTEIN BY KENNETH game shows … syndica- And what about our teenage sons and daughters? Third, let’s recognize that, in a fragmented environ- Young people today are approaching media in a different way ment, there is a great need for a public broadcaster that has than in the past. If the Baby Boomers were the television gene- been redefined to face these new realities. But I’m not sure at ration, then their children are the Internet generation. And the moment that the CBC is changing fast enough to fill that they have used the Internet to create a whole new category of need, particularly in English television. media – consumer-to-consumer, or peer-to-peer. Print I am troubled that Canadians’ level of tuning to CNN is material is downloaded and shared. Music is downloaded double their level of tuning to CBC Newsworld. When and shared. And, increasingly, movies are being downloaded Canadians are voting with their remote controls in such a and shared. In the long term, this development has funda- decisive way, we should all be concerned. mental implications for the future of the media. And finally, my fourth suggestion. To those who feel Here’s why: For the first time in history, on a mass scale, that Canadian newspapers tilt too much to the right – maybe the means of production and distribution of information it’s time to start a new, national, left-of-centre daily newspa- and entertainment products are finding their way into the per in Canada. In fact, last month, at the NDP convention, hands of the consumers. In the emerging digital environ- Jack Layton suggested that the NDP itself might get into the ment, the implications for media compa- newspaper business. nies are enormous. With digital, every So let’s get to the core question: copy is as good as the original, so once it Would it be possible to start a national left- leaves the traditional world of media, it of-centre daily newspaper in Canada? The can be distributed, via the Internet, any- answer might well be “yes,” but it would where and everywhere. depend on one important factor – the But wait, you say, isn’t the Internet But wait, you say, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) would boom over, with the collapse of so many have to prove that it represents its mem- of the “dot.coms”? No, the unrealistic isn’t the Internet bers on more than just workplace issues. hype is over, but the Internet boom is boom over, with Last June, at the CLC convention in actually just beginning. What now is Vancouver, the 3,000 delegates passed reso- becoming clear is that the idea of the the collapse of so lutions on issues far and wide. If the CLC Internet as alternative media may be limi- many of the delegates and their resolutions actually ted. But the Internet as an extender of represent their 2.5 million members, then media – and of stores and government “dot.coms”? No, starting a new national left-of-centre daily and universities – will have a profound the unrealistic in Canada should be possible. In fact, the impact on our society. hype is over, but CLC wouldn’t even need all 2.5 million So those are two of the principal members to sign up to subscribe to the forces that are controlling where our the Internet boom paper. Remember, there are only four media are going today, and tomorrow. is actually just daily newspapers in Canada with average One more dose of reality. Canada is a daily circulation over 250,000. large country but a small market. In 2001, beginning. Can the CLC get 250,000 people – the total revenue of the entire Canadian only 10 per cent of its members – to sign media industry, from all sources, was up and commit $20 per month (less than C$19.1 billion. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t 75 cents a day) for one year to subscribe it? Well, not really. $19.1 billion Canadian to a new, national, left-of-centre daily dollars is about the same as 3-4 months newspaper? That would guarantee the revenue for AOL Time Warner and 6-7 new paper $60 million in subscription months revenue for Viacom. revenues in its first year, with advertising on top of that. As borders continue to erode, those companies, and So there’s the challenge: If you don’t like the content of others, will increasingly be competing with Canadian media today’s daily newspapers, it may indeed be possible to start for consumers, subscribers and advertisers. In fact, as of the your own. fall of 2001, AOL Time Warner was the sixth-largest television Will the CLC and NDP take up the challenge? I doubt company in Canada in terms of weekly tuning by Canadians. it. Because if they are unable to sign up 10 per cent of the So what should we do about this? Let me make four mo- CLC’s members as subscribers, they will be forced to admit dest suggestions, in the hope that it might spur some debate. that there is little demand for a daily newspaper that reflects First of all, let’s stop looking at media through a rear- the policy positions they have been advocating. view mirror, and let’s stop casting this as an “us-vs.-them” So there are four modest proposals. All of them are debate. Regardless of where you are in the media value chain, more difficult than simply creating a bogeyman and, like the changes are going to affect everyone. So everyone should Chicken Little, running about, claiming the sky is falling, and be part of understanding the reasons for change and for asking for government intervention. But I believe those pro- crafting the responses. posals could form a more productive basis for discussion of Second, let’s have an informed debate about where we the future of the media in Canada. are going, and my definition of an informed debate includes getting the facts right. If you start with a diagnosis based on the wrong facts, it is pretty likely that you’ll also end up with the wrong prescription. Copyright 2003 by Communications Management Inc.
9
CITC
CanWest Global Communication Corp. Communication Global CanWest Gordon Fisher is President, News and Information, Information, and News President, is Fisher Gordon oeo,onr,adol wes shouldbesilent? andonlyowners, owners, somehow, piece of me at one time). I have worked for dozens of publishers and professional managers. They have They publishersandprofessional managers. Ihave worked fordozens of meatonetime). piece of rests onourcredibility. know They ourbusinesscase thecraft. is goodbusinessto deliver of onthetime-honoured traditions newspapers must play? whataboutthepublicservice you say, Well, free peopleexpressing inafree free marketplace. will ment, the left. of theviews with theleft, theneedto produce andsellanewspaper of talked They of favourthey it. Turnsership convention out whenthetopic gotaround to andcontent newspaperownership direction. It isacommercial reality. We are sellingcontent. Content. aboutonlyonething: frankly, interests are, Theircommercial Idon’t seehow cannot. they Iactuallythinkthatistheirobligation. tent andideology. Izzy hasdonesomewhatbetter thanme. Iwanted toHerald. theLethbridge own Man. always wanted onlyto thenewspaperinMinnedosa, own onis rmbsns,from non-profits. from business, councils, from press from associations, from unions, course (andfrom somewe don’t), of we employ, journalists Southam considered thatto beinthepublicinterest. Editors and/orpublisherswhodisagreed would have beendisciplined. rounding Quebecandseparation. TheSouthamfamilywasunequivocal onthosenationalissues sur- onsomepoints –particularly about it: do havetheirsay, weneedn’tworry–it’sahighlycompetitivefieldoutthere. were makingthosebets,askstheauthor, wouldyounotwantasayinwhatwasbeingsold?Butevenifthey Newspaper ownersarebettingbigmoneythattheycanbuildandmaintainafranchise.It’stheirbet.Ifyou my business. didIplanto buy andfadeaway anewspaper into thebackground whileothersran for amoment, not And notonce, pictures we would publish. we would cartoons buy, news issueswe would cover, or ideologicalinterestwithrespecttocontent? To whatextentcanorshouldmediaownersinterveneintheirowncommercial ALL re oifunewa u esom hudb on.In have somecasesthey direct beenvery to influencetried whatour newsrooms shouldbedoing. vrteyasIhv okdfrmn weso on wes hy even the (hey, Over theyears I have worked formany orjointowners, owners alsounderstandit andthey understandthepublicduty They people. are smart generally, Owners, judg- theultimate of court face thesame test will we They allface: I thinkthat’s anoutstandingidea. theNew with agreeing attheirrecent Democrats lead- Iactuallyfoundmyself I amnotaloneinthis. bothcon- to Idobelieve direct have owners interms of theiroperations right every So there itis. And Ioften played outinmy mindhow thatwould positionswe happen–editorial would take, Izzy Asper Ihave always wanted to my own newspaper. own I’d asmall confession. like with to start nfc,i’ neetn uthwmc diepol iem ogt rmraes fcus,from course, of From readers, it’s interesting justhow much advice peoplelike medoget. In fact, Have theJournalistsLostControl? 10 EVERYONE ABSTRACT a iw n otfe ret xrs t But, andmostfeel free to express it. has aview, BY GORDON FISHER Toronto Star had a I once worked for Conrad Black. Make no mistake Now think about trying to influence this in a direct about this: he had very clear views on what kind of opera- way from – say, Winnipeg – and trying to do it over scores tions he wanted to run in his commercial and ideological of newspaper and television operations, large and small, interests. The National Post from its launch reflected the clear over several time zones. Think about calling Kevin direction of its proprietor. He intended to change the natio- Newman to dictate the lineup for tonight’s national news- nal debate, and he spent many millions of dollars doing just cast. Or think about phoning the editors of 17 daily news- that. A very small group of us worked with Mr. Black for papers. Or the news directors of 14 local television news months prior to launch, and we dealt with little ambiguity in operations. Or (good luck) think about phoning the what was being undertaken. With his money. columnists – like Christie Blatchford or Paul Wells, with When I say with his money, please understand: this instructions for the day’s column. It wouldn’t work. It man and the Aspers who follow him have – and are betting – would be impossible. To suggest that this could be done is hundreds of millions of dollars that they can build and not only naïve; it is an insult to the integrity of every jour- maintain a franchise. And they make that bet in a highly nalist working in this country. crowded and competitive marketplace. Finally, although I have not been The Aspers have done exactly the same asked to do this, I think I must also address thing with the launch of a national news- the issue of the Aspers. Although the name cast in the dinner hour: a bold, expensive of that great Canadian family was not in and risky operation. It’s their bet. If you I know what the title of my seminar, it was clearly in the were making those bets, would you not subtext. And even though I have just said want a say – a direct say – in what was happens in a that I do agree with the right of an owner being sold? newsroom. It is to establish a beach-head in content, let me So what happened? Well, new voices make it clear that the Asper family is not have changed the national debate. chaos. It is a trying to direct the daily news operation of Competitors got a whole lot sharper. furnace of debate. CanWest Publications or of Global Hundreds of new jobs were created. Both Television News. the National Post and Global National It is constantly But even if they had, so what. You have been honoured, imitated, vilified and burning with a have all heard about fragmentation and venerated. Most interestingly; news is sud- multiplicity of sources. It’s all true. The denly sexy again. Interesting even. flurry of copy, most odious ownership intentions would I should point out as well that Mr. pictures, not change one facet of this great western Black also made it very clear what he democratic society. There is just too much thought wrong with many other newspa- illustrations, free information OUT THERE and our pers he owned. And we worked together feeds from staff, citizens are smart enough to go get it. to change them. And what happened with freelancers, Just for the record, though, what the those other newspapers? Arguably, they Aspers have tried to do is rather more got better. I have to point out that The networks, wire simple. They have set direction on key Ottawa Citizen was greatly energized services. areas such as: The separation of opinion under the direction of Mr. Mills, working from news. The elimination of editorial with no ambiguity to the clear direction of bias from news stories, specific instruc- an owner. tions concerning headlines (don’t torque I don’t think any of that is a bad them); unnamed sources (don’t use thing. It may be risky: it is always possible them); pictures (not to be used for edito- that Mr. Black and now Mr. Asper will be wrong. And what rial purposes or to humiliate people); get the facts, get them would happen? Well, readers and viewers would respond as right, get them straight; diversity (a multiplicity of faces and they always do: by buying other papers or turning to other sources) more total community involvement – involve and channels. This is the salient point, and one I must keep interest the young. These are the things that concern the returning to. Readers and viewers are not victims. They pick Aspers. These are not bad things. and they choose. The owners – the Aspers, the Thomsons, Finally, in a closing note, I would challenge you readers the Honderichs, the Siftons, the Blacks (David, not Conrad), to consider this. If you want to find a bogeyman in the news- the Peladeaus – will all, ultimately, face their judgment. And rooms of this nation, I have one for you. It is not the owners. to expect those people to operate their business as if they It is not even government. (Our Charter of Rights takes care of were a blind trust is to suspend judgment. that.) No, the real bogeyman is something called the union. Now all that said, let me add this. An owner can do With rare exception, all print and television newsrooms in only so much. I say this because I know what happens in a Canada are a closed shop. You can’t practice journalism newsroom. It is chaos. It is a furnace of debate. It is cons- unless you belong to the energy and paperworkers or auto tantly burning with a flurry of copy, pictures, illustrations, unions of Canada. And guess what the union wants to do? It feeds from staff, freelancers, networks, wire services. It is wants to establish a Code of Principles covering a standard of led by editors senior and junior. Hundreds, thousands, of behaviour. Their standards of behaviour and of journalism, daily decision are taken by hordes of people, all with their of course. own biases and baggage. Deadlines are constant, pervasive No one is talking about that. Now there’s a concentra- and relentless. tion of influence to fuss about.
