Post Tagged with: "journalism"

Creative Commons by Kristina Alexanderson (CC BY 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/dp7BN7

Canadian Government Commits $50 Million to Creative Commons Licensed Open News Content

The Canadian government announced plans last spring in Budget 2018 to support local journalism with a $50 million commitment over five years. It indicated that the money would be allocated by independent, non-governmental organizations to provide support in under-served communities. Last week, the federal economic update included several additional measures to support the media sector, including the prospect of charitable donations to non-profit journalism organizations, a refundable tax credit to support labour costs for news organizations, and a non-refundable tax credit for Canadians that subscribe to Canadian digital news media. While the new funding has attracted considerable commentary (my take here on why there are problems but the proposal is better than Internet taxes or other cross-subsidization models), somewhat overshadowed was an update on the initial $50 million commitment.

The update indicates that the money will be invested in “open source” news content that will be available under a Creative Commons licence:

November 26, 2018 — 4 comments — News

Doublespeak [Explore] by Kat Northern Lights Man (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/ekXjym

Saving Private Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Terrible From the Latest Canadian Proposals

Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly does not plan to release her digital culture policy plan until September, but the pressure to address the financial challenges faced by media organizations increased last week with the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage report (the same report that recommended an Internet tax that was swiftly rejected by Prime Minister Trudeau) and a proposal from News Media Canada that seeks hundreds of millions in annual government support. The recommendations don’t end there: copyright reform, tax changes, and amendments to government advertising policies are all part of the proposals to provide support to Canadian media organizations.

Andrew Coyne’s must-read column persuasively argues against a media bailout, noting the dangers of permanent government funding of an otherwise independent media. He rightly argues that if funding is established, it isn’t going away as government will be reluctant to allow funded media organizations to fail. Further, Ken Whyte, former editor-in-chief of the National Post, openly acknowledges in a Twitter stream the constraints that come from criticizing government when funding or regulation is at stake.

June 19, 2017 — 6 comments — News

The Death of the Newspaper Business by Thomas Hawk (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/aa7yyW

Why Journalism is not Dying in the Digital Age

The ongoing financial struggles of Canadian businesses that have traditionally delivered the news – particularly newspapers and local broadcasters – have generated considerable discussion and consternation over the past month. With significant layoffs, newspaper closures, and testimony before Canada’s broadcast regulator that the cost of delivering local news is unsustainable, there have been mounting calls for new funding programs, studies, or other measures to address the issue.

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that much of the commentary emphasizes the critical link between a strong, independent media and holding governments at all levels to account for their actions. While there is little debate over the essential role of journalism, the tougher question is whether emerging digital alternatives can provide an effective substitute.

February 12, 2016 — 5 comments — Columns

Shirky on the Future of Newspapers

Many have pointed to it, but Clay Shirky's piece on newspapers, journalism, and the current upheaval is an absolute must-read.

March 16, 2009 — Comments are Disabled — News

Blogging and the Parliamentary Press Gallery

Conservative blogger Stephen Taylor with a must-read on his experience with the Parliamentary Press Gallery. The posting raises important questions about the treatment of bloggers as journalists. Montreal Gazette reporter Elizabeth Thompson responds to Taylor in the comments (hat tip: Rob Hyndman).

April 3, 2007 — 1 comment — News