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So, the supposedly independent panel of journalists and others from the “news community” already has its first government directive.

The mere act of appointing a panel with objectives and instructions is a form of state interference. Which members of the news community will be selected? If the government is looking for a veteran columnist with decades of experience attacking government intervention in the economy, don’t call me. I could not possibly accept a role as a government-appointed determinant of government subsidies.

The supposedly independent panel of journalists and others from the 'news community' already has its first government directive

The journalists and companies that receive government funds will financially benefit at the expense of others who are not on the receiving end of refundable, non-refundable tax credits and other supportive interventions. Ottawa’s billion-dollar support for the CBC already warps the media landscape, and the new interventions will make the current structure even more distorted.

It is also unlikely that these measures to shape local journalism and bolster some media companies over others will be the end of government efforts to meddle in the industry. One can reasonably expect that there will be corresponding attempts to undermine the corporate entities and others that are said to be destabilizing Canadian journalism and the news and information business.

There is constant pressure on government from many sources to take action against the social media giants that are accused of stealing profits from legacy newspapers while spreading fake news. In a new commentary this week, former U.S. labour secretary Robert Reich called on Washington to break up Facebook and Google on the grounds that they dominate advertising. Anti-trust action is needed, said Reich, on the grounds that they “stifle innovation.” Canadian regulatory activists share the view that the U.S. tech and media companies need to be controlled and taxed — with the money redistributed to Canadian entities.

All these attempts to regulate, control and alter the media landscape, from newspapers to social media to the Internet, represent a new threat to the fundamental principle of media freedom. The longstanding principle is that the state has no business meddling with freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The new principle seems to be that the state can and should play a role, as long as it makes sure to call it an “independent panel.”