11 Have the Journalists Lost Control?
BY RUSSELL MILLS
ABSTRACT The author examines the current Canadian newspaper landscape and suggests that the fact that many news- papers and broadcasters are in few hands is not necessarily a cause for alarm, but it is a legitimate subject of public concern. The good news, he concludes, is that (for the most part) they do not intervene in the content of their media. He also proposes five principles for responsible media ownership. at Harvard University. Russell Mills is the Neiman Fellow To What Extent Can or Should Media Owners Intervene in Content? First, let’s admit that media owners unquestionably have the right to intervene in content, whether we like it or not. Under our system, the freedom of expression that is guaranteed in our con- stitution ultimately lies with the proprietor. In Canada owners have usually delegated much of this freedom to publishers and editors. But it is not theirs by any inherent or legal right. The other meaning of “can” is “do they have the ability?” And, of course, they do. Technology is making it easier all the time. With the high-speed electronic connections that we have today, it would be easy for a determined owner of even a large number of media outlets to monitor and control vir- tually all content before it is published or broadcast. The only exception might be for fast-breaking stories. None do this, but it’s certainly possible. The second part of the question is whether media owners “should” intervene in content that might affect their own commercial or ideological interests. This is the tougher question. Why should a media owner, who has the right and the ability to control content, deliberately not do so when his interests are at stake? Why should he or she show self-restraint? For many decades the largest newspaper companies in Canada were Southam and Thomson. I worked for both of them, Thomson for a short time and Southam for a long time. Neither compa- ny intervened in content in any significant way. In Thomson’s case the company saw the newspapers as businesses and didn’t much care what they printed as long as they made lots of money. Southam, however, was committed to the independence of the newspapers. The company believed that local control was a key element in its success. Southam felt that newspapers that were controlled from afar would not have the local roots and connections with their communities that successful newspapers must have. In the mid-1990s, Conrad Black gained control of Southam and many of the former Thomson papers. He had a somewhat different view of whether a proprietor should intervene in content.
12 Conrad Black had strong views on many issues and there editorial board opinions presented on the editorial page was widespread fear among journalists that he would and finally there are other opinions presented in columns, impose these on the newspapers. For the most part these op-ed pieces and letters to the editor. As far as news is con- fears were not justified. He required two of the newspapers, cerned, owners should never interfere. This is factual including the Ottawa Citizen, to change editors but after material and its selection and its presentation should be that initial intervention, he was largely a hands-off owner delegated to professional journalists. They should be per- as far as content was concerned. In the four years that I ran mitted to operate in a climate free from pressure and strive the Ottawa Citizen under his ownership I did not receive a to be as accurate and truthful as possible. The facts should single call from him or any of his colleagues about news or not be selected based on an owner’s opinions. editorial content. When Conrad was upset about a public Several months ago, Izzy Asper, chairman of issue he would send us a piece under his own byline and CanWest, gave a speech in Montreal in which he accused suggest that we consider running it on our op-ed page. Of much of the world’s news media of being anti-Israel in course, we did. This only happened a few times and it their coverage of the Middle East. Mr. Asper, of course, has seemed like a reasonable way for a pro- every right to hold these views. prietor with strong views to behave. Expressing them in this way, however, The National Post, of course, was was questionable for a large media different. It was started at great expense owner. Although his comments were partly to inject different political views not specifically directed at CanWest into the national debate and Conrad newspapers, how else could his editors Black had much greater interest in its interpret his comments except as direc- content. But those of us running the Democracies thrive tion on how they should to cover the metro dailies in most of Canada’s large on debate and Middle East conflict? Owners should cities could not legitimately complain take care to protect their journalists about central control of our content. different points of from pressure, not pile it on. This brings us up to the media view and need When dealing with opinion, a dis- ownership that we have in Canada tinction should be drawn based on how today. When you look at newspapers this to remain many media outlets a proprietor owns. alone, ownership is less concentrated healthy. It is the No one could object to the owner of a now than it was when Conrad Black single newspaper expressing his or her owned about 60 per cent of Canada’s responsibility of views in editorials on the editorial page. daily papers. Osprey, Transcontinental media owners That’s how press freedom began. The and the new owners of the Winnipeg to ensure that more outlets a proprietor controls, how- Free Press add some welcome diversity to ever, the less defensible this becomes the industry. The situation is different, different ideas and the more restraint a proprietor however, when you consider the news are presented. should show. media in total. Canada does not ban Democracies thrive on debate and cross ownership of media as some coun- different points of view and need this to tries do and because of this the concen- remain healthy. It is the responsibility of tration of media ownership in Canada’s media owners to ensure that different big cities has increased. A few companies ideas are presented. If the same editorial now control much of what Canadians opinions are presented in many diffe- see and read. rent newspapers, the marketplace of Much of this concentrated ownership is the result of ideas will be damaged. Allowing this type of autonomy is the questionable business strategy called convergence the responsibility that goes along with the privilege of that has yet to pay any dividends to the companies or owning different media outlets. If an owner of many their shareholders. In fact, it has left some companies media outlets wants to express opinions, he can write pe- deeply in debt. riodic pieces with his own byline, as Conrad Black did, or The fact that many newspapers and broadcasters are pick one newspaper to present his own views on the edi- in few hands is not necessarily a cause for alarm but it is a torial page and let the others go their own ways. legitimate subject of public concern. These companies The strong public views of some owners, such as have the right, and the ability, to intervene in the content CanWest, may be limiting the range of opinion that is of their media for commercial or ideological reasons if presented. Editors selecting opinion pieces and letters they choose to do so. The good news is that, for the most should not have to worry about the owner’s opinions. part, they do not. CanWest has been somewhat of an Their only concern should be keeping the public exception. And to be fair, because of increased competi- informed. All owners, whether they own a single medium tion, some of Canada’s news media are better than ever. or many, have an obligation to present the widest possible So why should media owners exercise self-restraint range of opinions in columns, op-ed pieces and letters to and not intervene in content? First I would make a dis- the editor. Priority should be given to letters criticizing tinction between different types of content and will focus the newspaper or challenging its editorial opinions. This on newspapers, the medium I know best. There are three supports the marketplace of ideas and is simply a matter essential types of content. One is news, second is the of good journalistic practice.
13 It is worrisome that CanWest appears to be centra- lizing control of its news media. This could ultimately affect the range of content that is provided. A new Canadian News Desk is being established at the com- pany’s head office in Winnipeg to supply national news to the company’s newspapers. This has led to fears that local news staffs and budgets will be cut. The most recent Have the Journalists development is that the company is retiring the title of Lost Control? “publisher”. Newspapers in future will be run by “general managers”, who will likely have less autonomy than their BY LAWRENCE SURTEES predecessors and less control over what the subscribers in their communities get to read. Lawrence Surtees is director of telecommunications and Internet The question we are answering also drew a distinc- research at International Data Corp.’s Canadian unit, IDC Canada Ltd. in Toronto. He was previously telecommunications reporter at The tion between commercial and ideological matters. A Globe and Mail’s Report on Business from 1983 to 2000. responsible owner should never use his news media to push his own commercial interests. That would be a betrayal of the responsibility to the community to be a disinterested source of fact and opinion. One complica- ABSTRACT tion today is that since converged media companies Proponents of multimedia convergence are now fond of require licenses from government to operate their broad- declaring that content is king. But is it really? Sound business casting businesses, they may believe that staying on the sense suggests that major media carriers would perform good side of government is necessary. If so, commercial better if left free of the constraints of cross-ownership. That might be what’s happening. interests have the potential to affect coverage of politics and government. It is often said that the news media are a public trust in private hands. This has become a cliché, but like most clichés, it contains some truth. How should the public expect media companies to exercise this great public responsibility? When the Senate of Canada gets around to Convergence & the News Room: holding its planned hearings on the state of the Canada Some Myths and Realities media, following are some principles for good media Billy Holiday sang the lyrics, “Thems that gots shall ownership that Senators might wish to consider and put gets… But it still is news… And God bless the child who’s to media proprietors. got his own.” First, the primary dedication of good media compa- That song should be renamed because it seems to nies must be to the pursuit of truth on behalf of their be about media convergence! I’d like to make several readers and viewers. When the pursuit of truth conflicts points, both as a communications industry researcher with business imperatives, truth must prevail. and former journalist who spent 17 years at The Globe & Second, the primary allegiance of good media com- Mail – or, as we now call it, The Bell News – national panies must be to the citizens of their communities; not to edition. I want to briefly address a few myths about shareholders, advertisers or employees. Keeping the citi- convergence and point out some interesting historical zens of a democracy informed with facts and opinions is vignettes before offering my perspective on the realities a solemn responsibility that must not take second place to of the converged newsroom. any other claim. My first key message is that these so-called conver- Third, good media companies must fiercely protect gence deals are really a new form of cross-ownership. Media the independence of their editors and other journalists. By cross ownership has been confused with convergence by independence, I mean freedom from pressure of any sort, their ‘New Media’ owners. Since media convergence is a from government, advertisers and corporate interests. misnomer, de-convergence should come as little surprise. Truth can only be pursued successfully in a climate free Second – history teaches us why there are many rea- from pressure. sons to be skeptical of New Media cross-ownership deals. Fourth, good media companies must ensure that And third, cross-ownership does affect newsrooms their media have sufficient resources to cover and reflect and has led to negative impact on news coverage, diversity their communities. Good journalism requires time for of opinions – and led to killed stories or distorted cover- reflection and investigation and, while it can be done effi- age. But it always has, so, again, what’s new? The question ciently, it cannot be done on the cheap. we should ask as a democratic society is, “What model of Finally, executives of good media companies and ownership best promotes a plurality of contending views their journalists must live the values of truth, independ- and opinions?” ence and commitment to their communities in their own Let me first address the question. Why the confusion business and personal lives. The news media can only about the term convergence? hold elected officials and others with power to high stan- How many know that the notion of convergence is dards if their own proprietors, managers and staffs meet actually Canadian-coined? It was explored in this ground- the same standard of integrity. breaking report, titled Instant World, published by the CITC
14 federal Department of Communications (now Industry game in their respective fields, they also share a common Canada) in 19711. Yet convergence meant something woe: They are each a dominant player besieged by entirely different 30 years ago – it meant the technical newcomers. Which begged the question: Why did BCE prospect of simultaneously transmitting voice and video want to incur more grief by taking on another intensely down a single network. And for communications firms, it competitive business – much less one he did not yet meant the prospect of telephone companies and cable fully understand? companies going tête-a-tête in each other’s monopolies. The statement that BCE planned to leverage its new It is still a dream – and one that is over a century old! holdings by forging closer ties between the CTV and Convergence was actually envisaged soon after the Globe newsrooms revealed just how much BCE had to invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, as a learn about the media world – and the distinct solitudes cartoon from the British magazine PUNCH in December of print and broadcast journalism, not to mention the 1879 demonstrated. It shows a couple sitting in their liv- painful lesson that simply buying two old media compa- ing room, not only talking to their daughter half-way nies does not instantly make a New Media company. around the world in Australia on a phone, but watching a Rather than finding illusive synergies, BCE, I wrote broadcast image of her on their living room wall2! three years ago, was more likely to come up against a host A century later, the Internet spawned the notion that of operational problems exacerbated by integration woes5. content was King, propelling deals like the AOL & Time Other proponents of multimedia convergence, including Warner merger and its emulation by America OnLine, Edgar Bronfman Jr., other communication titans such as Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner, faced BCE Inc. All of which has subverted the similar woes. notion of convergence. What of the converged newsroom? A vignette of early Canadiana BCE’s proclamation that it would stead- worthy of a Canada Post Heritage Why did BCE fastly maintain the independence of Minute reveals an irony behind BCE’s want to incur more each of its media units and avoid inter- acquisition of The Globe and Mail – fering in their newsrooms was at vari- and provides historical cause for skep- grief by taking on ance with the new owner’s quest to ticism. Shortly after Alexander Graham another intensely exploit the synergies from the combina- Bell developed a working telephone in tion of those units. The need for news- late 1875, the young inventor offered competitive room independence also conflicted the world rights to his invention to business – much with BCE’s plan to make CTV the cor- Toronto publisher and Globe founder less one he did nerstone of its new media holdings. The George Brown. Bell’s offer would have thorny issue of journalistic freedom, a given Brown the rights in every country not yet fully long-standing risk of media cross-own- outside the United States to the most understand? ership and a contentious public policy lucrative patent in the history of inven- issue, already reared its head following tion, as well as given The Globe a chance Jean Monty’s statement that he would to be the founding owner of Bell “repurpose” some reporting jobs in the Canada3. organizations. Fusing print, broadcast But for reasons that Mr. Brown did and interactive content may appear not fully explain – to either Bell or in a letter to his wife simple to accountants, yet BCE had to learn that those written two days after Valentine’s Day in 1876 – the pub- products are created by distinctive media organizations lisher declined the offer, putting multimedia convergence with divergent cultures and audiences. Despite the corpo- on hold in Canada for the next 125 years4. rate desire to do more with fewer converged reporters, There were many other reasons to be skeptical of integrating print and broadcast is like trying to cram a BCE’s convergence foray and its much-proclaimed pro- square peg into a round hole. mise of rich synergies – not the least of which is BCE’s Diversity of opinion has also been impacted. Three sorry track record of many failed acquisitions. After all, days after the BCE-Globe deal broke, a Report on Business investors were also promised benefits and new found feature on the purchase was spiked by the publisher after riches would flow from BCE’s diversification bids into intervention by BCE corporate counsel. One month later, energy, real estate and financial services in the 1980s. I know of a guest column that was critical of the deal, Looking back into history to the Brown vignette, which was also spiked by the ROB editor. skeptics may also be excused for asking whether BCE So I know first-hand that cross-ownership impacts had it all wrong when it bought CTV and The Globe, newsrooms and the diversity of opinions that are pub- since the math didn’t add up: the numbers reveal that lished or broadcast, proving correct the view of corre- the telecom business is still much larger than media. spondent A. J. Liebling, who wrote, “Freedom of the press Yet BCE gambled that multimedia convergence is guaranteed to those who own one.” would replace the future earnings of Nortel Networks I can also tell you that the most detrimental impact Corp., which it divested earlier that year. Elsewhere, of ownership concentration often comes from within the though, BCE astutely remarked that size does matter. newsroom, from decisions on story coverage and play Although all three companies – Bell, CTV and The Globe made either by over-eager, or frightened, managers. Either – enjoy strong national brands and are at the top of the way, distorted news coverage results.
