Evidence of meeting #16 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was journalists.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I'm sorry, but perhaps you can expand on it as we go into the second round. Thank you.
Now we go to the second round for five minutes each. We begin with Mr. Maguire for the Conservatives.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
I want to thank both of you for your presentation this morning.
As Seamus just mentioned, social media doesn't replace local media. I want to follow up on that.
Mr. LeBlanc, I think that's one of the comments you made earlier. We have seen a deterioration, perhaps, of some of the type of reporting.
You were talking about the credibility of journalists, the training and that sort of thing, the qualifications, and the standards you have. I'd like you to comment on the code of ethics a bit in regard to what is there and what you may see is needed down the road for the future as well. Or is it enough now just to make sure that more people qualify for it?
Also, I'd like you to talk about the quality of the analysis of research in journalism, which you think is needed as well.
9:25 a.m.
President, Radio Television Digital News Association
I'll handle the research part and let Mr. LeBlanc discuss the code.
Because to our knowledge there probably isn't contemporary research in terms of what this committee's looking at, we've said that we support that, and I know there are many journalism schools and universities that are adequately and well equipped to conduct that research. We think that will provide us as an association, and also our membership, with a better understanding of the exact impact small communities in particular are facing with the demise of local news reporting and the impact that online, digital, and social media reporting is having on those communities.
I think that research needs to get under way and needs to happen quickly, because the landscape is changing so rapidly. It's become a cliché to say that, but it is. With the next social media application, the whole nature of collection and distribution of news and ideas changes.
We support that, and do so with a sense of urgency. It would would allow us, the industry, and practising journalists in Canada to fully understand the shifting sands in the nature of the business and how to keep abreast of those changes and to be in a position to ensure that communities receive local news.
We support that, and we support the notion that this is not just the networks. This is local journalists. This is about the people who you've referred to in the newsrooms in Kamloops and in the smaller communities in this country, who are often working in desperate situations and trying to keep up with the demands expected of them.
9:30 a.m.
Past President, Radio Television Digital News Association
The code of ethics has been around for a good number of years. It really reaches back to the origins of the U.S. RTNDA. Over time, because of technological change and so on, there has been a need to update the code—or, because of experiences that have led to great ethical questions, there were more discussions that led to changes to the code.
Over the last couple of years, our association was hearing from its members that there was a need to update it, because many of the things we were saying were very applicable to radio and television and the tools that radio and television use, but the reality is that practically any journalist anywhere now is really a digital journalist. Certainly, radio and television use digital equipment now. A print journalist is using digital equipment now and very often posting video to the newspaper site, so really, where is that differentiation?
The real differentiation comes back to the terms of the code. Anybody today can pick up a camera. We all have cameras. There are probably 30 cameras in this room right now, with our iPhones and so on. We can shoot video and it could land on tonight's newscast easily enough. The technology is there. It's the ethical filter that isn't necessarily there in all cases of people picking up the camera.
We went through the code over the past year and updated it in such a way that it would be platform-agnostic, so that no matter what equipment you are using, whether you work in digital in any form, the rules would be applicable. Being accurate is the same anywhere.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
There's an evolution in the rural areas as well, because there are not as many communities as there used to be. Is that the same thing that we're looking at in journalism? We're saying that there may be a shortage of credible journalism, and there isn't the same number of communities. Some of them are growing and some aren't. I've seen a number of them disappear over my lifetime in some of those areas as well.
When you talk about the quality of analysis, it's important to have the local quality of life represented through local journalists. That's what's keeping our weeklies alive, probably more so than some of the dailies. That's one of the areas. I wondered if you could comment on that. From your journalists and your organization, where do you see the future going?
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I'm afraid you're going to have to hold that thought until we get to the next questioner. We have run out of time.
Now I go to Dan Vandal, for the Liberals.
Five minutes, Mr. Vandal.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
We talked a little bit about your membership, first of all. Do you have digital-only journalists who are members of your organization?
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
In terms of general members, how many are radio/TV journalists, compared to digital ones? Could you give me some numbers?
9:35 a.m.
Past President, Radio Television Digital News Association
The quick answer is, not immediately. We could get that to you.
9:35 a.m.
Past President, Radio Television Digital News Association
More than 50 people?
9:35 a.m.
Past President, Radio Television Digital News Association
My guess would be very close to that, but the majority are still radio and television. The thing is, many of the people working in radio and television are working in the digital—
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
I imagine, then, you'd have no idea of how many independent digital broadcasters/journalists are not represented by your organization? I'm assuming you know who is in your organization. You want to know who's not in.
9:35 a.m.
President, Radio Television Digital News Association
Right, there are many who are not.
9:35 a.m.
President, Radio Television Digital News Association
How is the association financed? Through membership fees and through sponsorship of our national and regional conventions.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
But you can't tell me approximately how many members you have?
9:35 a.m.
President, Radio Television Digital News Association
There are 200-plus members, but I'm not sure in terms of their designation, because you don't sign up within a particular category of journalism.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Okay.
In terms of the Broadcasting Act, it stipulates that each component of the broadcasting system must create Canadian content, and, as you know, that doesn't apply to digital content. Do you have an opinion on that, or would you like to share something on it?