May
24
MdSt 20: May 24 Media control in Canada…
- Students discussed and read articles that looked at the concentration of media control in Canada. There are only five major news agencies that control what news is given, what perspective it takes in sharing that news, and adversely, what news is not included for Canadians.
- The link was discussed today between Conrad Black and the Asper family. The two used to be media moguls in Canadian media but Conrad Black eventually sold his properties and companies to the Asper family, making the Aspers one of the most powerful and controling media organizations in Canada. Several examples were given of situations where editors in chief of newspapers across the country were fired or quietened whenever their opinion pieces contrasted the Liberal-minded party lines of the Asper foundation. Global News, the National Post, the daily papers in all major cities such as Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal, etc are all owned and maintained by CanWest News, the property of the Asper family.
- Students also had a look at ten of the top 15 men of media in the world, according to Forbes 400’s list. What do these people have in common? They are white, they are old, and they are mostly male. These are the men who decide what the world is exposed to as far as media goes.