It's pretty explicit that Poilievre wants to end the CBC because they cover news from a direction he doesn't like. (I can't recall a particular story he has successfully criticized as biased; he seems to only ever be talking in vague generalities about their perfidy.)
Really, cat's out of the bag on government trying to influence media with money. The CBC was never fair game, before: now that they are, everything is different, if you ask me.
I can't even imagine why Trudeau or Singh haven't asked him if he will also defund the very friendly coverage at Postmedia, or "will he defund coverage that he doesn't like and subsidize coverage that he does like - why not just demand public money for a Poilievre TV Network, sir?"
Politics are all a show. Read "The Constitution of Canada" book and gets wise to what is going on. The Governor General is the acting king. The rest is kabuki theatre.
David, while 100% agreement the government should not be interfering with newspaper journalism, if these mainstream media "companies" are in it for the business and making profit, then personally, I don’t want my tax dollars going to them. Figure out another model. I look a the number of journos who have left well paying positions with media because they had to toe the paper or media owners position. I applaud them. I do agree this MP shouldn’t have spoken out, although I doubt he spoke on behalf of the government. So many MPs are targeted today that reaction may be visceral. I’d suggest it was personal. That said, I do believe all journalists have a responsibility to write fairly and truthfully, regardless of who they write for. It is why right now, I follow several well respected freelancers on Substack and elsewhere. Some I pay for a digital subscription, but I’ve almost stopped 100% mainstream. I honestly don’t trust what is written.
David, government funding for mass media is akin to students writing their own report cards. The outcome (of either actual or perceived influence) is so predictable as to be fatal. Distrust is the end product.
The Globe and Mail survives on the philanthropy of the Thomson family, the Toronto Star continues its slide into oblivion (mass regional closures, staff reductions). The National Post is a debt repayment machine. The CBC? Well, it's function and fate are predictable.
You, David, are at the forefront of at least part of the new model. Daily news (but sadly not local news) is so available for free that the "market" has disappeared. Like the automobile, the future is unclear....but the horse, as a transportation industry, is truly dead. Subsidization will simply kill it earlier.
If a few substackers were to vow to cover the Vancouver city council, parks board, education, and some of the BC legislature, esp where it affects Vancouver, I would be happy to pay for that substack - quite a lot - local news is my main excuse for the Vancouver Sun at $500/year.
But I don't think that will come together. I don't know of an actual "news" substack that goes out attending meetings, getting quotes, writing news nobody else has broken. They're all opinion and reaction, plus a lot of desk research. Noah Smith never leaves his desk.
I think you're right and it's a shame. It's also extremely tough because of very real resource constraints, which are easier at scale (e.g. if you have subs like Noah). This is why we need major outlets to be focused on local. But...well, you know.
As usual, David Moscrop has gloomily identified the Poilievre behavioral characteristic that the columnists have generally missed. ..understandably, in less thoughtful opinion pieces devoted not to analyses but to watching P.P. blowing in the wind -- in which ever direction it will take him. Moscrop has plumbed the shallow depths of P.P.s powermongering: the mean little kid really just wants to be king of the mud castle: he does not have very powerful political ambitions, as in principles of holding power, doing good-- or perhaps ill if necessary -- as a trip to immortality or even temporary top of mudheap. Poilievre, it seems to me, is uneasy, angry, and resentful -- of what/ who we don't quite know. These are strong emotions: let's hope he does not employ them in some sort of redneck rally just so that he might prove some obscure power point. David, keep probing in your gloomy analytical
style: you can tell those scary truths and make them interesting as well ... S. Bradley, Vancouver
Actually, I think that government-supported journalists - the CBC and everybody on the $600M/year subsidy program - should have to wear special hats or pins when on TV or in scrum.
Politicians should get to refer to them as "my liddle bee-atch".
Just so that we folks paying for Canadaland and substackers can take pride in supporting those not on the take. (Even those who'd be glad of some take, but just don't qualify because they aren't giant traditional media.)
It's pretty explicit that Poilievre wants to end the CBC because they cover news from a direction he doesn't like. (I can't recall a particular story he has successfully criticized as biased; he seems to only ever be talking in vague generalities about their perfidy.)
