In today’s information age, news and media shape public discourse more than ever before. However, Canada’s media landscape has become increasingly concentrated and, with it, alarmingly one-sided. This consolidation of power, coupled with a growing tendency to focus on negative news, raises significant concerns about the accuracy and balance of information available to Canadians.
One of the most troubling trends in Canada’s media industry is the concentration of ownership in the hands of a few corporations. Between 1990 and 2005, a series of corporate mergers and takeovers radically transformed the country’s news landscape. In 1990, 17.3% of daily newspapers were independently owned, but by 2017, this figure had plummeted to just 6%. What was once a relatively diverse and independently run media ecosystem has evolved into a tightly controlled, corporate-dominated system.
The issue of media concentration has been acknowledged repeatedly by government bodies, including the Davey Commission (1970) and the Kent Commission (1981), both of which recommended reforms to maintain diversity in media ownership. However, these recommendations served little purpose and were never meaningfully implemented. By 2003, the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications launched yet another investigation into the state of Canada’s news media, echoing the same concerns that have persisted for decades.
Today, the situation has reached a critical point. A small number of media conglomerates dominate the national discourse, shaping public opinion with a narrow, often homogeneous perspective. Postmedia, the largest newspaper chain in Canada, now controls over 100 newsrooms across six provinces, as well as two national newspapers. The company has been notorious for its cost-cutting measures, having closed 57 smaller community newspapers since 2008. This has left many Canadians without access to local news, a vital component of democratic engagement.
The Erosion of Local Journalism
Local journalism in Canada, particularly in Atlantic provinces, is under severe threat. On August 24, 2024, it was reported that Postmedia had acquired dozens of newspapers in the region, resulting in the termination of 180 news staff. This acquisition is part of a broader pattern, with Postmedia slashing jobs and reducing editorial content to cut costs. Newsrooms that once played critical roles in their communities have become “pale shadows of what they used to be,” according to the CBC. The loss of local journalism means that stories relevant to communities – stories about local governance, social issues, and community events – are no longer being told.
This is not just a crisis for Atlantic Canada; it is a national issue. As large corporations continue to consolidate media ownership, local stories are being sidelined in favour of corporate narratives, and as a by-product, investigative journalism is also being neglected.
A One-Sided, Negative Narrative
Another troubling aspect of Canada’s modern media environment is its overwhelming focus on negativity. Turn on any major news channel or pick up a newspaper, and the focus is almost invariably on crime, disasters, political scandals, and other forms of bad news. Studies have long shown that negative news garners more attention than positive stories, and media outlets, driven by advertising revenue and viewer metrics, increasingly emphasize this type of content.
While negative stories are certainly newsworthy and often important, the problem is not the stories themselves but the lack of balance. Positive news, stories of community success, innovation, and progress are often sidelined to create a skewed vision of reality that can lead to feelings of despair and hopelessness. Moreover, the lack of alternative viewpoints means that complex issues are often reduced to sensational headlines, making for a polarized and sometimes distorted understanding of the world.
This one-sided narrative is reinforced by the concentration of media ownership. When a few large corporations control the vast majority of news outlets, they get to shape public discourse in a way that aligns with their financial or political interests. Dissenting voices, alternative perspectives, and diverse viewpoints are increasingly absent from mainstream media, leaving Canadians with a limited and often negative view of current events.
The Impact on Democracy
The health of our democracy relies on a well-informed public that has access to a variety of perspectives. When media concentration silences alternative voices and promotes a one-sided narrative, democracy suffers. Canadians deserve a diverse media landscape that offers not only balanced coverage of news events but also a range of opinions and ideas.
The concentration of media ownership, combined with the erosion of local journalism and the overwhelmingly negative tone of reporting, raises serious concerns about the future of news in Canada. To address these issues, meaningful reforms are necessary. While multiple potential resolutions exist, some could include incentivizing independent media outlets, promoting diversity in ownership, and supporting local journalism to ensure that the stories that matter most to communities are being told.
Beyond the threat to our democracy, there are the issues of the use of predatory corporate strategies to cement dominance. Also, there is the seemingly unlimited harvesting and utilization of personal information – Canadians need to be protected, now more than ever before in the digital landscape.
The Importance of Balance
Canada’s media landscape is at a crossroads. The corporate consolidation of news outlets, combined with a pervasive focus on negative and sensational content, threatens the diversity and balance of information that is essential to a functioning democracy. Canadians deserve better – they deserve a media landscape that offers a variety of perspectives, highlights both the good and the bad, and gives voice to local and small communities. Without these changes, the country’s media will continue to present a narrow, one-sided narrative that fails to reflect a true version of Canadian society.
How can we expect a healthy democracy when media is being used as a weapon to only present a narrow slice of reality, neglecting the true spectrum of voices and stories that make up our society?