15 CITC Peter Mansbridge and Alex Jones Canadian Broadcasting Corporation President andCEO, Editor-in-chief, Ed Greenspon, Some Faces oftheConference/Quelquesvisagesdelaconférence undo BCE’s convergence strategy that suggestBCE’s current CEOMichael Sabiaispoisedto cross-ownership. of traints thecons- leftfree of content atmore competitive if prices Rogers orCanWest would beinapositionto deliver more likecommon BellCanada, sensesuggeststhatcarriers andbusiness Experience would suggestthatpipesrule. I Instead, thattheEmperor hasnoclothes. however, gests, record The sug- thatcontent declaring isKing. fond of comments ruling! inananti-trust reported earlierthismonth asthe ership andtelecom network access, launch adebate to onwhether relax onmediaown- rules nications Commission chairman Michael Powell issetto Federal Commu- U.S. that asBCErethinks convergence, by private interests thatfreedom Amendment doesnotsanctionrepression of thepress from government interference undertheFirst of thepublic…Freedom sources isessentialto thewelfare of from information diverse andantagonistic semination of PressAssociated v.United States Supreme whowrote inthe1945caseof JusticeCourt U.S. Hugo former Black, thepress, freedom of defender of on uiessne As GeorgeGilderwrote in sound businesssense. restrictions previous distinctfromthat kept content carriage stillmakes of thelogic thepastdecade, of So I, for one, am not surprised by recent amnotsurprised headlines forone, So I, multimedia convergence are now Yet proponents of It is worth recalling the words of that great jurist and thatgreat jurist It recalling isworth thewords of I have seentheenemy andheisus. ncnlso,Ibelieve changes thatdespite regulatory In conclusion, 6 ”Ioial,Justice Blackmadethose Ironically, .” The Globe&Mail; 8 . , “the widest possibledis- “the widest , 7 ti rnc however, It isironic, . Robert Rabinovitch,Robert New YorkTimes 16 September 2000. e.1,20,FP1. 2002, 19, Dec. 7 6 Convergence Colossus,” 5 1876. 16, February “George to Anne Brown,” 2416, p. Reel C-1603, 4 Careless, J.M.S. 2: Vol. 1963, Macmillan Co., and: 60-2; pp. 1992, CanadaEnterprises, Bell of 3 2 Telecommunications, Lawrence Surtees, also: Telecommunications inCanada. 1 9 http://www.democraticmedia.org/issues/mediaownership/ 2003 January Safeguards,” End Longstanding Public Interest intheDigital Age atStake asFCCProceeds Plansto with 8 45. World, it cancarry Telecosm enSlof CnegneDemDa,BCE Admits,” “Convergence Dream Dead, Sean Silcoff, United States, PressAssociated v. BCE&ThomsonCreate “King Content’s NewLawrence Clothes: Surtees, Canada. Public Archivesof Pa Bell: Lawrence Surtees, See: Punch’s Almanack for1879, Communications. of Department Canada. George Gilder, Future of “Media Ownership: Democracy. Center forDigital See also: Y h rePes 00 .269. p. 2000, Free The Press, NY: er ohr aka Aislin Terry Mosher, Mallory Lecture Alain Dubucand Antonia Maioni atthe2002-2003James , “The dumberthenetwork themore intelligence “The , 9 .” Telecosm: How InfiniteWill Bandwidth Our Revolutionize oot:Petc-alCnd n. 94 p 52-5. pp. 1994, Prentice-Hall CanadaInc., Toronto: Wire Wars: in forCompetition The CanadianFight IDC CanadaBulletin, IDC oot:Rno os fCnd,Toronto: Canada, RandomHouse of Toronto: ttsa fCneeain 1860-1880, Confederation, Statesman of odn eebr9 1879. December 9, London: George Brown Papers,George Brown .Jean deGrandpré Rise andtheMeteoric A. taa nomto aaa 91 See 1971. Information Canada, Ottawa: 2 ..1,20[1945] 326 U.S. rw ftheGlobe, of Brown Instant World: on A Report 00TL Toronto: 00009TEL, G2,B0 o.10, Vol. B40. MG 24, National Post, oot:The Toronto: p 343- pp. What Are the Limits of Government Control?
BY TERENCE CORCORAN
ABSTRACT There is a renewed attempt to get governments into the newsrooms of Canada’ s newspapers. We didn’t do it two decades ago and we shouldn’t do it now. Instead, argues the author, we should be moving in the other direction, removing government from control over the other media. The airwaves should be turned over to private ownership. There is no longer any credible justification for government involvement.
was a last minute replacement for Matthew Fraser, and as a result only got around to thinking about what I might talk about the day of my presentation. I thought then that what I’d talk about was the IKent Commission. But that morning Rob Pritchard of the Toronto Star made a striking presentation based on the Kent Commission report, picking up on many of the themes that were on my agenda. I must say Rob nailed the Kent Commission’s many problems. Its analysis of the 1981 newspaper market proved wrong, its forecast of where the newspaper industry was going were wrong. Above all, its prescriptions were wrong on many levels. As Rob mentioned that morning, it proposed a press rights council, govern- ment controls over ownership and tax incentives for new newspaper owners to harness the alleged power of Southam and Thomson. But there’s one element of the Kent Commission that Rob didn’t mention. That element is in the
of Terence Corcoran is Editor-in-Chief very first sentence of the formal report. Not the Forward to the report – which Rob quoted. The first
The Financial Post. words of the first chapter of the Kent Commission are: “Freedom of the press is not a property right of owners.” That opening sentence should have been seen as outrageous in 1981. It was not. And even today it still is not seen as a basic affront to principles I think all Canadians should hold dear. To this day, some of Canada’s leading media gurus continue to use the Kent definition of freedom of the press as a guiding principle. When a group of Canadian media luminaries – from Pierre Berton to Robert MacNeil to Charles Taylor, Paddy Sherman and John Millar – signed a letter last year calling on Ottawa to look into media concentration, they concluded with the Kent Statement: Freedom of the press is not a property right. But if freedom of the press is not a property right, then what kind of right is it? And whose right is it? The Kent Commission provided the answer. It said: Freedom of the press is a “right of the people.” Now there are only two ways that “the people” exercise any rights. One is in the market place, as buy- ers and owners of property and production. The second way for people to exercise their rights is collec- tively, through government. The government is the people acting in the public interest. If follows that the logical end point of the Kent Commission syllogism is the following: “Freedom of the press belongs to the government”. That’s really the Kent Royal Commission’s basic premise, camouflaged in a haze of verbiage. Even so, the Kent report is today regularly cited as an authoritative reference by people who now want govern- ment to investigate media owners, and newspaper owners in particular. The Kent Commission’s statement is a touchstone for more government intervention and control. And you can understand why. Once you conclude that Freedom of the Press, which really is a sub- set of freedom of speech and expression – freedom of the media – once you’ve adopted the premise that freedom of the media belongs to government, then there’s isn’t a whole lot left to debate on the question: What are the limits of government control?
17 CITC orait,includingmany attended who the people journalists, media executives and An all-starlistof increasing frequency. even more directly inthenewspaperbusiness are heard with vernment andParliamentary committees interfering to begin the government. thepress to belongs subversive conclusion thatfreedom of setting precedents thatreinforce theKent Commission’s Canada’s have mediagiants agreed to this, Someof occurs. rooms newsrooms cross andnewspaper when ownership conduct news- thatlimittherelationship between television newsroom managedto codeshas nevertheless extract of ments andregulators keep trying. govern- planshavethese grand publicsupport, failedto win Even though to thatbelongs owners. right not aproperty thePress is situation basedonthepremise thatFreedom of Ottawa to actinthecurrent newspaper –they’ve for media gurus issuedcalls all businesspeople, school deans, journalism Former publishers, people. newspaper number of per businessby asurprising today beingurgedto getinto thenewspa- are They pressure from somequarters. and trying but notforlack of industry, able to gettheirhandsonthenewspaper CRTC over newspapers. kind of Theboard would functionasa Board. proposed aPress Review Ownership theDavey Commission decade earlier, More thana restructure theindustry. andtoowners uselegislative power to called onOttawa to take away of therights TheKent Commission paper business. attempts to getgovernment into thenews- There have beenmany past rights. expand state control over mediaproperty vernments continue to findnewexcuses to butgo- itever wastrue, if three decades, waves become private property. We simplycould notlettheair- limited. airwaves was thatthesupplyof belief over electronic media was basedonthe governmentreason forgiving control Theoriginal waves isagovernment right. theair- Freedom of has always beentrue. theKent rights onproperty Commission view and radio, In television and film–hasbeenlurching foryears. forward involvement andtelevision, intheelectronic media–radio Government havethey beengettingaway alot. with And whatever governments cangetaway politically. with Which do meansgovernments will is politicalconvention. ourmedia. and restrictive behaviours onmostof proscriptive imposeallkindsof content, legislate regulations, rules, ownership passtaxlaws, They respects already they do. andinsome wanttoabout anything they control themedia, o h iuto sgtigwre Thecalls forgo- Now thesituation isgettingworse. over which hasnojurisdiction print, The CRTC itself, haven’t they really be though, So far, That premise hasbeenobsolete for government power The onlylimitonthisextension of Governments candojust There are limits. noformal business are heard even more directly Now thesituation in thenewspaper government and begin interfering is gettingworse. with increasing committees to Parliamentary The callsfor frequency. 18 many outlets! intervention becausewe have too much choice andtoo Now arguethatwe needgovernment they are undeterred. however, intervention, Advocates of is ludicrously absurd. todaynology theargumentforkeeping government involved newtech- andwith No such existed scarcity then, airwaves. of ment control over theairwaves wasanalleged “scarcity” reason forgovern- Theoriginal government involvement. There isnojustificationfor overturned to private ownership. –theairwaves television –shouldbe Radio, newspapers. notexpanding itto ment from control over theothermedia, property right. property the press isa Freedom of press dictates themediabelongs. the involvement andreturn themediato where freedom of scalingback governmentlong agoanditistimeto begin Control? Government even more aggressive government involvement inthenews- I’veMills –whom admired greatly over theyears for –call freedom.editorial the ideathatgovernment shouldnothave aninfluence over to pay they lipservice however, At thesametime, rooms.” theirnews- meet objective asto theindependence criteria of Ottawa to lookattaxincentives “for mediacompanies that newspaper business. long-standing tabooagainstgovernment meddlinginthe have calledonOttawa to break the conference, February So theanswer to thequestion Along this line, I was quite surprised to hearRuss Iwasquite surprised Along thisline, on called they adlastJune, In page newspaper afull and constitutional principles. It’s anassaultoncommon law defies logic. It thepress. expression andfreedom of free of thehistory dom fliesintheface of Kent Commission statement onpress free- the Raboy (earlieronmy panel), from Prof. Despite whatwe heard shouldn’t doitnow. ieto.We shouldberemoving govern- direction. act asowners. production should notbeallowed to of themeans conclusion of thattheowners theKent Commission’s Marxist sion of nation’s newspapersisadangerous exten- the vernments into thenewsrooms of conclusion. suspiciously like theKent Commission Thatsounds notshareholders. he said, Newspapers owe to allegiance citizens, heldunquestionably.he saidthey that rights look atto remove theowners’ ment initiatives thattheSenate should said. he have They theright “unquestionably”, to control right theirnewspapers. every explicitly saidthathebelieves have owners paper business. – is that we surpassed thoselimits – isthatwe surpassed Then hewent onto listfive govern- We intheother shouldbemoving We didn’t doitin1981–andwe I believe thisnewattempt to getgo- tteoeigo i omns he hiscomments, At theopeningof What Are theLimits to Qui contrôle l’avenir de la radio-diffusion publique ?
