PETERS: Trudeau government’s effort to help news organizations may have backfired

As for the journalists, many feel they must share their content on those same social media sites at no cost in order to find an audience.

To borrow a phrase, Facebook is drinking our milkshake.

The government’s Online News Act seeks to restore that revenue stream to media companies struggling to survive.

Bell gave us another illustration of that struggle earlier this month — laying off even more talented people.

Meta has responded to the Trudeau government, however, by saying it is no longer going to allow access to news for users of Facebook and Instagram in Canada.

While few people get their news from Instagram, like it or not, a lot of people get their news from Facebook.

That can be a good thing or a very bad thing. Some folks have turned over controls of their common sense to their individually tailored Facebook algorithms, with bizarre and disastrous results.

With no news being shared on Facebook, there is an entire subset of folks who simply won’t keep up anymore. They won’t be properly informed as to the state of the world.

Instead, they will have their awareness shaped by blunt instruments like memes and viral videos.

A lot of audience behaviour is firmly ingrained in checking social media pages. Shifting that to checking news sources directly will be a near impossible task.

The government may have intended to help news organizations with its bill, but it may have cost it an audience, instead.

A more nuanced approach would have been preferable.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by James Peters

PETERS: Trudeau government’s effort to help news organizations may have backfired

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