Peter Menzies: Publishers Rightly Fear Bill C-18
Commentary
Ignoring pleas from publishers for the preservation of their independence, Canada’s ruling party has turned up the heat on innovators who believe in freedom of the press and want the state to keep its eyes, ears, and nose out of the nation’s newsrooms.
The most egregious example took place in the Senate Transport and Communications Committee hearings into The Online News Act (Bill C-18). The legislation is designed to force payments from web giants like Facebook and Google and put cash into the hands of news organizations operating in Canada. Overseeing all this will be the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and only news organizations approved by government appointees will be eligible….