PAR PAULE BEAUGRAND-CHAMPAGNE
RÉSUMÉ La télévision publique a toujours un rôle à jouer dans la société contemporaine: elle assure l’équilibre de la diversité culturelle. Elle joue un rôle que la télévision privée ne peut jouer parce que cette dernière doit être rentable, elle se doit se plier aux lois du marché. En contraste, l’histoire démontre bien le potentiel de la télévi- sion publique à soulever des débats importants pour la société. Le financement par les gouvernements de l’industrie télévisuelle publique reste donc primordial. générale de est présidente-directrice Paule Beaugrand-Champagne Télé-Québec.
Une télévision publique nécessaire Il y a 50 ans au Canada, et 35 ans au Québec – c’est l’anniversaire de Télé-Québec cette année –, nos gouvernements ont créé des télévisions publiques. Ils l’ont fait pour des raisons de démocratisa- tion de la culture, en s’assurant que tous les citoyens pourraient en bénéficier par le biais de signaux audiovisuels accessibles partout sur le territoire. L’industrie télévisuelle a subi des transformations majeures au cours des années et les télévi- sions publiques, partout à travers le monde, en sont venues à définir leur rôle en fonction du man- dat social qu’on leur a confié, donc du contenu qu’elles doivent offrir. Toutes les télévisions publiques répondent à des critères spécifiques qui en font un média unique, qu’on ne peut ni comparer ni mesurer à l’aulne des télévisions privées et spécialisées. Celles- ci ont des comptes à rendre à des actionnaires, elles ont des obligations de résultats financiers qui les forcent à aller chercher la meilleure cote d’écoute possible parce que leurs revenus reposent sur ces succès d’écoute. C’est la loi du marché de la consommation. Et nul ne la remet en question. Nous, les télévisions publiques, notre rôle se situe ailleurs, dans le domaine du service à la population. Notre devoir est d’offrir à tous les citoyens, sur une base égalitaire, des produits qui permettent à des publics diversifiés de trouver à l’antenne qu’ils financent par leurs impôts des réponses à leurs besoins, même si ces produits ne sont pas « rentables » commercialement. La télévision publique d’origine était en situation de monopole. La transformation du marché au cours des 40 et surtout des 10 dernières années a créé une industrie d’une telle ampleur que
19 CITC ense»o osfios eus3 n,figure de depuis 35ans, » oùnousfaisons, Jeunesse « »! qui soit laplusintelligente suelle… nouslefaisonsdelamanière « mais une mandat avec compétence et…ce n’est pasmoiquiledit Nous remplissons ce éducativetélévision etculturelle. dans lasociétéquébécoise qu’elle détientunmandatde publique estd’autantplusnécessaire etindispensable dedéfendre l’existence mêmedesatélévision… aussi, lui cette convictionpartage quandilsevoit contraint, Et Rabinovitch jesaisqueRobert notamment. télévision desefaire parlebiaisdela quiestentrain de laculture, delapenséeet desvaleurssociales, d’une américanisation Danslecontexte aussi culturel qu’elle engendrer. pourrait le contexte actueldelamondialisationetdunivellement queceaffirmons rôleestdeplusenessentieldans ansetnous Nous ycroyons profondément depuis35 sontcelles deTélé-Québec. reconnues àtravers lemonde, mieux comprendre lesvaleursquileursontpropres. diffusant desémissionsquipermettent auxcitoyens de eten citoyens detoutes surunréseaunational, sesrégions endonnantunevoix aux diversité, culturelle d’unesociétéenreflétant sa del’identité àlapréservation contribuer C’estaussisonrôlede auditoire. qu’elles n’attirent pas unassezgrand sairement surd’autres chaînes parce téléspectateurs neverront pasnéces- queles oucontroversées, originales de proposer desémissions laboratoire, publiqued’être un à latélévision ne peuvent doncpasjouerce rôle–c’est ça nel’estpasetquelestélésprivées »–oujustement parce que payant « Mêmesice n’est pas culture télévisuelle. locomotive etdans la dansl’industrie jouerunrôlede ce faisant, et, risques prendre des faire destests, innover, publiquepeut latélévision du marché, télévisuelle. culturelle del’offre etàl’enrichissement ainsiàladiversitéet decontribuer locaux, defaire etartisans travailler desartistes nouveaux, delancer desgenres d’assurer uneplace àlarelève, talents, d’être unepépinière de alternative, une programmation demanière de latélévision etàfaire l’oblige àêtre àlafoisuniverselle etdiversifiée, maispar ses émissions, Non pasdanschacune de aux besoinsdetous lescitoyens. diversité culturelle. etl’équilibresystème mêmedelaradiodiffusion dela L’équilibre du qu’elle àenassurer contribue l’équilibre. constitue unepièce maîtresse parce decette industrie publique quelatélévision aucontraire, persuadée, Je suis qu’elle affirmant n’y aplussaplace. publique, latélévision » sortir voudraientcertains maintenant en« Tout d’abord dans lesecteur desémissions Dans le cas de Télé-Québec, son rôlecomme son télévision Dans lecasdeTélé-Québec, Toutes publique, delatélévision ces caractéristiques Moins dépendante des pressions doitrépondre elle La télépubliquen’a paslechoix : newsletter du milieudelaproduction télévi- l’ensemble différente esséisos ce qui de sesémissions, . Son rôleestd’offrir Son . télévision publique Télé-Québec est donc différente, qui remplit bien et parlàmême Comme toute son mandat, nécessaire. 20 epc esie e urs Et parce qu’elles sontbien respect desoietdesautres. le latolérance etl’ouverture, comme lanon-violence, devaleurs sontporteuses Elles pement etd’apprentissage. desobjectifsdedévelop-émissions pourenfantsvisent Nos qui afaitetencore laréputationdeTélé-Québec. exigent unsavoir-faire la petite enfance etdel’éducation, avec leministère del’Éducation pardesprofessionnels de Passe-Partout, Cornemuse Cornemuse Passe-Partout, comme Desséries auprès desjeunesetdeleursparents. référence enmatière dequalitécontenu etdepopularité n’aurait jamaisputrouver une plate-forme dediffusion si Cette émission deQuébec. delaville de jeunesvidéastes crééetproduit par sur unconcept original, extrêmement : titre d’exemple À ellelefaitautrement. horaire, de l’humour àsagrille Mêmequandellechoisit demettre qu’ellerisques prend. notamment. ça dontjeparle, c’est de publiqueassure l’équilibretélévision dusystème, Quandjedisquela qui tientl’antenne depuis25ans! émission comme ouune parlementaire absolumentuniqueenson genre, àproduire uneémissionsurlavie affaires publiques, bien)maisàpousser plusloinl’analysedes télés fonttrès incite ànonpasfaire (ce del’information qued’autres commission d’enquête surlaquestion. des cadres pourmeneràl’annonce denotre écran d’une Cedébatadébordé débat danslasociétéquébécoise. que Télé-Québecadiffuséetquiprovoqué unimportant ce documentaire parRichard d’auteur porté Desjardins, fait pardesgensd’ici. mentaire acheté dansunautre pays etundocumentaire nousoffrons une sommes unoutildedémocratisation, Parce quenous nable seulementpourlejeunepublic. ans. Télé- 11 Québec estlapluspopulaire chez les2à selonBBM, : ellesplaisentauxenfants conçues, Enfin, Télé-Québec exprime sadifférence Télé-Québecexprime parles Enfin, etculturel quinous C’est aussinotre mandatéducatif de entre autres, Qu’on sesouvienne, Mais Télé-Québecn’est pasnécessaire etincontour- Phylactère Cola, que sesitueladifférence entre undocu- Et c’est là même del’identitéculturelle. Cequiestàlabase société québécoise. dumondepropred’une vision àla des enjeuxsociauxetpolitiquesàpartir elleprésente uneréflexion sur tionale, Points chauds quand elleproduit uneémissioncomme comme vestir dansundocumentaire d’auteur même nécessaire. Télé-Québec estdonc publique quiremplit biensonmandat, Comme toute télévision se retrouvent. danslaquelleelles une programmation ontdroit à mêmepetites, les clientèles, toutes : démocratique C’est unprincipe selonsesintérêtsetgoûts. la carte, fairetoire deschoix vient à largeetvarié danslaquelleunaudi- écoute, de grande alternativeprogrammation auxheures Droit deparole, Quand Télé-Québecdécided’in- ou a ais/Nésdelahaine, War Babies Ramdam, une émissionquirepose sur l’actualitéinterna- un forum decitoyensun forum élaborées deconcert différente L’Erreur boréale, , et parlà et , ou Télé-Québec n’avait pas été là. Pourquoi ? Parce qu’elle est trop audacieuse pour garantir une grande cote d’écoute. Au chapitre du cinéma, je souligne que nous diffusons 70 % de films autres qu’américains et que nous présentons surtout des films primés et cotés de « chef d’œuvre » à « très bon ». Résultat : du cinéma de répertoire dans le salon de tous les Québécois qui peuvent voir, gratuitement, des films et des documentaires de qualité auxquels ils n’au- raient pas accès au club vidéo près de chez eux. Ce concept de cinéma mondial accessible à tous les citoyens où qu’ils soient relève du principe même de la démocratisation de la culture, dont Télé-Québec est un outil indispensable. Chaque année, les contribuables québécois investis- sent près de 550 millions de $ dans le développement et la promotion de la culture. Ils investissent dans le cinéma, la musique et la chanson, les arts graphiques, l’édition et les salons du livre, les musées et le soutien aux créateurs, entre