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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 116 255 CS 501 201 AUTHOR Robinson, Gertrude Joch, Ed.; Theall, Donald Ed. TITLE Studies in Canadian Communications. INSTITUTION McGill Univ., Montreal (Quebec) . PUB DATE 75 NOTE 187p.; Some pages may not reproduce due to small type AVAILABLE FROM McGill Uriversity, Graduate Programme in Communications, Department of English, P.O. Box 6070, Station A, Montreal, Canada ($5.00) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.76 HC-$9.51 Plus Postage DESCRIPTORS Broadcast Industry; Communication Problems; *Communications; Films; Higher Education; Information Networks; *Information Theory: *Mass Media; Media Technology; *Social Factors IDENTIFIERS *Canada ABSTRACT Canada provides a unique example of the way in which practical communication problems have produced an awareness of communication theory, policy, and practice. This book brings together a collection of essays whichaim to philosophically, analytically, and historically explore the lessons to be gainedfrom Canadian communications activity and highlight the many contributionsthat Canada has made to North American communications. Thebook contains such essays as "Communication Theory and theMarginal Culture: The Socio-aesthetic Dimensions of Communication Study" by DonaldTheall; "Canadian Media Regulation" by Frank Peers; "Issuesin Canadian Cultural Policy" by Hugo McPherson; "Communication: The Stateof the Canadian News Media" by Dick MacDonald; "The Politics ofInformation and Culture During Canada's October Crises" byGertrude Robinson; "Candadian Communication Theory: Extensions andInterpretations of Harold Innis" by James Carey; and "Moloch or Aquarius:Strategies for Evaluating Future Communications Needs" by Gordon Thompson. (TS) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by EPIC include many informalunpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERICmakes every effort * * to obtain "-he best copy available.Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered andthis affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopyreproductions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document ReproductionService (EDRS). EDRS is not * responsible for the quality of theoriginal document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can bemade from the original. *********************************************************************** U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION I WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO. Duc ED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LIN EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY tr. 1-4 STUDIES \ g\A D IA\ CCYV/VU N I &IT! 0 S editors: Gertrude Joch Robinson & Donald F.Theall programme in communications mcgill university 1975 copyright pendinQ Aides in communications Copyright pending 1975 Graduate Programme in Communications Department of EftgliSh MbGill University P.O. Box 6070 PENMN REppoDucETHISCOP, Station A R,GHTED MATERIAL .A5 BEEN GRANTED Bw Montreal Olin McGill University Canaan ERIC AND ORGANCzATIONS OREBADNG uNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL IN ',WW1 O' EDUCATION FURTHER REPRO Du GOON OUTSIDE GTE ERIC $w STEM RE G,GtRES PERMISSION 01 THE COPwRuGHF prtnibe by/ McGill Utureetity Tmlriinl /N Prottiet Serve* TABLE OF CWILMS Page introduction 1 Donald F. Theall University) "Communication Theory 7 and the Marginal Culture: The Socio-aesthetic Dimensions of Communication Study" James Carey (University of Illinois) "Canadian Communi- 27 cation Theory: Extensions and Interpretations of Harold tennis" Gordon Thormsecn (Bell - Northern Research Ottawa) "Moloch or 61 Aquarius: Strategic s for Evaluating Future Carmunications Needs" Frank W. Peers (University of Toronto) "Canadian Media 73 'ego; aticn" Graham Spry (Canadian Broadcasting League) "Canada: Mixed 89 Public/Private Broadcast System and its Implications for the Future" Hugo McPherson (McGill University) "Issues in Canadian 103 Cultural Policy" "Jthn Grierscn on Nadia, Film and History" 113 Dick MacDonald (Editor, Content) "Commication:The 131 State of the Canadian News Media" Gertrude J. Bobinson (McGill University) "The Politics 141 of Information and Culture During Canada's October Crisis" (1-%; Martin (Simon Fraser University) "Raven: 'inter- 163 mediate' Communications Technology and Rural Isolation" Dorothy Todd H6naut (The National Film Board Challenge 175 for Change) "Films for Social Change:The Hammer and the Maitor" List of ContritUtors 189 - 1 - Introduction This is an intensely personal book. It not only brings together most of what we as editors consider the more Important contemporary thought on Canadian communications, but it also reflects our