As I write this, I’ve learned Canadian newspapers have been kicked in the face and curbstomped.
I’m talking about the announcement that media giants Postmedia and Torstar have traded ownership of 43 papers, if you count the weekend editions.
In an effort to reduce the competition to papers they already had in those areas, both companies will be shutting down almost all of their new acquisitions.
This is a huge blow to the foundation of our society’s democratic institutions.
Many will wonder what the big deal is.
If there are already newspapers serving those areas, what’s wrong with cutting out ‘redundancies?’
Well, as many of you no doubt feel — yes, I read the online comments — sometimes media organizations fall short in covering some topics. One way to reduce this problem is by adding competition to the market.
If one paper or station or website doesn’t pick up a story, then perhaps a competitor will, and vice-versa.
Generally speaking, this leads to better coverage in general. Like with many other businesses, media entities are often pushed to do their best when pitted against competitors.
So how does this affect society? Wiping out competition will allow remaining papers to turn a blind eye to problems in their communities, because if they don’t report on a particular problem, who will?
This will create a series of blind spots that will allow people to do all sorts of things they previously wouldn’t be caught dead doing. It won’t be noticeable immediately, but it will snowball over time.
While many people deride the news media for stories that have a critical tone, the fact of the matter is that problems don’t get solved unless people become aware of them.
It’s also worth mentioning the first thing authoritarian governments do to consolidate power is eliminate all critical content from the press.
Reporting forms the bedrock for all our institutions. Voters are in charge of keeping authorities accountable, but this is impossible unless everyone who casts a ballot is informed of what officials are actually doing. All of this brings me to what’s happening at The Chief.
Some people are asking about the future of print news. My answer is that it will always fill a much-needed role in the community.
But if you value what this paper does, I’d suggest subscribing or buying the newspaper, instead of just consuming it exclusively online — for free. If that’s too much, we’re also hoping to roll out a way to make small monthly donations — stay tuned for more news on that.
It’s not yet too late for journalism in Canada, but we have to act fast.