autres. Mais à cause des différentes conditions socio- économiques et des grandes distances géographiques de ce pays, les citoyens n’ont pas tous accès aux produits et aux manifestations culturelles qu’ils financent. Télé- Québec comble en partie cette lacune en leur apportant la culture à domicile. Je précise cependant que notre engagement dans les régions dépasse largement la simple diffusion sur tout le territoire habité. Nous fournissons du travail pour plusieurs millions de dollars à des producteurs et des artisans locaux. Avec eux, nous tournons des reportages culturels et sociaux, des chroniques, des entrevues et des capsules d’information culturelle qui trouvent leur place dans des émissions diffusées sur le plan national. Télé-Québec est ainsi enracinée au cœur même de l’activité culturelle dans les régions, tout comme à Montréal ou dans la Capitale nationale, et travaille en association avec une foule d’organismes et d’événements culturels à travers tout le Québec. Je ne dis pas que les télévisions privées ou les chaînes spécialisées ne contribuent pas elles aussi au développe- ment de la culture d’ici. Au contraire, nous sommes plutôt chanceux au Québec que ces télévisions diffusent des œuvres de créateurs d’ici à des heures de grande écoute. Mais n’oublions pas qu’elles le font avec une aide impres- sionnante des fonds publics… Ce qui en fait peut-être des télévisions un peu moins « privées » à ces heures-là ?! Je le répète, leurs impératifs ne sont pas les mêmes que les nôtres – et je ne dis pas que c’est un péché de vouloir faire des profits! – mais à cause de ces impératifs, de grands pans de la culture, dans le sens large du terme, ne sont pas abordés par les télés privées parce qu’ils ne font pas de cotes d’écoute et ne sont donc pas rentables. C’est pourquoi il m’apparaît comme une évidence que la télévision publique au Québec s’impose comme une nécessité culturelle et sociale. Quant à moi, son exis- tence et son financement ne devraient jamais être remis en question parce qu’elle répond à des besoins fondamen- taux d’une société saine, dynamique et ouverte sur le monde. À moins que ceux qui la croient maintenant inutile réussissent à me démontrer que la culture, l’éduca- tion et le débat public ne sont pas essentiels à la vie dans un pays démocratique. Je doute qu’ils y parviennent…
21
CITC
Steering Committee of the FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian of FRIENDS the of Committee Steering
University of Newfoundland, a graduate of McGill University and Chairperson of the of Chairperson and University McGill of graduate a Newfoundland, of University Noreen Golfman, Ph.D. is a professor of English literature and Film Studies at Memorial at Studies Film and literature English of professor a is Ph.D. Golfman, Noreen iitr oPrimn o h odc fitsaffairs to Parliament fortheconduct of Minister, CBCisouronlynationalinstitutionthatstillworks”. “Love itorhate it, said: As thelate Dalton Camponce data foraninstitutionthatsomeneo-cons asonitsdeath-bed. describe Not bad 25%choose CTVandonly20%choose Global. 46% choose CBC’s Television English Network, newsaboutCanada’s politicalparties, federal asked which network hasthemostbalanced of reporting last August: Ipsos-Reid foundonourbehalf rm n 5 fCBC Television’s audience iswatching Canadian. and95%of grams theaudience on Canadianspecialtiesiswatching Canadianpro- 46%of watching Canadianprograms, theaudience onCanadianprivate conventional broadcasters is we findthatonly13%of period, viewing lessthanforeitherCTV(11%)orGlobal(12%). ing isto CBCand Newsworld combined, ourview- Only 9%of 16% onUSconventional border channels. stations and16%onUSspecialty/pay andpay 26%onCanadian specialty channels, isonCanadianconventional ourviewing TV stations, of iron-clad protection from direct foreign competition. All thisontop of simultaneous substitution. course, Income of Tax Act incentives to advertise onCanadianchannels and, theCanadianTelevision from Telefilm, Fund, broadcasters enjoy substantialdirect andindirect subsidies: &Entertainment. Sports Maple Leaf orworse, National Hockey League, the CBCTelevision of onoccasion subsidiary asawholly-owned usthinkof of Some It shows. mercials. itsrevenues from com- But CBCTelevision derives almosthalf caster? CBCRadioqualifiesinspades. atn sus nldn ulcpretoso h B,over thepastdecade theCBC, includingpublicperceptions of casting issues, have concerns.Sodoestheauthor. thaneverbefore.CanadiansbelieveintheCBC,butthey make astrongpublicbroadcastermoreimportant The intenseconcentrationinownershipofprivatebroadcastingandtheadventcross-media T The are viewers whenEnglish-speaking For example, CBC alsoscores well onqualitative measures. money. • 81%believe thatCBCprovides valuefortaxpayers’ andprosper. Canadianswantto seetheCBCsurvive • 94%of Canadianswould theirMPto advise vote fordecreasing CBC’s fundingfrom current • 9% of thecountry. • 88%would like of CBCstrengthened intheirpart thathelpsdistinguishCanadafrom thethings theUS. • 89%believe thatCBCisoneof andculture. Canadianidentity of asasymbol CanadiansthinkCBCisimportant • 82%of hnw itnus ewe h iwn fCanadianshows andUS shows inthe7to 11pmpeak- When of we distinguishbetween theviewing 41% side, OntheEnglish We Canadiansare opento foreign very content system. inouraudio-visual Alltheso-calledprivate we don’t really have either. any inthiscountry private television course, Of At At increasing CBC’s funding. and41%would recommend 49%would maintainingitatcurrent levels, advise levels, in big numbers, only their printing presses onlytheirprinting in bignumbers, Globe andMail As Lawrence wrote Martin in publicbroadcasting. Canadacontrol thefuture of he peopleof FRIENDS Broadcasting ActBroadcasting fCnda racsig we have kept acloseeye onpublicopinionaboutbroad- CanadianBroadcasting, of Who ControlstheFutureof atmnh Cndas soiinsmlnssget haven’t rightward migrated suggest, asopinionsamplings “Canadians, last month: ae la htCC“sutmtl conal,through the(Heritage) makes clearthatCBC “is ultimately accountable, Public Broadcasting? 22 ABSTRACT 1 .” 4 .But how dowe evaluateCBCasapublicbroad- ”. 2 BY NOREEN GOLFMAN ee o xml,iswhat forexample, Here, . The Proportion of Viewing to Canadian and Viewing of Canadian Programs Foreign Programming on English TV on English TV (98/99) in Prime Time (7-11 pm) in 2000 Peak Period – 7 to 11 pm
100% 5%
80% 54% 39% CBC Television*
Viewing of 60% Foreign 77% 3% CBC Newsworld 87% Programs 8% CTV
95% 40% 35% Pay & Specialty**
46% 20% 15% Other Stations Foreign Viewing of Source: CBC Research Canadian 23% (Nielsen) 13% 100806020400 Canadian Programs * Excludes viewing to CBC Affiliates in their 0% own time. All Private CBC & Affiliates All Pay & Specialty All Programs Canadian ** Excludes viewing to Conventional Broadcasters on English TV Programs CBC Newsworld Braodcasters
Indeed, CBC and Newsworld generate 42% of all the Who should NOT control the future of public broad- audience for Canadian programs in prime time, Canadian casting in Canada? Three groups come to mind. specialty and pay channels in the aggregate generate 35%, When first appointed President of CBC, Robert CTV only 8% and Global only 5%. That’s almost half the Rabinovitch reportedly told the CRTC in a private show- Canadian viewing on two channels and the other half on the down meeting before they released CBC’s group licence other sixty, with Global bringing up the rear. renewal that he “had a mandate from the Prime Minister”. This is not so surprising when you consider what the Canadians don’t want the Prime Minister – any Prime three Canadian networks are offering the public in prime- Minister – controlling the CBC. time (February 2003):
Simulcast Schedule Templates Winter 2002 Canadian Foreign Simulcast Other Foreign
Network pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
22 Mins Air Farce Country Can Our Hero 7 Life & Times Emily Of It's A Living Market Place On The Road Mr. Bean New Moon
22 Mins Hockey The Nature Witness Night In 8 Random Of Things Random Red Green Canada CBC Passage / Opening Passage / Da Vinci's Night Air Farce Da Vinci's 9 Inquest Disclosure the fifth Inquest estate Made in Can
Sun. Report 10 The National Hockey Venture
Wheel Of Fortune eTalk Degrassi 7 Jeopardy Exhibit A 21C
Imagine That '80s Show 8 Who Wants Who's Line Weakest Mysterious Alias Millionaire Wife & Kids Accord Jim / CSI Link Ways CTV Drew Carey Ally The West SCI: Crime The Specials 9 McBeal Wing Scene Inv. Associates Figure Scrubs Skating / Cold Third The Nature Law & E. R. Law & Squad W-FIVE 10 Watch Of Things Order Order SVU
Bob & Margaret Blackfly 7 Mysterious Entertainment Tonight Ways King Of Hill
'70s Show Simpsons 8 Boston Smallville Survivor Dawson's Andromeda Public Spin City / Friends Creek Malcolm Global Raymond Frasier Will & Grace 9 Gilmore Dark Mutant X The Becker The Job Girls Shoot Me Angel X-Files
NYPD Judging Blue The 20 / 20 Outer The 10 Blue Amy Murder Agency Limits Practice
Only tites, origin, and simulcasting of programs which most frequently occupy time periods are shown.