intellectual atti- tudes toward the study of human communication. The collected essays can roughly be divided into three categories: theory, policy, and Canadian oommunication praxis. TOgether these papers form a unity not because they were commissioned for this volume, but because each writer as an individual is responding to trends and opportunities unique to the Canadian situation in the seventies. Four of these unique aspects Should be particularly mentioned in the beginning,for they have espe- cially influenced the themes, judgements, values and styles of analysis of the eleven papers. They are Canada's geopolitical marginality, Canadian government's attitude toward regulation, government attitudes towards cultural policy and the absence of academic concern with com - munication studies in the past. The implications of each of these unique features is explored in one or another of the essays and a sur- vey of their author's conclusionstherefore provides a natural intro, duction to this volume. Canada's geopolitical marginality on the fringe of the North American continent seems to have given rise to two distinct outlooks:a parti- cular perception of this country's cultural mission and a unique com - munications philosophy. Grierson saw this mission as fostering and preserving Canada's own identity vis-a-vis both the mother country and its southern neighbour. In the late thirties therefore the National Film Board under his direction selected the north as an orienting sym- bol to embody Canada's unique reality, a reality which economists, politicians and communications engineers find problematic to this day. In the north lie the untapped natural resources required for modern survival, the north also is the cradle of the" continent's original settlers whose life style is being threatened by extinction. In the north moreover, Canadians are utilizing communications technology on both a grand and a small scale, pitting the most tv-to -date satellite technology and the relatively unsophisticated closed circuit radio telephone against climate, isolation and space. Geopolitical marginality also has something to do with the fact that it took Canadians a hundred years to begin to want to know more about themselves and to talk to each other. This new cultural awareness has been trarslated into various kinds of social support for the performing arts, for the film, for the book and magazine industries and for Cana- dian content in Broadcasting. It is also reflected in the Broadcasting Act's concern with human needs and the human implications of communi- cations tecnnology. This legislation enacted in 1932 stipulated that all citizens irrespective of location should have access to broadcast messages. In a country with the size and population of Canada this was and is an idealistic mandate which has generated sensitivities to the needs of marginal people and cultural differences. On the practical level of communication research the:awareness of marginal people has given rise to two novel projects:Simon Fraser's Raven study and the National Film Board's "Challenge for Change".The Raven project, Gail Martin notes, demonstrates two impca-uultinsights about mcdern communications technology. It can first of all be scaled down and adapted to specific needs of human communication. So on the rugged coast of British Columbia -a closed circuit radionetwork is helping Indian groups to overcome communications problems posed by language and isolation. Second, the process of designing a "culture free" system helps sensitize the rest of us to the biases ofconven- tional media technology: largeness, efficiency, technological sophis- tication, and hierarchical restriction of access andcost. All these biases affect the structure of Canada's social communicationpatterns in ways which may not be humanly beneficial in the longrun. A similar mandate to "improve ccummications, create greater unders- tanding, promote new ideas and provoke social change ", is evident in the government's "Challenge for Change" prognunte established in 1968. In the past seven years this agency has utilized film to help describe and change the lives of Fogo islanders, Quebec unemployed, Prairie farmers, Canadian women and indigenous minorities. It has also ex- plored alternative uses of cable as a means for democratisingaccess and demystifying the established media.Haw well this small grow of dedicated Challenge for Changers has done and what it learned is ref- lected in Dorothy Todd Henaut's analysis of the role of film in social change and self-realization.Even though it may net have succeeded in all of its aims, "Challenge for Change" has attracted attention far beyond the nation's borders for its human use of communications tedh- nology. Three other papers explore theoretical insights