FELDSTED: We have lost the diversity of media opinion through consolidation, and the concentration of media reporters, to a few multiple media outlets
Justin Trudeau Says
Politicians Should Work On Their Social Media Skills -- He said some leaders are
dividing people with technology.
Jordan Press
~~ Canadian Press / Huff Post ~~ 11/12/2018
PARIS — Politicians working to harness the power of
social media to connect with voters need to figure out how to do so positively
in the face of leaders using those platforms to undermine democracy, Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau says.
Without mentioning anyone by name at an event in
Paris on Monday morning, Trudeau suggested there are politicians who are trying
to use platforms like Twitter to foster polarization and controversy in the
electorate.
The medium is not without its benefits, Trudeau
said, pointing to the ease of putting out a tweet of condolence or support
being easier, more direct and resonating more with citizens than issuing a
press statement carried by traditional media.
That same ease and directness that Trudeau said can
be used to build confidence in government and democratic institutions can just
as easily be used by politicians trying to "make you angry or make you
divided or make you hate your neighbour" — pitting one kind of social
media politician against the other.
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Great advice – let’s move political discourse to
social media sites where unfounded gossip, rumours and trolls posting fake news
rule. That will ensure that the public is baffled by conflicting opinion, some
truth sprinkled with innuendo and outright lies and no way to sort out facts
from fiction.
In the meantime, media consolidation in Canada,
through acquisitions by conglomerates has stifled fair and balanced news that
is fact checked and accurate. Through consolidation we have lost rational
diversity of opinion. The option of turning to social media is even worse than
the opinionated pap we get through our newspapers and the TV now.
Defending freedom of the press -- while allowing
five conglomerates (Bell, Rogers, Telus, Shaw and Quebecor, in that order when
ranked by income) to dominate (71.1%) of the telecom, media and internet
industries in Canada -- is ridiculous.
Competition creates diversity of opinion and
attention to accuracy.
Today, far too many articles in our media originate
with the Canadian Press whose reporters send their stories to all major media
owners. From there we get the same
unchecked, and unverified, pap from media outlets coast to coast.
Trudeau will never try to break up the media
conglomerates – they could turn on him and destroy his chance of re-election.
That, in a nutshell, is the danger of media
concentration and influence.
John Feldsted
Political Consultant
& Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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