23 CITC independence andprestige to helped preserve theBBC’s inourview, ments andhas, this pattern hasbeenfollowed by successive govern- British We note that andnotjustthegoverning party. cal spectrum, politicalaffiliationsrepresented known with politi- thefull directors Broadcasting) would the(Canadian Corporation beenhanced if theBoard andtheindependence of of “the integrity Juneau recommended to thegovernment that: for PublicCorporation Broadcasting follow asimilarmodel. The South BroadcastingAfrican andtheUS Corporation theBBC’s Director General. applies to of theappointment andasimilarprocess theBBC, become Governorsstripes of allpolitical processpartisan ensures thattalented peopleof amulti- In theUK, citizens onitsBoard. serve and informed tion andit’s thatonlythemostqualified important vitally institu- cultural Shame!CBCisourmostimportant Canada. Directors Party of theLiberal isaffiliated with Board of thepresent CBC research memberof indicates thatevery Directors andthePresident”. Our who appointstheBoard of 35% believe “the CBCisindependentanditdoesn’t matter only while broadcast programs ontheCBC”, and content of gives thegovernment too much influence over thenature Directors power to appointtheCBCPresident andBoard of Canadiansbelieve “the Prime Minister’s found that55%of on CBCTelevision. there isnothing from ourprovince available periods, viewing In peak- orMoncton. Montreal, about lifeinEdmonton, much more aboutlifeinLos Angeles orBoston thanwe do we learn John’s, When setsinSt. onourtelevision we turn andentertainment. music, involved localinformation, with stationsare less-and-less andtelevision private radio Our for thatmatter. Ontario, orinnorthern Brunswick, inNew in Alberta, Ilived inSaskatchewan, the samethingif Icould say what’s largelymissinginNewfoundland today. And that’s least amodestshare from generated “here”. –aslongwe at mation andentertainment balance itwith There’s distantinfor- with nothingwrong or from Detroit. forexample, from Toronto, listen to comes from elsewhere, we watch theentertainment and andmostof information publicbroadcasting inCanada. controlling thefuture of WeToronto donotwantToronto Broadcasting Corporation. usbelieve thatCBCisbecoming a More andmore of cation fellpredominantly outsideToronto andMontreal. its Red Bookpromise andgut$400millionfrom CBC’s allo- which followed theChrétiengovernment’s decisionto break thestaffingcuts candisputeobserver thattheburden of And noinformed theCBC. biasof the central-Canadian Ottawa–Toronto are inagoodpositionto judge triangle nteya 00 thefive top broadcasting contributors In theyear 2000, andto Minister Copps. to Party inrecent theLiberal years, and government policy “obviously there isalinkbetween corporate donations saying thatabanoncorporate donations isneededbecause Heritage Minister SheilaCopps wasrecently quoted as publicbroadcasting istheprivate broadcasters. of A few years ago, a review panelchaired areview by Pierre A fewyears ago, The third group we don’t wantcontrolling thefuture the much of where Ilive, thecountry of In thepart live uswho outsidetheMontreal– Those of Private broadcasters have contributed substantialsums In a1999pollcommissioned by 6 ”. 5 ”. FRIENDS Compas Inc. , 24 hte h B sdigisjbwl,that’s another question. whether theCBCisdoingitsjobwell, asoutlinedby Parliament inthe job, about mediaconcentration: government1,100 Canadianswhatthefederal shoulddo When Ipsos-Reid asked arepresentative sampleof before. a strong publicbroadcaster thanever more important cross-media make ownership broadcasting andtheadvent of carried onamulti-yearforward basis. however, Thebenefit, ment inthatyear alone. invest- this asa10,000%return ontheprivate broadcasters’ private broadcasters intheensuingyear. to thatmoney gave atleast$50millionof inturn, which, million newallocationto theCanadianTelevision Fund, in CBC’s allocationandacorresponding $100 parliamentary http://friendscb.ca/publications.htm 4 February Political byCanada’s Contributions Industry Broadcasting is sittingafter theMinister receives it.” thefirstfifteen days onwhich thatHouse Parliament onany of House of to thereport belaidbefore each and theMinister shallcauseacopy of theTreasury Board, concurrently to theMinister andto thePresident of inthatyear theCorporation of mit anannual ontheoperations report sub- each financialyear, theendof in any three monthsafter, casewithin but assoonpossibleafter, shall, Corporation “The (1)states: Section 71. creative independence.” andprogramming expression andjournalistic, enjoy freedom of itspowers, andintheexercise itsobjects of pursuit of iitracpe oprt oain,now them”. criticizing Minister accepted corporate donations, 7 6 Century 5 4 3 2 1 2000 electioncampaign Jean Chrétien’s the cabinetduring $66,876 to membersof broadcasters contributed In all, BCE and$750from Craig. $2,000from Minister Copps received $3,000from CanWest, election, the2000general During from 1993to 2000. and $36,784; Craig, $35,512. $62,878; Shaw, CanWest, $76,626; Rogers, $125,134; Canadawere BCE, to Party of theLiberal RED fCanadianBroadcasting, FRIENDS of 25 January National Post, Mandate Review Committee, inthe (CBC)shall, Corporation “The (5)states: Section46. Section 40. 35%to SRC-TV 32%. barely outscores TVA: On theFrench-speaking side, http://friendscb.ca/polls.htm 23 January o aain atasrn B,cpbeo doingits capableof Canadians wantastrong CBC, So, • thegovernment32% thought shouldaskthe and • 28%favoured holding apublicinquiry, • 22% suggested thatthegovernment should • 9% responded thatthegovernment shoulddo private The intense concentration of inownership n19,SheilaCopps presided over a$100millioncut In 1996, CRTC to andactonthesituation. review theCBCasacounter-balance, strengthen nothing, loehr broadcasters gave $2,018,011to theLiberals Altogether, eateto aainHrtg,19,page117. 1996, Canadian Heritage, of Department , th 2002, , rd 2003 , th 7 03 Lbrl cueCpso hypocricy: accuse “Liberals Copps of 2003, , . Canadian Broadcasting andFilmCanadian Broadcasting forthe21 olwteMny atI,Federal Part II, Follow theMoney, Broadcasting ActBroadcasting FRIENDS 1993-2000, , calculates .Now, st Technology: Will Everyone be in Control?
BY CANDIS CALLISON Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Candis Callison is a doctoral candidate at the
ABSTRACT With the Internet here to stay, the reality now faced is a familiar one for technologies, media and otherwise. That is, what ideals will it serve: the public good or the forces of private enterprise and the free market eco- nomy? The author poses this and other important questions and offers a cautionary note for Canadians.
n a conference session prior to mine where much about youth preferences was discussed, there was a very funny quip about college-age kids having a “retro” 90s party. I kind of got stuck on Ithis. First, because I started to realize that I am in fact aging enough to look back nostalgically at an entire decade of adult life. And secondly, because the legacy of the booming late 90s has special rele- vance for this topic. In my estimation, a 90s party would not be complete without some heady recitation of cyber-rhetoric written by the likes of John Perry Barlow, and many others who wrote for Wired Magazine and other high tech publications during the early and mid 90s1. To illustrate what I mean by cyber-rhetoric, I’ll give you a quick sample recently excerpted in The Economist magazine from Barlow’s 1996 “Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.” It begins like this: “Governments of the industrial world, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from cyberspace, the new home of mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather… We will create a civilization of the mind in cyberspace2.”
25 CITC ledge andprocess know- involving materiality, practices,’ human scholarstechnology asa ‘web of characterized by leadingscience and isnow technology being hollow hype, But incontrast andresponse to this on. andso thetelephone, the telegraph, therailroad, dissimilar from thehype of It isnotentirely and accomplishment. progress of ideals the pastcenturies’ much of determinism thatpervades thetechnological what emblematicof broadcast media. of tyranny andsuccession from the new space, freedom, metaphors like independence, theInternet revolution, metaphors of theguiding insomeof enshrined became andstructures boundaries community outsideentrenchedform personalized access to andtheability direct Soitwasthattheideaof mind. like to othersof connect with interact, to hard pressed to findways to respond, andthemany are inturn to themany, sents thefewelite voices thatcanspeak broadcast mediarepre- this vein then, In thepublic. to shapetheperceptionlity andagendasof exists governinghegemonic stranglehold whohastheabi- directly to thequestionsposedto my panel. issuesthatpertain underlying from acouplepart of stems in societal institutionslike thoseinvolving media, andIwould argueby extension to key world, trialized itcallsforsomedeeperanalysis. such, And as technological adaptationanddevelopment. of era thisparticular of itisanartifact apparent inthisquote, But now despite too themisguidedeuphoria all this. bevd nefc,itisless aboutcontent andmore about In effect, observed. dard protocols forconnection to thenetwork are matters what mostisthatstan- Indeed, nalized relations. institutio- through interconnectivity notionsof defying Alliances identities are andplural forged networks. Cohesion occurs anddissipates on unpredictable patterns. inrhizomatic predictable andflight and control, access, andcreated otherlinesof formalized, acknowledged, eso access inadditionto theold nels of possibilities andexperiences. of ly expanded thespectrum Itend changedtechnology therules? to thinkithasmere- Has information andthink abouttheworld. do business, theway to we transform interact, norisitspossibility not, theInternet’s reach andexistence is but thefactof dated, these. serve to dreams make andtheability technology hopes, beliefs, values, isaboutus–ourideals, technology our past, way anddetermining ourfuture and leadingthe technology instead of eod cyber-rhetoric issome- Second, thatakindof there wasandstillisabelief First, thisrebuke to theindus- thestrength of Specifically, face difficultto keepreading astraight It iskindof A networked meansthatthere are society newchan- theInternet revolution may be of The 90srhetoric 3 In otherwords, . 4 It hasineffect . changed therules? possibilities and Has information I tendtothinkit expanded the experiences spectrum of technology has merely 26 eaie one the Bush onlyhasto government’s review negative, potential forregulation andcontrol – bothpositive and and television? theInternet doradio aswell asthey the insandoutsof politicians andlawmakers doyou know whounderstand How many privacy. issueof problematic and abstract letalone suggestsolutionsto theincreasingly understand, which fewdare to enter and technological box” “black opaque that underlietheseconveniences are akindof datauseandstorage encryption, software, code, gramming thepro- Yet, our lives more convenient andconnected. cash machines andemailusethesameconduit to make For example, more lifestyles. pervasive inour modern ithasbecome more and andatthesametime, of, be wary noconcentration to that there are to noowners regulate, open source movement? MicrosoftAdministration andtheUS Military? orthe MIT’s this Jenkins Henry hasadapted deCerteau’s theory, life everyday order of theconstraining to andtactics dealwith ing strategies are theideathatindividuals – constantly develop- ing do” “mak- concept posited Michel by of Theorist deCerteau Take the shapedby astechnology the network us. society andinstitutions. or societalorganizations media engagement thanthoseenjoyed by of otherforms theseare different for significantly rules the whole, But on creativestructure impulsesinanetworked realm. inhibitorover- thatmaycoding andalgorithms limit, There are conventions inherent structuring like form. osetedwsd fanetworked andthe society To of seethedownside What’s is different technology aboutinformation ol oo ee but to letmereturn theideaof I could goonhere, Kazaa? lawyers? Copyright Is ittheBush anditsevolved heirapparent: Napster, is?Is ittheusersof who the ‘public’ can bestdetermine thepublicgoodor inthiscase, polarized? sarily And who, free market economy? Are neces- they andthe private enterprise the forces of thepublicgoodor itserve: ideals will what is, That media andotherwise. faced isafamiliaronefortechnologies, now thereality Internet here to stay, interesting ways. ments andconnect theminnewand conduit inwhich to more gather frag- The Internet hasmerely given usthe hasalways information existed. of standings create andunder- variations theirown given to themby broadcast mediaand takemeans thatindividuals whatis aueo anindividual’s reception nature of impulses andpractices? lize andpublicize theexisting libratory liberate us?Ordiditforma- technology did And thequestions: itbegs tions. which towith introduce thesevaria- aplatform merely provides anoutlet, ihtebbl vr andthe With thebubbleover, nti es hn thefragmentary In thissensethen, 5 ntecneto ei,where media, In thecontext of . 6 h nent inthiscase, Internet, The . still standing proposal of a Total Information Awareness Economist article I referenced at the beginning of this talk program, which proposes to collect all available data included a more recent Barlow quote from 2003. In it, including financial, personal, and health to create Barlow states that the ongoing fight to “control everything profiles for tracking individuals. Even the US Congress we know” will “determine the future of humanity”. Not had a problem with this level of surveillance and privacy sure I agree with the dramatic prediction, but the senti- erosion, but it remains to be seen whether a truly effec- ment is depressingly more relevant than the ‘Declaration tive deterrent will stand in the way of its implementa- of Independence’ he made six years ago. tion. After all, it can be done. It is possible. But then, there are a few issues facing this same test right now, and I would imagine the Internet is probably the least of anyone’s worries. However, maybe it should be moved up the priority 1 Fred Turner, a visiting MIT scholar from University of California San list here in Canada. Because the reality is that the majority Diego first introduced this term, “cyber-rhetoric” to a group of graduate of information technology is being developed and dissem- students I was part of in the Program in Comparative Media Studies inated in the United States. And I would posit that the US at MIT. government and US corporations are making decisions 2 David Manasian, “A survey of the internet society: Digital dilemmas,” that in effect are world Internet policy governing the use, The Economist, 25 Jan. 2003, p. 3. practices, and possibilities of information technology. A 3 networked society does not have borders, but borders still Bruno Latour, We Were Never Modern, trans. Catherine Porter, do exist and influence technological and business prac- (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993); Wiebe E. Bijker, Thomas P. Hughes, and Trevor Pinch, eds., The Social Construction of tices. What influence does Canada have in these realms? Technological Systems: New directions in the sociology and history of techno- How do we protect the interests of Canadians? Or are we logy, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1987). all still staring googly-eyed at the graphic user interface remaining blissfully happy about the quality of our search 4 The term,“network society” as I am using it comes from Manuel Castells’ results – so much so that we neglect to invest in gaining The Rise of the Network Society, 2nd Ed., (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, knowledge about the nature of the code and infrastructure 2000). I am also utilizing related theories put forth in Gilles Deleuze and that supports it? If we are to take the concept of networked Felix Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, trans. Brian Massumi, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1987); society seriously, then we might consider a creative and Bruno Latour, We Were Never Modern; Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, appropriate intervention to mitigate the effects and influ- Empire (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000). ences of US decisions on our businesses, infrastructures, and access to individual data. 5 Michel de Certeau, The Practice of Everyday Life, trans. Steve Rendall Unfortunately for us all, Barlow whom I earlier quo- (Berkley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1984), pp. 29-31. ted has had to rethink his ideas about cyberspace. The 6 Henry Jenkins, Textual Poachers (New York and London: Routledge, 1992).
