Our biggest concern is what Bill C-18 will do to our online feeds. What kind of content do you think will get the most Facebook shares or the most retweets on Twitter? Do you think it is the in-depth, long-read investigative journalism that holds our leaders accountable, or do you think it is puff pieces, fiery unsourced op-eds and outright misleading clickbait?
Bill C-18 triples down on this kind of content. It nudges legitimate news outlets to make more of it, to see their shares grow and earn more compensation. It offers yellow journalists and content-mill click farms a real possibility of qualifying for guaranteed mandatory platform subsidy and promotion. It forbids platforms from taking any steps that would prioritize content from higher-quality outlets—like the National Post or The Globe and Mail—above that of any other qualifying publication.