As graduation nears, journalism students are worrying about job security with the decrease of newspaper and media outlets across Canada. However, this is not just a problem for journalism students. Canadians across the country will be affected by this, as the lack of a thriving free press puts democracy in jeopardy.
Last month, Canada’s recently released federal budget set out $50 million for local news and non-profit media organizations. While most Canadians agree that a trusted media and an informed public are key to democracy, the public does not seem to be interested in keeping this vital part of representative government alive. Based on a report done by the Earnscliffe Strategy Group, the majority of Canadians say there would be a threat to democracy if news from TV, radio and newspapers disappeared. However, since 2010, 225 weekly and 27 daily newspapers have been shut down or have merged operations.
Last year, the Public Policy Forum, a nonpartisan think tank, released the Shattered Mirror report, which discusses the importance of maintaining a news presence in an age of social media and online news. It stresses the importance of having real news in order to make educated decisions about the government and to hold the powerful accountable. The policy reform contains 12 recommendations for the government. The first five are designed to improve the economic landscape whereas the next seven are measures to enhance the supply of quality news.
While the Shattered Mirror report provides important suggestions for the government, this will be done in vain if Canadians continue to lose interest in the news. Today, taxation to support Canadian media, specifically the CBC, remains at approximately $29 per person, relatively low to countries such as France who spend around $73 per person, and Norway, which spends around $180. This lack of interest is concerning, as democracy relies on accurate and reliable journalism, and it is the citizen’s responsibility to seek accurate news and remain well-informed.
In a country as free and liberal as Canada, its citizens are taking media outlets and journalism for granted. The loss of the free press greatly affects societies. Take Russia during the Soviet Era for example, which was impacted by harsh censorship initiated after the Bolshevik Revolution. Soviet citizens did not have access to media or literature about the true state of their nation or anything that critiqued the Soviet Union.
Under Joseph Stalin’s rule, there was a lack of reporting on the secret police, which led to many of his political opponents disappearing without the general public having any idea.
The total loss of journalism is linked to the total loss of democracy, as demonstrated by many authoritarian countries. Can you think of a totalitarian country that has a free press? When there are no journalists to report accurate information, citizens lose complete control, and often this leads to the government being able to leave its citizens without vital rights and liberties. We don’t want to see that happen in Canada.
Canadians need to redirect their interests towards the news and support journalism. By keeping citizens educated, they gain skills to spot fake news, authenticate sources, and read through bias. Most importantly, they keep the government accountable. This is not a problem that will just affect those in the journalism program.
Remember, democracy dies in the dark.
Photo by Meagan Casalino