27
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revue Choix de l’IRPP. de Choix revue
et d’une version abrégée d’un article publié dans le numéro de février 2003 de la la de 2003 février de numéro le dans publié article d’un abrégée version d’une et
science politique à l’Université de Montréal. Cet article s’agit de notes de la conférence la de notes de s’agit article Cet Montréal. de l’Université à politique science Thierry Giasson est candidat au doctorat et chargé de cours au Département de de Département au cours de chargé et doctorat au candidat est Giasson Thierry a ’fabismn el ééiinpbiu aspuiuspy,dont leCanada. publiquedansplusieurspays, par l’affaiblissementdelatélévision étéamplifiéescesauraient dernières annéesparlaconcentration croissante delapropriété desmédiaset Ces tendances » del’actualitépolitique. spectaculaire et« stéréotypée politique ouélectorale superficielle, d’appuyer conduiraient ces letravail desjournalistes surleterrain àproduire derniers unecouverture biensouvent parlesjournalistes eux-mêmes. ouvertement misesencause, Les routines organisationnellesetlesconditions sont du journalisme depratique politique. journalisme Divers facteurs sontinvoqués pourexpliquer l’apparente dérive du tempérer cette charge accusatrice. conflits partisans. mettre desacteurs essentiellement l’accentdiminuée delapolitiquequivient oules surlesstratégies tronquée surlesenjeuxdel’heure uneinformation detransmettre etdeproposer une image secondaires, dedétourner l’attention desélecteurs vers etdel’orienter desquestions indue, donnant unevisibilité lerôledesélusense d’usurper Onlesaccuse denoircir exagérément lesfaits, politique sontnombreuses. confiance descitoyens envers etleursclassespolitiquesrespectives. leursinstitutionsdémocratiques eteuropéenslogues américains onteuàdire surl’impactdeleursmédiasnationaux dansledéclindela Choix 2003delarevue dece Le fruit labeurestd’ailleurspubliécette semainedanslenuméro defévrier les élus. lesélecteurs et qu’entretiennentquébécois quisesontpenchés depuis30anssurlesrapports lesmédias, présentée parleursdétracteurs. Nous leprocès laforce allionsinstruire desmédiasetainsivérifier delapreuve etlapertinence plus claire. Notre missiondevenait àlapositionmisedel’avant révisionniste parlesaccusateursvision desmédias. lorsquenousavons enintérêt certain Curiosité quis’est transformée relevé rapidement l’existence d’une quis’élèventtrices contre aéveillé lesorganisationsmédiatiquesetleurspraticiens notre curiosité. L’unanimité desvoix accusa- imputableauxmédias. estprincipalement que ce malaisedémocratique, publique auCanadaouailleurs. le déclindelaconfiance envers depuislesannées1960dansl’opinion lemondepolitiqueenregistré saconsommation parlescitoyens et entre lanature delacouverture médiatiquedel’actualitépolitique, moi-même avons tenté d’expliquer pourquoi denombreuses analysessoutiennentqu’il existe unlien amnédu aas éortqea aaa? au Canada la montéd’unmalaise démocratique production d’unverdict solidedeculpabilitéquiassocie horsdetout doute lesmédiasà raisonnable ?Fournissent-ils lesélémentsnécessaires àla politiquecontemporain dujournalisme les détracteurs Qu’en est-ilalorsdelapreuve par fournie toutefois réduire laforce decette miseenaccusation. adressent leproblèmedupubliccyniquevis-à-vislesmédias. démocraties libéralescontemporaines.Giassonetsoncollègueproposentdonctroispistesderéflexionqui l’avant parlesdétracteursdesmédias,selonl’auteur. Ilexistenéanmoinsunmalaisemédiatiquedansles Très ? sontmisesde peudepreuvestangibles » médias-malaise La sociétécanadiennesouffre-t-elledu« .Lsjunlse otiscuals? Lesjournalistessont-ilscoupables 1. Journalisme politiqueetmalaised « .L rueetel ovicne? Lapreuveest-elle convaincante 2. C ’ est lafauteauxm Les pressions d’employeurs soucieuxderentabilité et lemanquederessources investies afin nousavons identifiédanslalittérature descirconstances atténuantes quiviennent Toutefois, àl’égardL’acte del’information Les critiques despraticiens d’accusation envers lesmédiasestlourd. canadienset européens, Notre d’unerevue exhaustive laforme examen apris américains, desécrits lesauteurs deces quecette deconfiance, étudesaffirment crise De manière plusoumoinsexplicite, Dans lecadre duprojet acag otecnr e éisetvrlne L’existence de circonstances atténuantes vient contreLa charge portée lesmédiasestvirulente. apev aainenu moti npirt,maisnousavons aussirelevé ce quelespolito- Lapreuve enpriorité, canadiennenousimportait . Les m exag é é is? dias dias exercent-ilsuneinfluence é » Renforcer canadienne ladémocratie r é u avecvqe? e surlaviecivique é 28 mocratique auCanada R É SUM É elIP,Richard Nadeau et de l’IRPP, PAR THIERRY GIASSON PAR THIERRY Notre revue de la production scientifique actuelle a adressés au journalisme politique ? En d’autres termes, peut- débouché sur des conclusions mitigées. En effet, une on déduire que les citoyens en général sont satisfaits des mésentente indéniable persiste au sein de la communauté médias et qu’ils jugent de façon positive leur contribution à scientifique sur l’existence d’un lien causal direct entre le la vie démocratique ? Rien n’est moins certain. Les travaux traitement journalistique de la politique et la montée du sur cette question font ressortir un écart grandissant entre cynisme envers la démocratie au Canada ou ailleurs. La un certain idéal de la couverture médiatique de l’actualité preuve mise de l’avant par les accusateurs des médias est politique ou électorale et les formes actuelles de la pratique surtout circonstancielle et donc, peu convaincante. Deux du journalisme politique. débats alimentent ce désaccord scientifique et viennent Si les citoyens sont cyniques envers le monde politique, effriter considérablement de la force de la preuve des ils le sont également envers les médias et nombre d’autres détracteurs du journalisme politique. institutions sociales. Il existe également un malaise média- Ces débats sont de nature théorique. Le premier porte tique. Une situation qui devrait préoccuper la profession sur l’identité du coupable. Certaines analyses posent que journalistique. En guise de solutions à cette problématique, se sont les nouvelles télévisées qui génèrent le cynisme nous proposons trois pistes de réflexion qui reposent sur (la théorie du « vidéo-malaise »). un diagnostic nuancé de la réalité. Notre D’autres chercheurs avancent plutôt que perspective emprunte moins à ceux qui l’ensemble des médias (imprimés et élec- accusent les médias d’engendrer le troniques) sont à blâmer (théorie du Le fait qu’il n’existe cynisme politique qu’au courant d’écrits « médias-malaise ») et finalement un pas d’association qui constate un écart grandissant entre troisième courant avance que la baisse de l’idéal type de la couverture journalistique confiance serait en fait liée davantage au statistique entre incarnée par la télévision dite de service contenu diffusé (divertissement plutôt l’exposition aux public et les formes contemporaines de qu’information) qu’au type de médias traitement médiatique de la politique. fréquenté par le citoyen. médias et le Le second débat porte sur la nature cynisme politique 3. Que faire ? de l’impact produit. D’une part, nombre Nous croyons d’abord que les jour- d’auteurs, qui constatent une simultanéité permet-il de nalistes doivent permettre un meilleur chronologique entre la baisse de la con- mettre au rancart contact entre les élus et les électeurs. Ils fiance envers le politique et l’évolution des doivent à cette fin rester vigilants, mais transformation journalistiques, avancent l’ensemble des apprendre à devenir moins omniprésents que les médias sont les premiers respon- griefs adressés dans leur traitement de l’activité poli- sables de la montée d’un malaise démo- tique. Ils doivent aussi renouer avec la cratique dans la population. À l’opposé, au journalisme tradition du journalisme d’enquête et d’autres chercheurs disent avoir mesuré politique? cesser de se cantonner dans une interpré- l’effet contraire. Ces derniers concluent tation unique de politique fondée sur le leurs analyses statistiques en affirmant que conflit partisan. Une pénétration plus la consommation d’information politique poussée de la pratique du journalisme stimule l’intérêt et la participation politique des citoyens civique dans les médias pourrait permettre d’atteindre plutôt que de générer le cynisme politique. Mais ces cet objectif dans une certaine mesure. L’accent placé par révisionnistes ont le triomphe modeste, préférant plutôt cette approche journalistique sur les préoccupations des présenter prudemment leurs conclusions comme étant électeurs et la mise en contexte fouillée et détaillée des plausibles, mais non démontrées. enjeux sociaux pourrait permettre de briser en partie Une méthodologie plus raffinée permettra peut-être un le carcan de l’interprétation médiatique dominante de jour de trancher clairement la question. Pour le moment, les la politique. tenants du « média-malaise » paraissent avoir été battus sur Nous pensons également que la concentration accrue leur propre terrain en s’avérant incapables de démontrer de la propriété des médias canadiens rend de plus en plus l’existence d’un lien positif entre l’exposition aux médias et difficile la diffusion de perspectives riches et variées, et le cynisme. Par ailleurs, le fait que leurs opposants hésitent à nous recommandons la tenue d’un vaste débat sur cette conclure fermement que la fréquentation des médias con- question. Des segments importants de la population, les tribue à raffermir et augmenter le soutien aux acteurs et aux journalistes et leurs associations professionnelles se disent institutions politiques montre bien que ce débat, pour le ouvertement préoccupés par l’évolution de cette situation. moment du moins, se prête mal à des conclusions tranchées. Le gouvernement québécois s’est intéressé à cette question Quel serait le verdict d’un jury chargé d’accuser ou de en créant un comité d’étude sur la qualité et la diversité de disculper les médias d’avoir alimenté le cynisme dans la l’information. Une consultation similaire pourrait être plupart des démocraties établies ? Le verdict ne fait guère de envisagée à l’échelle canadienne. doute. Le jury, sur la base de la preuve produite et de sa Finalement, nous déplorons l’affaiblissement au logique intrinsèque, acquitterait les médias après avoir sans Canada de la tradition de service public en information. doute exprimé sa surprise devant la virulence des charges et Nous pensons qu’un financement plus adéquat, stable et la faiblesse des preuves. sans ingérence politique de ce service public constituerait Est-à dire que le dossier est clos ? Non, car plusieurs un investissement civique à haut rendement. Nous questions restent ouvertes. Le fait qu’il n’existe pas d’associa- concluons donc qu’un retour appuyé à la tradition tion statistique entre l’exposition aux médias et le cynisme publique en information servirait bien les exigences de la politique permet-il de mettre au rancart l’ensemble des griefs démocratie canadienne.
