Thanks for the question.
I'd start by noting that I don't think copyright really has anything to do with the viability of journalism. Indeed, one of the most essential exceptions within the Copyright Act is the one for news reporting. Frankly, if we don't have a robust fair dealing provision, one that incorporates a liberal approach with respect both to fair dealing and particularly to news reporting, the ability for reporters to use materials and reuse materials as part of their reportage could be severely compromised indeed.
I can think about the number of times when I was doing pieces within the mainstream media and found them “lawyered” because of different kinds of concerns that arose. If we were add the prospect of a fair dealing analysis because you were using other materials as part of your reportage and you feared potential lawsuits, I think that would severely compromise the kind of original journalism that's absolutely essential.
With respect to how fair dealing has been interpreted, including education and this notion that there are news sites out there that can fully copy my work and make it available without any sort of compensation, that simply isn't an accurate reflection of what fair dealing permits. It certainly permits uses and sometimes full articles for, let's say, non-commercial purposes in an education environment, but when we're talking about a commercial use—let's say by a competitor organization—the notion that somehow fair dealing would permit the copying of those materials and the reposting of those materials isn't an accurate reflection of the law.