Letter from Canadian Heritage Minister

Letter from Canadian Heritage Minister November 10, 2022

From: Honorable Pablo Rodriguez hon.pablo.rodriguez@pch.gc.ca

Subject: Reply from the Ministerial Correspondence Secretariat, in response to your correspondence, forwarded to the HonourablePablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage 

Date: November 10, 2022 at 9:21 AM

To: ken.zakreski@gmail.com

Dear Mr. Zakreski:

I am writing in response to your correspondence, forwarded to the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, regarding the regulation of social media in accordance with the Broadcasting Act. Minister Rodriguez appreciates your taking the time to write on this matter. Please excuse the delay in my reply.

The Government of Canada understands the importance of local news to Canadians so that they have access to quality local and community programming that meets their needs. This includes access to high-quality local news on which Canadians rely to stay informed of issues that matter to them. In this regard, the Government appreciates your contribution through the Community Bulletin Board, Life on Gabriola.

As you may know, the Government provides support to local journalism, especially in small communities. For example, the Local Journalism Initiative supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada. In addition, the Canadian journalism labour tax credit is applied to the salaries or wages of employees of eligible organizations that produce original news content. The Government also implemented the Special Measures for Journalism 2021 component of the Canada Periodical Fund, which provided recovery funding to Canadian magazines and community newspapers to support organizations that struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, currently at its second reading before the Senate, does not seek to regulate social media platforms. Because content shared on social media cannot be considered a broadcasting undertaking, a Facebook group cannot be considered a community element or subjected to laws governing broadcast undertakings. Moreover, the Broadcasting Act only applies to audio and audiovisual content, not written journalism.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy to mention Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which is designed to support the Canadian news industry, and would make online platforms such as Google and Meta, compensate media organizations for reusing their journalism. This bill should contribute financially to the vitality of news media.

Please accept my best wishes. Sincerely,

Josée Ethier (elle/she/her)
Director

Ministerial Correspondence Secretariat