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CITC
at Carleton University Carleton at Christopher Dornan is Director, Journalism & Mass Communications, Communications, Mass & Journalism Director, is Dornan Christopher xliigisl.Iarewt nrwCye whosaidthat we tend to talk aboutthemarket as though with Iagree Andrew Coyne, explaining itself. made plain. thedecisionbutatleastreasons onemay foritare with disagree cation forablackmusic station, theCRTC when licences andwestern stationinToronto acountry for example, over anappli- So, selves. must explain Heritage them- andIndustry of Theministries TheCBCmust explain itself. explain itself. TheCRTC must are andthey comparatively visible. analysisandscrutiny, much of very theobjects regulators andpolicymakers –are policyandregulation –andthedecisionsof Therealms of products. media the concrete ways inwhich market considerations influence andcontent thespecificforms of orconstrain them. complement them, would compensate formarket imperatives, that countervailing regime of andthosewhoargueforsomesort private sector imperatives, market, – wasthedebate between thosewhoexpress aconfidenceone inamediasystem propelled by free say 22years agowhentheKent Commission delivered itsreports. factor thatitwas, a isinfactmuch ownership lessof havemedia offerings never beensodiverse andthatconcentration of We heard that isaclearandpresent mediaownership dangerto thepublicinterest. concentration of corporate control over communication and We heard thatconsolidation of never beenmore essential. We heard thatpublicbroadcasting has publicbroadcasting have outlived theirusefulness. of traditions We heard that publicbroadcasting have outlived theirusefulness. We of heard thattraditions than ever. We heard voices equallyarticulate arguethatregulation ismore necessary andunnecessary. productive and regulationthanabouttheimpactofmarketforcesoncontent. But inaspiritedexaminationofthestateCanada’smedia,wehavecometoknowfarmoreaboutpolicy Sometimes thedecisionsofmediaexecutivesarestronglytiedtoeconomicconsiderations.That isnotnew. S ycnrs,iamc stemre eemnsmdacnutadcnet itdoessowithout inasmuch asthemarket determines mediaconduct andcontent, By contrast, me abouttheconference struck what proceedings how isactually littlewe know about In thatlight, butaprominent through theconference running –not theonlyoneby any means, A leitmotif ocsageta h paau fmdarglto ftemdai o nrsv,counter- themediaisnow intrusive, mediaregulation of voices of arguethattheapparatus At conference theFebruary we heard articulate andhealthy. on themediainCanadaisvigorous debate thestate of themediainCanada, afe to say thatwhatever thinkaboutthestate of onemight What Have We Learned? 30 ABSTRACT BY CHRISTOPHER DORNAN it’s some sort of disembodied force. But in fact the market exactly the same time, almost all these movies are American influences media content through decisions taken by media releases, and the work of these movie critics is conducted in executives in light of commercial pressures – that is, under an environment in which there is certainly no shortage of specific circumstances – and there is nothing necessarily media attention to new releases, from Entertainment Weekly inevitable about them. Market conditions change over time, to Rotten Tomatoes.com to Ebert and Roeper. So it’s just the and sometimes the decisions of media executives are emi- lesser ironies of the overall scheme that reporting on natio- nently subject to contestation purely on economic grounds. nal political affairs is relegated to pool coverage, while Let me give you a couple of examples to explain what Hollywood rates a private scribe at every daily newspaper in I mean. First, the way in which market conditions can the CanWest chain. There is nothing natural and inevitable change with profound consequences for the overall media about that. The New Yorker only has two movies critics, why economy, the public interest and policy makers. Take the does CanWest require 13? It’s the result of decisions taken in attention of the news media to science. Twenty years ago, corporate suites, but it need not be that way. mass circulation dailies such as the Montreal Gazette or the So, I would argue, in light of what we heard at the Calgary Herald paid relatively little atten- conference, that what is needed is greater tion to scientific research. These papers attention to the ways in which market would have weekly sections devoted to considerations are inflected through the travel, cars, real estate, but they wouldn’t decisions of media producers to colour have equivalent sections devoted to or indeed determine the media content science. Why not? Because there was no These papers that is actually made available to viewers commercial incentive to do so. Because, would have weekly and readers and web clickers. All the unlike travel and automobiles and the more poignant given that as we have housing market, there was no ready sections devoted heard in the two days of discussions, the or obvious advertising constituency to travel, cars, real economic underpinnings of the media that would support robust coverage of are very much in flux. The same seamless science. So it fell to public sector enter- estate, but they marriage between news, comment and prises such as the CBC to cover science, wouldn’t have advertising that obtains in print and or to upscale newspapers such as the broadcasting has not yet been effected Globe & Mail, which signalled its distinc- equivalent sections in the case of the Internet – and the eco- tion from its more populist competitors devoted to science. nomic model that emerges in cyberspace precisely through content such as dutiful Why not? Because may be quite distinct from what we’re attention to science. familiar with in the case of the traditio- In such circumstances, the place of there was no nal media – but the payment model or an institution such as the CBC was secure commercial models that emerge with have profound – or, at least, its self-understanding was consequence for the type of content we assured. It knew that it existed to provide incentive to get. Similarly, Ian MacLean of Media what the private sector either would not do so. Experts may be right in that “the or could not: programs devoted to science Personal Video Recorder may not be the (The Nature of Things), to fate and spiritua- death knell of advertiser-supported lity (Man Alive), children’s programming broadcasting, but I think it is plain that devoid of commercial interest. shifts in the relation between advertising Flash forward 20 years and now we and content will have profound conse- have entire channels devoted to science, and to faith and quences for media content.” spirituality, and to children’s programming – all perfectly And on that note, let me finish by pointing to some- profitable, good quality, and available 24 hours a day. Hence thing that I don’t think was explicitly mentioned during the the CBC’s existential crisis, born of shifting realities in the proceedings, but I suspect may be momentous for the oldest media marketplace. of the traditional media, the newspapers – and that is Let me offer another example. Twenty years ago, what changes in classified advertising. The classifieds, as we all were then the member Southam daily newspapers relied for know, are the bread and butter of the newspaper industry. It’s their coverage of parliamentary affairs on Southam News – an ad market that amounts to some $900 million per year, the chain’s in-house Ottawa bureau – on Canadian Press, and and it’s a form of advertising that cannot be accommodated on their own correspondents. Each paper would maintain its in radio, television or magazines. Heretofore, it’s been the own Ottawa reporter, attuned to how deliberations in exclusive preserve of the newspapers, and they pay the freight Ottawa would affect regional concerns. Over the course of for those newsrooms full of print journalists across the coun- the past two decades, however, in response to declining try. But classifieds are superbly suited to the Internet. Indeed, newsroom budgets and the need to pare expenses, one web classifieds are in principle infinitely superior to newspa- by one almost all the Southam papers dropped their own per classified. So what happens to the newspaper industry parliamentary reporters. That was a decision taken by media when classified can be unhitched from the paper-and-ink executives in light of commercial pressures. At the same time, product of the daily paper? What happens when it’s splitsville however, to this day each of the Southam papers – or what for the seamless marriage between editorial content and the were the Southam papers – maintains its own movies critic; largest single source of revenue for the newspaper as we each of these people reviews exactly the same movies at know it?
31 CITC u e piim nelgne uor andconstant devotion. humour, intelligence, our heroptimism, bothnationallyandinternationally.We hon- andcolleagues, friends aaingvrmn.His career took Canadian government. on theconstitution and workings of Canada’s foremost teachers andwriters of be remembered will fessor Mallory asone Pro- andEdinburgh, Dalhousie (MA), cated atNew (BA Hons), Brunswick New andedu- Brunswick Andrews, in St. in1916 Born Mallory. Professor James R. td fCanada. study of es CDN2100and2500onnewresearch methodsforthe thecours- Angela alsotaught show CanadianStudiesinPerson. our newsletter Initiatives andproducing theInternet webcast andeditingof Her otherdutiesincluded thewriting Canada. databases andothertools usedincomputerized research on Angela organized numerous workshops onresearch Studies. usedby professorsputer andstudentsinCanadian laboratory also maintainedtheMitel Data Analysis Centre which isacom- She accordance setupby theUniversity. thenewdesign with theInstitute web pagewascompletely in redesigned 2001, andmaintainingtheInstitute’sdesigning In Summer Web page. hermajorprojects was Oneof Technologies inJuly 1998. joining theteam attheInstitute. in theITSD (Informatics Technology before Division) Services sheworked timeatStatisticsCanada forashort cation (NT4.0), After obtainingcertifi- Program atSHLLearningTechnologies. enrolled intheMCSE(Microsoft System’s Certified Engineer) she After backto moving Ottawa, French. of the Department in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Professor attheUniversity of the Marian Bestiary. manuscript, century afourteenth editionof wasacritical 1996, defendedin Her thesis, study wasMedieval French Literature. of Her mainarea Ottawa. Lettres from françaises theUniversity of in French Literature from Carleton University andaPh.D. aMaster’s in in French Literature from McMaster University, Research theCanadianCentury project. Infrastructure of CanadianStudiesandProject Co-ordinator Ottawa Institute of Information Technologies fortheUniversity of Angela wasCoordinator of June 12, after asuddenillness. onThursday, Minnesota, Minneapolis, T I h et fAgl atac,PD in PhD, Angela Mattiacci, the deathof thedeepestregret you thatwe inform t iswith of adndt er fthepassing of saddened to of learn he CanadianStudiescommunity was neajie h nttt sCodntro Information Angela joinedtheInstitute asCoordinator of Angela worked asan Assistant From 1995to 1997, sheobtainedaBA Before joiningtheteam attheInstitute, elrsetdpoesoa,Angela leaves behindmany A well-respected professional, James R.Mallory (1916-2003) IN MEMORIAM a faitsesétudes àl’Université du Mallory M. Nouveau-Brunswick, Andrews, Néen1916àSt- Mallory. James R. ledécèsduprofesseurdiennes aapprise C thm nTedy ue2,2003. June 24, at homeonTuesday, James diedpeacefully Mallory fall. every Canada McGill Institute forthe Study of hosted by the Lecture inCanadianStudies, Mallory theannual James R. creation of hisretirement by the red atthetimeof hewashonou- CanadianStudies, neer of As apio- political science department. theeconomics & 10 years of chairman named professor andwasfor emeritus where hewas and McGill (for45years), Brandon Toronto, him to Saskatchewan, communauté desétudescana- ’est avec quela tristesse unegrande Angela Mattiacci 32 l’humour etsondévouement. sensde son sonintelligence, dons hommageàsonoptimisme, Nous ren- tantauniveau nationalqu’international. et collègues, dans lemilieuuniversitaire elleplusieursamis etlaissederrière recherche pourl’étudeduCanada. cours CDN 2100etCDN2500surlesnouvelles méthodesde les Angela aaussienseigné Les étudescanadiennesenpersonne. Initiatives etaconçu lacyberémission occupé aussidubulletin, Elles’est et d’autres outilsdanslarecherche surleCanada. organisé denombreux ateliers surl’emploidesbasesdedonnées Ellea par lesprofesseurs etlesétudiantsenétudescanadiennes. unlaboratoire utilisé informatisé Mitel d’analyse dedonnées, Elleétaitaussiresponsable duCentre ment refait enété2001. de sesprojets étaitlesite Web del’Institut quiaétécomplète- Un velles technologies àl’Institut d’étudescanadiennesen1998. informatiques. desservices Statistique Canadadansladivision etaensuite travaillé pendant quelques moisà cation (NT4.0), Elleaobtenu lacertifi- àSHLLearningTechnologies. Engineer) MCSE(Microsoft System’sdans leprogramme Certified elles’est inscrite Après sonretour àOttawa, ment defrançais. audéparte- Fredericton, l’Université duNouveau-Brunswick, duquatorzième unmanuscrit siècle. du Bestiaire marial, étaituneéditioncritique soutenue en1996, Sathèse, médiévale. lalittérature Sondomained’étudeétaitsurtout d’Ottawa. University del’Université etundoctorat enlettres françaises deCarleton enlittérature française unemaîtrise McMaster, un baccalauréat del’Université enlittérature française 20e siècle. tionnaire duprojet derecherche Infrastructure surleCanadaau l’Institut d’étudescanadiennesdel’Université d’Ottawa etges- n rfsinel epcé,Angela était bienconnue Une professionnelle respectée, Angela Mattiacci estdevenue coordonnatrice desnou- Angela aétéprofesseure adjointe à De 1995à1997, Angela aobtenu Avant desejoindre àl’équipedel’Institut, C trice des technologies de l’information pour destechnologies del’information trice Angela étaitcoordonna- suites d’unemaladiesubite. lejeudi12juin2003des Minneapolis (Minnesota), osd éè ’neaMtici h,à PhD, mons dudécèsd’Angela Mattiacci, ’est avec regret quenousvous ungrand infor- dans sarésidence le mardi 24juin2003. James estdécédéenpaix Mallory Canada. au McGill Institute fortheStudy of Canadian Studiestenu chaque automne Lecture Mallory in tion duJame R. été honorélorsdesaretraite parlacréa- ila le domainedesétudescanadiennes, Entantquepionnierdans et politiques. dessciencesdépartement économiques àlatêtedu et aétépendant10ans oùilfutnomméprofesseur Emeritus ans), etàMcGillBrandon (pendantplusde45 à àToronto, amené enSaskatchewan, l’aura Sacarrière vernement duCanada. sur laconstitution etlestravaux dugou- professeurs duCanada etécrivains grands pellerons deluicomme l’undesplus Nous nousrap- (MS) etEdinburgh. Dalhousie Nouveau-Brunswick (BA Hons),