Really, cat's out of the bag on government trying to influence media with money. The CBC was never fair game, before: now that they are, everything is different, if you ask me.
I can't even imagine why Trudeau or Singh haven't asked him if he will also defund the very friendly coverage at Postmedia, or "will he defund coverage that he doesn't like and subsidize coverage that he does like - why not just demand public money for a Poilievre TV Network, sir?"
Hear, hear!
Politics are all a show. Read "The Constitution of Canada" book and gets wise to what is going on. The Governor General is the acting king. The rest is kabuki theatre.
David, while 100% agreement the government should not be interfering with newspaper journalism, if these mainstream media "companies" are in it for the business and making profit, then personally, I don’t want my tax dollars going to them. Figure out another model. I look a the number of journos who have left well paying positions with media because they had to toe the paper or media owners position. I applaud them. I do agree this MP shouldn’t have spoken out, although I doubt he spoke on behalf of the government. So many MPs are targeted today that reaction may be visceral. I’d suggest it was personal. That said, I do believe all journalists have a responsibility to write fairly and truthfully, regardless of who they write for. It is why right now, I follow several well respected freelancers on Substack and elsewhere. Some I pay for a digital subscription, but I’ve almost stopped 100% mainstream. I honestly don’t trust what is written.
I could delve more, but I think my point is made.
If the maibstream media had to fund itself by its supportets they would be bankrupt.
Maybe their model is wrong. Not everything is meant to last forever.
David, government funding for mass media is akin to students writing their own report cards. The outcome (of either actual or perceived influence) is so predictable as to be fatal. Distrust is the end product.
The Globe and Mail survives on the philanthropy of the Thomson family, the Toronto Star continues its slide into oblivion (mass regional closures, staff reductions). The National Post is a debt repayment machine. The CBC? Well, it's function and fate are predictable.
You, David, are at the forefront of at least part of the new model. Daily news (but sadly not local news) is so available for free that the "market" has disappeared. Like the automobile, the future is unclear....but the horse, as a transportation industry, is truly dead. Subsidization will simply kill it earlier.
If a few substackers were to vow to cover the Vancouver city council, parks board, education, and some of the BC legislature, esp where it affects Vancouver, I would be happy to pay for that substack - quite a lot - local news is my main excuse for the Vancouver Sun at $500/year.
But I don't think that will come together. I don't know of an actual "news" substack that goes out attending meetings, getting quotes, writing news nobody else has broken. They're all opinion and reaction, plus a lot of desk research. Noah Smith never leaves his desk.
I think you're right and it's a shame. It's also extremely tough because of very real resource constraints, which are easier at scale (e.g. if you have subs like Noah). This is why we need major outlets to be focused on local. But...well, you know.
Liars have nothing of value to sell.
As usual, David Moscrop has gloomily identified the Poilievre behavioral characteristic that the columnists have generally missed. ..understandably, in less thoughtful opinion pieces devoted not to analyses but to watching P.P. blowing in the wind -- in which ever direction it will take him. Moscrop has plumbed the shallow depths of P.P.s powermongering: the mean little kid really just wants to be king of the mud castle: he does not have very powerful political ambitions, as in principles of holding power, doing good-- or perhaps ill if necessary -- as a trip to immortality or even temporary top of mudheap. Poilievre, it seems to me, is uneasy, angry, and resentful -- of what/ who we don't quite know. These are strong emotions: let's hope he does not employ them in some sort of redneck rally just so that he might prove some obscure power point. David, keep probing in your gloomy analytical
style: you can tell those scary truths and make them interesting as well ... S. Bradley, Vancouver
Get wise to the government's deception:
https://soberchristiangentlemanpodcast.substack.com/p/s1-scgp-the-government-deception
Actually, I think that government-supported journalists - the CBC and everybody on the $600M/year subsidy program - should have to wear special hats or pins when on TV or in scrum.
Politicians should get to refer to them as "my liddle bee-atch".
Just so that we folks paying for Canadaland and substackers can take pride in supporting those not on the take. (Even those who'd be glad of some take, but just don't qualify because they aren't giant traditional media.)
How about dunce caps?
What's that orange rectangular thing?